J'adore Paris

 Crunch. I look at this and take a bite out of it.

 As Mackenzie would say "it's the Leaning tower of Paris" in the distance.

Une Madam, serious madam, w/ glasses, hat, coat and as always, cigarette.

I don't know how to quite explain it. I feel like everything I have been taught.. and everything that I have taught my own kids has basically been thrown out the window. This is just one very very small thing for example.-- Why, she has no helmet. The mother drove in and out of traffic bouncing around the outside of our car, in front of buses and in between minis all the while her baby bunckin in basket. And no one looked twice.

-I love my handy camera.-- reminder to myself : don't leave home without it.

 OK. Jean-Marc and I are looking for an apartment to rent. We have been looking for 2 weeks now. We started looking in Fontainebleau, and then started to look in Paris....well, this is what we found..in Paris. Here ladies and gentlemen we have a "very comfortable apartment, good condition, kitchen,water closet with wood floors, 6th floor with elevator, nice view" sounds great. ---Oh, wait, does that say 12 meters squared? ...Perfect, just enough to put my toe in. 

So we headed back to Fontainebleau where the space of meters sqaured is a bit larger and the price a bit smaller. Here is my checklist:

- I need a F4 (meaning 4 pieces as they say, meaning 4 rooms not counting bathroom and kitchen.

-I would like it to be on the first floor for easy access for JM after op.

-I would like this apartment on the first floor to have a small garden/yard for Kenji and Keo to play in, that can be 12 m2 thank you.

-I would like the kids to have their own room and JM to have an office...that would be an F5 though if I were to count in a living space. Asking for a bit much here.

-I would like it to be furnished for the short time period we are here. Kitchens as you  may or may not know are not furnished. What does that mean?????Means no stove, no oven, no fridge, no cabinets, nothing, nada, not one thing except a kitchen sick. A  very naked kitchen.

-I would like this furnished apartment to be close to town since finding a parking space is impossible. So, I need this place to be close to the schools... but more importantly to shops, bakeries and art galleries!

-And lastly, something under $1200/month. good luck to me.

I think that is all I ask. That's my checklist. 

So far? ...still searching.

But- I have seen:

-A very beautiful third story apt. with a breath taking view. ..Maybe another time...I truly fell in love with it.

-A very elegant 1st floor apt, although it looked more like a wing of the Napoleon Chateau. Huge, gorgeous, museum like, original artwork on the ceilings, just imagine!!!

-and a very old charming french house. Very cute but very old and unfurnished, needed a lot of fix up. maybe another time again.

(deep sigh....) I will find our house. I know it's there somewhere, somewhere out there waiting for our little family to move in,

And to finish off this long post, I introduce you to the small black bunny of Paris. You will find him bouncing around town into and out of small places! He catches you by surprise when you least expect it.  I've seen him twice now and along with some other interesting things that just are there with no reason. Like a secret society!!

Good night friends, still missing you, still missing  Blacksburg, our routine, our very furnished and spacious home. 608 Dehart Street.

 Night Sashi, Simbad, Petunia.

Kisses.