Got ready and this time took the metro and got there early so went across the road to look at the special Art exhibition set up in the gardens opposite the Opera House Bastille. Some great art and some way out art. 

I then found my seat. Amazing but no one at the door to check you in? The bell had just gone and not an usher in sight.

Anyway my seat tonight was in the 2nd row, 2nd balcony. Great view. Had a lovely lady from ” the village of Montmarte” as she so charmingly put it next to me. She was elegant and lovely and then her friend arrived and they were both charming. They told me a friend had moved to Brisbane but “it did not agrees with her. She was scared of zee snakes”. I told them it was not unusual to find snakes in the garden, but we were used to them. They looked amazed. 

Then the young man on the other side joined in and I had another new friend. He was on his own as his wife was away and doesn’t like Opera. He was about 30 and was very sweet. I spent interval talking to them and they were all really lovely. The Opera -“Daughter of the Regiment” – was really good. It was a great production and my new friends told me the director and the conductor were well regarded. It was a good production but was in French as were the subtitles – not a word of English, so even though I knew what was going on I missed a lot. There were quite a lot of spoken lines as it was a fairly light opera. One particularly good solo – by the heroine who was to be separated from her new love – brought tears to more than a few eyes. The lady next to me sobbed and was mopping her eyes for several minutes after. The French are so demonstrative! Not usually! 

It ended happily, as all operas do, and down came the French style crowd and cock a doddle dooed . It brought the house down. 

I took the no 69 bus home past the Louvre over the bridge with the view of the Eiffel Tower down Bve St Germaine and I was home.  

Then you enter the Hotel itself with more wonderful work. His work is magnificent and, having read the book The Submission,  

I kept walking to Invalides and admired its grandeur, and moved on to Champs de Mars to once again admire the Eiffel Tower and then wander back along the route the no 69 takes along Rue St Dominique. I got home by the time the rain started again and rested the feet for an hour before heading out again . This time over the Pont Royal and through the Tuileries. A it was a public holiday everyone was out. I saw the crowds playing games, walking hand in hand, sliding down slippery slides, sitting on the same green chairs I saw in the Luxembourg Garden, drinking wine, playing cards and chess and generally enjoying being out.

This time I didn’t stop. It was much cooler and I was on a mission. I hurried along Rue de Rivoli, past Place Vendome and all the high-end shops and into St Madeleine’s church  where I wanted to hear the organ concert. I stayed for about 45 mins of heart stopping, ear deafening, organ playing to a very diverse crowd.

I then enjoyed window shopping and it may have been a public holiday but all the rich were out in the top-end shops and most people around me were carrying bags! Oh how they loved the luxurious bag here in Paris. With the name clearly on show. Prada, Gucci, Armani, Choo. You name it and the Russians, Chinese and assorted other rich people were toting them around. I tried to maintain an air of mystery as I rubbed shoulders with them – at the windows.

I shouted myself a glass of wine and slipped home around 8pm for a meagre dinner of quiche. I greeted the team of workmen on my arrival home. I may not have mentioned but the team are working on the unit I share the landing with. There are 3 very polite men there from 8 in the morning till 8 at night. Someone must be paying them a lot to finish and they tell me they be finished on Saturday. They greet me morning and night and make me feel very welcome. Not to mention safe and watched over. 

Off to bed with a new book – Robert Harris “Fear”. Hope I don’t scare myself. 

It was beautiful and peaceful. The good thing about the colder weather is the tourist lines are not so bad.

I had a few hours wandering around the garden and the house and sitting watching people. I think I’m becoming invisible! Some Americans arrived and entered by the exit door to the house and I heard the women say “This is a funny entrance”! – not realising she was in the kitchen. 

Oh dear. 

I walked around the village of Giverny and saw the gallery there as well. It’s a lovely place to visit and as I love Monet’s work it was rather special. I even got to see the video about his life. 

Got back to Paris and went for a walk around the river and streets nearby as the lights were coming on and some of the streets have put up their Christmas lights .

Tomorrow after my haircut I’m going to visit the Champs-Elysees to see if the lights are up the yet. 

They are a funny lot these French. I know there were some tourists there but there were lots of locals as well . Black is the colour de jour. but there was not  too much high fashion. However, there was one lady who was like Brisbane’s own Deborah “hat wearing to all occasions” Quinn; there was a woman with a severe white hair cut  that was so sharp. She married this with  bright red glasses, a coloured blouse, jacket and full skirt and funny high boots. Quite a look. Perhaps ran an art gallery? 

Another young thing had a pink thing shaped like a disc on her head. Fashion? Not sure. 

A few elegant ladies and a few young things showing some leg. 

Getting to your seat is quite a performance. There were no ushers to ask so when the bells rang people just lined up at the door nominated on their ticket. Now my ticket had 2nd balcony, which  I climbed to, and then door 11. No door 11. I went to the bar and asked the man there as there was no one else around and he said ‘go to door 13’ . Of course – why didn’t I think of that? I went in door 13 and then climbed up and then down till I reached row 5 . During the 2 intervals I exited by door 11 on 1st balcony. Easy when you know. 

Interval is quite different to interval at our Opera. Everyone rushes the bar but not always for that glass of champagne ……but for food. 

How do the French stay slim? They get into the food. They nibbled and munched on sandwiches, cheese , muffins and biscuits, ice creams and even apples. Quite a surprise. There are lots of bars and not the queues we see at the bar in our concert/ opera theatre where every one seems to need a drink . 

It’s also like a runway, not the crush we have at interval. It’s very spread out on a terrace that wraps the theatre. It’s more a promenade while munching on something.

However the toilets are just like home, crowded, but the toilets were very old with chipped seats. At the Paris Opera. I ask you – What’s happening!!!

At the end there were the usual number of curtain calls and lots of cheering from the crowd . 

The theatre cleared quickly all rushing, not for cars parked underground, but for public transport. Me included on the no 69 which took me home to the left bank via Rue Rivoli, the Louvre, over the Seine with a view of the Eiffel Tower then delivered me to Blv St Germaine where I got a phone call from Steve as I walked home. Happy Birthday Steve. Wish you were here.  

Tomorrow Monet’s house at Giverny. 

I lined up with lots of locals and booked my train ticket to Sanremo. I’m going there next
week for another language course. I think it would be cheaper to fly, but by the time I
get to the airport and worry about the weight of my suitcase it’s easier to pay the 177
euro to go by train. I go to Nice and then change for Ventimiglia  in Italy where I change
again ! I am booked into a little flat in the seaside town. Hope it’s good. 

We had afternoon tea, complete with the macaroon with Carmel’s friend Annie. She’s a lovely lady and I’ve really enjoyed meeting her. She is the one who has selected my hairdresser next week! 

Afterwards we had a dinner at a local brasserie. It was rustic French food and I was a little sad as Carmel leaves tomorrow. 

After a bad nights sleep (always bad on the first night for some strange reason) we turned our clocks back for the end of daylight saving.

We packed tonight . Oh boy the bags are shrinking I think! Carmel leaves on Sunday so has to be very good at arranging her bags to get them on the plane. 

Back to Paris tomorrow .

More lovely wine …….

The lovely Wine Man (left) …..

We moved to another place driving though the most gorgeous countryside – picture the rolling gentle hills covered in neatly planted vines some yellow (Savignon) and some green (mostly Pinot) 

It was held in the new cultural centre in Saint Saturnin.  The locals were all there and after passing through the entry hall decorated with fake autumn trees we got to the hall. Different chocolate makers were there showing their wares . 

We tasted our way around the room.  Lots of samples. And a few purchases later we left for a little drive .

We ended up at another lovely little village Chavignol – home of the goats cheese.  We visited the cheese makers and saw all the different types cheese called crottin de chavignol AOC The new cheese and the older cheese with mould growing on it! We bought a few for later! 

We stopped in at a rather lovely gallery and had a good chat to the owner who gave us lots of information about the area – including a pottery area nearby.

Monday we went for a drive to Cosne-Cours and did some supermarket shopping. Such a beautiful drive. Country roads lined with autumn coloured trees. Vines growing in neat little rows in small “patches”. Some green and some yellow.

We continued on to La Borne – a centre for pottery. It was beautiful though the pottery was not all modern. It reminded me of the 70 ‘s style pottery wine glasses and heavy pottery plates. The main centre had an exhibition and one of the exhibitors – a Japanese man whose work was modern and rather impressive. Will try and include a photo .

When we returned we had a visit to the Maison de Sancerre. For those readers who don’t know this area, Sancerre is famous for its wines in particular their white- the Savignon Blanc and the Pinot. They had a wonderful display with animated films and lots of information. We wanted to be a little informed because on Wednesday we are going on a wine tour. We finished  with a little wine tasting at Joseph Mellot one of the biggest growers and wine maker in the area and went to his restaurant for dinner. Very good Food and wine.

Tuesday was foggy so we had a slow start and headed off to Bourges. It was a small city with lots to offer. We wandered the medieval streets, visited the rather magnificent cathedral and went on a tour to Jacques Cours house. He was a wealthy man in the 1500’s who built a rather magnificent house, on the fruits of his trading business . 

Got home at 7.30 and surprise – we cooked our own dinner!