VIVIAN À PARIS
MEALS, BELLY LAUGHS, SHOPPING, AND SCHLEPPING.
Let me just start this one out with a BIG thank you to everyone who helped visualize this new home for me. Because — it is precious! I have had the past two days to nest and I have … hard! I have sanded the heck out of my brand new (extremely old) dinning (originally patio) table so that I can have a meal on her withOUT getting a splinter. I have whipped down and tidied too many times to count. I have hung floor to ceiling curtains. I have gone to meet Justine (and new friend Corinne) across the river for beers. Ok ok! So, that’s a different kind of nesting. But it was in birds eye view of the island, so nesting-ish. (Speaking of birds eye — I also nested in the pharmacy across the street from my apt. I have another stye. I’ll just have you know. I have lived my whole life without one of these, and since moving to France, this marks THREE for me. Datapoint. Either this place is stressing me out to the nth degree (which to be fair, it has. Particularly these past two months), or I am doing what infants do when they finally go to daycare. Getting that immune-system upgrade in a new place by getting sick with all those new germs / surroundings. I’m overloading my eyes with drops and compresses this time. This will be the LAST time for me.)
On Vivian’s final morning I biked to Tapisserie — Charonne early for a coffee and a necessary choux to bode her farewell. She has been here now for almost a full week and it has been an incredible upgrade in my day to day — knowing that at some point during each of those 24 hours I would get to visit with one of my favorite humans!
Second day of her arrival, I went to her new pied-à-terre in the 11th and ummmmm a PRECIOUS spot. (In fact, I begged her to please become besties with the owner via airbnb messaging and drop the hint that she knew JUST the person who needs her space whenever the owner intended to let it go — raising my hand high while on my tiptoes for this one! ME! ME!) It. Was. PERFECT. Huge, one bedroom, street and courtyard facing (full floor), roomy kitchen, record player, bathtub!!!, private toilet room (I’m starting to become a fan of these here), and closet space for days. Oh! And …two balconies. Dream! Viv moved here from her original airbnb in Place des Vosges because well… sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some with airbnb. The photos weren’t what it was when she arrived and the noise was a level 10. A full — No go… when you want to have a cozy weekend with your favorite European girl — Paris. This new place though? C'etait parfait!
After exploring the new digs — we sought out to find dinner. We were en route to Clamato, the sister restaurant of Septime (which I couldn’t get us resies for… believe me I tried. For days.) — until we saw Jones. A place that Fanny had recommended me last month and that I had totally forgotten about until we pulled up a barstool and took residence. We ordered practically one of everything on the menu - not to exclude… the funky natural wines and the strong calvados. Best spot! With the most incredibly friendly and accommodating owners.
We didn’t make it a long night though — as the next day — we had a mission. Going to the flea for some vintage goods and a table for Chez AC.
FLEA FINDS
We met at the Porte de Clingnancourt stop from the 4 train — just under the wait for it… wait for it… KFC! (What?! I thought it was the only appropriate meeting point for two Americans. No?). First stop… the GOODS alley (what I’ve named it, anyway.) Because we found the goods!
Each shop had the coolest trinkets - clocks, silver cigaret cases, petit shell picture frames, pocket knives, binoculars. You name it, these shops had it — and all in mint condition! Mais after learning the prices of our goods in hand we slowly started to put them all back. I mean… let me get my premier paycheck FIRST before I blow it, eh?!). We left and walked directly into another treasure trove.
I felt like I was back in Melet Mercantile. Incredible vintage in the best condition EVERYWHERE. Before I knew it, Viv was stripping down and trying on blouse after blouse after blouse. Each one seem to fit her better than the last — and each time… she would smile, get giddy (she LOVES vintage and it loves her) as she would turn to the CHIC shop owner and say “I’ll take this one too.” When she was going to pay we ALL spotted the coolest baby blue bra with yellow stitched polkadots. We demanded that she try it on. You can imagine what happened next. “I’ll take it!” She walked out wearing one of (they were all my) favorites! And then … helped me as I decided on which table was coming home with moi.
The search was on. Where was my table!? I had really wanted to buy a classic elongated vintage collapsible iron table (had a vision that it would be either red or green) and yet each one I came across just wasn’t it. They were all either too short, or had a bottom bar that would forbid pulling a chair all the way up etc. But, when I turned the final corner of the market, I gasped. Vivian and I were getting good at seeing tables under all the things. “Look at that one!” I said. We went over — started removing the outside figurines that were stacked all over it to see it’s paint job. To visualize it in a home instead of outside - as its original purpose was. And voila. I could see it with this one!
“How much?” I asked David - the vendor. “150€.”
With that, and after we had a lengthy conversation with Hélèn (a lady who I am going to see tomorrow to buy the fabric that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about and wish I had bought from her when I was there - but didn’t), Vivian and I took ourselves to lunch to discuss and review the umpteen tables we saw.
Over our beers and split cheeseburger (what?! We are Americans after all!) Vivan said “AC… you responded to this one” as she pointed to the picture of the white wooden table. She was right. I gasped when I saw it. It looked like the perfect size. So, after making the queue in the ATM line with every other person in a square-mile… we went back to make a deal!
Mais, NON!!!!!!!!
When we arrived, David had packed up for the day. All of it… but would you guess?… all but the white table. I asked his neighbor vendor to give him a ring a ding ding and tell him that I was there to take it home. David, on the phone, told this other man that it was 125€. Hummmmmm did he forget that he had already told me it was150€? Sounded like it! Yay! This means I can barter even lower than I had planned to. I offered 100€ cash and without any time-lapse (not even a second) David, on the phone, said “yes.”
Just like that — he lost 50€ (that I was ready to pay if he had demanded) — and I got a brand new (extremely old) dinning room table / home office / kitchen island. Win win.
“Now… how are we getting home with this?” Uber? May not fit. Subway? Hummmmm not unless we wanted full body massages the next day. Which, come to think of it…
So we opted for the bus. The bus! Of course! As I google mapped the directions, we looked up. Would you guess it? We were already standing under the bus stop sign. Greenlight!
We caught the 85 bus to the 67 bus and it delivered us… are you ready? Directly to my front door on Île Saint Louis. GREENEST OF GREENLIGHTS. We only had to walk all of a hundredth of a mile and 6 ish (maybe 7… but who’s counting after 6, eh?) flights of stairs with this VERY heavy, dirty, precious new table of mine.
And now, as I type on her, I am considering… she may look très chic with a dark glossy sheen. Paint may be in her (and my) future!
That night, after we rearranged a few pieces in my apartment, and made my place sing with the retouches, I took us out for beers at my watering hole on the tip of the island. Viv loved it and our glasses of wine. I had worn us out that day — so while we were en route to drinks, we stopped off into Fleuryan Ile Saint Louis Primeur, where we each bought dinner — their infamous soba soup. Delicious!
MY WEEK WITH VIV …
While Viv was here we roamed about, shopped and walked a full 10 miles so that I could introduce her to her new favorite… Musée Rodin.
And then. We ate. A LOT. We went to Les Enfant Rouge — BEST meal yet there!
We went to Chez Janou — Essential for us when she is in town.
And then the best of the best… Viv booked us at Le Coeval d’Or.
I thought this 8 course meal called for glam. And since I hadn’t seen / worn my beautiful clothes in god knowns when. I pulled out my vintage green suit, who had been was screaming for a night out on the town, and paired her with my hot pink striped silk blouse and a chunky heel. (This was actually supposed to be my outfit for Sheyda’s wedding … but when I realized that vintage polyester, with silk, in Italian July heat, was a recipe for.. well, SWEAT… I didn’t wear it. Instead…) I made my Italian mob ensemble debut this night, at a Parisian Japanese restaurant. C'etait parfait.
Marinated tuna, pickled cucumbers, creamy tofu in egg shell, fried dumplings, lobster, goji berry tomato soup, pork, rice pudding, and lots and lots of natural chardonnay and calvados. Always calvados with my Vivian Song!
I don’t know whether it was because it was going to be our last night together, or because the ambiance was spot-on, or because the open-kitchen yielded an incredible barstool vantage point and produced NO sound (we’re still in debate on whether the kitchen team was writing their needs on paper and passing to one another. Not a peep. It was magnificent), or if it was because we were both eeeeeeee drunk on the natural whites they had flowing in our wine glasses. Whatever the reason — we were all smiles.
I biked home after — going at a snails pace. You all do remember, right? I went to the hospital back in April after a spill on my vélo from a night of heavy handed wine pours. Lesson learned. Now, if you catch me biking past 9pm on any given night. You can bet your bottom dollar that my high heels are pedaling at a micro speed, and my eyes are GLUED to the pavement looking for anything (crack, sidewalk, other bike, dog (no joke almost hit one of these the other day)) that could cause me to experience those terrifying series and lab-coats again. Non, merci!
NEIGHBORS
As the theme of nearly all of my En routes go — my world continues to grow smaller. As I was biking home on Wednesday morning I came to a screaming stop when Anne and I locked eyes. She literally did an about-face to ensure it was in fact me who she thought she had seen. I did the same! I had first met her and her husband, Guillaume, at the flea market (same one I frequented this past weekend and will return to tomorrow) in April, and then again in Cannes for that GRAND weekend back in July. Would you guess it? She and her husband have bought an apartment exactly next door to the one I’m renting. Smallest of the smallest worlds! We both instantly shared our numbers on the street and made plans to see one another.
And, later that evening — after my beer with Justine and Corrine — I was texting Selden to come meet us. She was getting a bike when I got this text: “My purse was just stolen. I’m going to the police station. I’ll defiantly need my key back now.” Terrible!!!!
Selden and I were due to go out for a proper catch up and key hand-over. The last key in my possession from all the apartment hopping I had done. And now? We were visiting in Le Marais Police Station with serious policemen, and their guns, listening to every word. (Which ps. Welcome to France! When I arrived I was ready to be scanned (I mean. I was walking into a POLICE STATION you know… where the law ummmm matters, where you would think extra procautions would be made? Mais non.) Kills me how inconsistent this country can be. Sometimes they will scan you and even make you remove shoes to be safe as you walk through security. And sometimes… they just turn their backs, buzz you in, give you a glance, and wave you through— even when you set off the alarm with your things in hand (raising my hand high for this exact thing happening to me that evening) — and they don’t give two thoughts about it. What. Is. That??!!!!! Other than très bazaar.)
Selden took her interview with the hunky cops and I went outside to practice my Duolingo (happy to report, even months away from the app, I am already, only 8 days later, back in the lead). After I made Duo jump up and down about twelve times with my “10 in a row” accolades — I strolled about until I landed at Caffe Soprano. Selden came to find me. And even after having her designer purse and designer wallet (birthday gift from Thomas just DAYS ago) stolen, she was still being sweet, chic, optimistic, Selden. We shared a pie, shared all our tales from the past month that we hadn’t seen one another, and I handed her key over (too, hers had been stolen).
She is Richmond bound today to see family, attend a wedding, and partake in my favorite pastime. Snuggle down a Jane and Jimmy Vick Gill. (before she left… I stopped by her office to had over the MOST precious Petit Bateau outfit for the boodle — Vivian inspiration — and another little surprise for his mama!)
I met Manon (my tutor / friend from last summer) at the Cafe in front of Merci this morning. While I waited, I popped into the shop to buy friend a butter candle. That’s right! They sell candles that are wrapped like butter, are shaped like butter, and I pray (hahaha) smells like butter when you burn it. On Saturday, she is throwing herself a “butter tasting” birthday party. The perfect gift!! Well, that, along with my slab that I plan to get tomorrow from La Petite Epicerie de la Tour. I hear it is clog your arteries, lick your fingers… delish butter!
AND!! Last night I got invited to Paralympics Athletics. The Olympic buzz hasn’t quit!
This coming week I get to welcome home Miranda from the Venice Film Festival. I get to actually apply for visa renewal because I have FINALLY heard back from the French Government - now that it is no longer August and they are all back to work - I will finish appointing my apartment, and I will continue getting updates about the most precious patient that there ever was. The boodle pictured below. Goldie Hawn Bethea, my girl, had surgery this week and could NOT look more precious. Here’s the proof…
Until next week… xxo
Love and miss you!!