Therefore I am?

Today Anna and I had vowed to indulge our need for chocolat chaud. We started at the Café Mabillon, and it was delicious.

After that we began our wanderings, and ended up in what I can only imagine is the South Pole, if Santa moved there. I don't understand this tree, but it must be related to your standard Christmas tree.



I'm sorry, did I say the South Pole? I meant South Beach. PALM TREES?! Really? I seem to recall that Paris is further north than Syracuse ... I'm confused.



We wandered a bit beyond this park (and I can't seem to find a name for it anywhere), and stumbled upon the Bon Marché. We didn't go in the fancy department store part, but rather investigated the Grand Epicerie. That means real grocery store, in case you wondered; it's pretty much the French version of Wegmans (if slightly pricier). There was a cheese girl (KELLY!) and various meat and fish and bakery counters, and lots of aisles full of bizarre assortments of other things. Pretty cool.



On the way back to Rue de Grenelle, happened to notice this sign. It's one of those "I love my neighborhood, so I pick up my dog's poop instead of leaving it to fester on the sidewalks, even though picking up poop is very much not in line with my classy French tendancies"-esque signs ... Except someone has, shall we say, edited. Now the bottom reads "I poop [ahem, they were more vulgar, if you know what I mean], therefore I am." Beneath that, it seems like someone then added "Nothing." All together, "I poop, therefore I am -- nothing."

I've said it once, and I'll say it again, France is one enormous poop joke waiting to be told.



After lunch and some violin time, I decided I'd go investigate the job postings at the American Church. On the way there, I passed the "Congress," aka the Assemblée Nationale.



After I checked out the postings, I was pretty worn out, so I turned around to head home. Came around the corner, and saw this. Moments like this serve as reminders of where I am and what I'm doing, I think.



Walked past Invalides again ... I'll be playing my orchestra concert in that spire-topped cathedral in just a few weeks. *Choke*



Decided to stroll through the Latin Quarter on the way home, and caught sight of Saint Severin. I love how it looks all lit up. Just moments later I was to discover the home of the BEST baklava I have ever eaten. Little pastry shop right in the heart of ethnic food land. They have two other types (one that looked particularly liquidy, one with pistachio that I tried, and one with hazlenut, which I'm not sure about).



One of the little gift shops had a well-stocked selection of minibooze bottles, and Eiffel Tower shaped booze bottles.



Finally on my way home (via Rue Danton), happened to notice a Hallowen theme in this medical supply store's window. LOVED it. One of the few acknowledgements of Halloween in France, really. I miss Halloween at home!