Paris, November 2009, Just Being A "Local" Today

After enjoying an evening with our Dijon friends, who arrived on the TGV last evening and arrived at our apartment for an apéro and snacks about 8 p.m., at the Buddha Bar near the Hotel de Crillon (Paris's most famous hotel at Place de la Concorde), I began to feel feverish and ill at about 1 a.m. as we took the last métro car on Line 8 to Boucicaut station.

Today is a cool, cloudy day, suitable for the way your blogger feels at the moment. I've managed a load or two of laundry--so the day's not entirely a wash (no pun intended)--but am trying to recover as quickly as possible in order to finish up our time here which will end November 15.

Of note is the Paris/Berlin celebration to be held Monday night about 7 p.m. at Place de la Concorde. Looking back at my post a day or two ago, I noted that there seemed to be some sort of major construction of bleachers, etc. going on at Place de la Concorde. Now we know! It is this celebration by France, designed to show a stronger nexus with her neighbor, Germany.

The reason I need to get well fast is pretty clear: this sounds like quite a celebration, and if you'd care to read more about it, you can find the story at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/world/europe/04parisberlin.html.

We have a lot yet to see, so stay tuned.