Happy Birthday to Claudia!

Today is Claudia's birthday! Yippee!

Sadly, she's feeling under the weather (which continues damp and cold...), so this was a light touring day. The morning starts with me getting the croissants from Boulangerie Martin. They always seem surprised that I only buy two. That's me on the way across the Pont de al Tournelle:

Once back, I'm preparing our simple breakfast and realize that we've only ever shown you the view from the front of the apartment. Here's the view from the kitchen:

Pretty tight little courtyard.

We only made it to the Rodin Museum and the "essential" Louvre. Yes, mes amies, they re-opened the Louvre just for us! Several of you were kind enough to email, letting us know that the Louvre's workers went on strike due to increasing problems with pickpockets. We read about it in "The Local". 

There were indeed many gendarmes in attendance, but they all clumped together in gossiping gaggles. Not a single "flic" did we see in the galleries! We emerged with pockets unpicked, though we were accosted by two street scammers before and after visiting the museum. The scam this season is to nonchalantly walk down the sidewalk, approaching the marks, and quelle une surprise!  "find" a ring on the sidewalk. Ah! Such luck! But I have no use for it. Would you like to buy it from me?...

Or words to that affect.

On the second attempt, I actually saw the scammer let the ring slip from her coat sleeve onto the ground, so she fully understood the look on my face when she started into her sales pitch. Ah well, it's early in the season and I'm sure she'll perfect her technique with experience.

The Rodin was great, but packed with school groups. I must say, though the crowds were so thick that we didn't bother taking photos, the kids themselves are very well-behaved. Many of them actually seemed interested in the art!

We had a very non-descript lunch at La Fregate. At least it was tres chere...  ;)

But, we saw some interesting things along the way.

First up is this barge. Now barges ply up and down the Seine all day and night. Some are working barges, hauling everything from fine porcelain to produce to good old grade-A dirt. Others are for sight-seeing, filled with tourists gawking and sometimes dining (there is one high-end dinner barge we saw yesterday that really looked pretty Four-Star-ish). And finally, there are some that are of a more personal nature. Here is one that I am guessing houses (and hauls) a couple who have made some compromises. Possibly he just wanted to putter about in his garden in his golden years, while she wanted to sail the world. I have never seen a barge with a garden:

Strolling a bit further along the Seine and we come across this fellow:

I have no idea what it's all about, though he certainly seems satisfied.

I thought this bridge was pretty neat:

Bonus points if you can identify it. Hint: it spans the Seine, it's cast iron, and it was built in 1883. And it's hardly ever photographed or discussed in histories or online. Bon chance!

And so back to l'apartment. Some of you have rudely commented that all we seem to do is eat, and eat well. Coupable! But tonight we're really taking it easy and not even going out. Yes, it's the simple life for Claudia and Jeffrey; left-overs again:

Followed by the best cream puffs on the planet!

Hopefully tomorrow will bring better weather and less coughing! A bientot!