Paris Weather Dampens our Activities
Bonjour,
It was 43 degrees in Paris this morning after a cold, rainy day yesterday. Not much chance for interesting photos for which I apologize. Hopefully, “spring” will arrive soon! It is actually much, much cooler in mid-May than it was in February for my birthday. Hard to believe.
At the suggestion of my friend Charles Gattis, I’m trying to learn to photograph reflections from the rain. 
We forgot it was Monday (when many shops and restaurants are closed) and went to three places before we found a lunch spot. And it was a great choice. I had the best poke bowl ever and will return for another. We recommend Le Trés Or near the rue des Rosiers. It sits on a delightful dead-end street.
Line 1 is closed for five days so we found a creative way to get to the Red Wheel Barrow, across the street from the entrance to the Luxembourg Gardens. It’s an English bookstore and the patron always orders me a crossword puzzle book. We stopped for a refreshment at Le Choupinet with the teddy bears. It was raining so hard and so cold that we didn’t linger. Even my chocolat chou (hot chocolate was cold!) Then home by Bus 96 for a light dinner snack in the apartment.
Here is some interesting info that I forgot to post about La Fête du Pain yesterday.
-98% of the French eat bread on a regular basis
-12 million visit a bakery every day
-The baguette is the “national emblem” of France
-UNESCO named the baguette a World Heritage Site
-For 26 years, bread has been celebrated in France on the eve of May 16, the day of St. Honoré, the patron saint of bakers since the Middle Ages
-The theme of this year’s event is “The Bakery Opens its Doors”
Speaking of bakeries, I’ll close with some yummy goodies from Miss Manon and a little orange tree.
Cold but sunny for today!
L & B
May 16, 2023 @ 9:17 am
Sorry you are having a chilly May in Paris! It has been cool and rainy here also. Would like to have some warm dry weather while still here, but it isn’t looking good for that. I am sure we will be wanting some of this cool weather when we are in Paris in August! Bernie looks like he is maintaining his usual good humor in spite of the weather and missing metro line 1.
May 16, 2023 @ 11:01 am
Orange tree– very pretty. (Nope, that’s a different song.) We like the reflection pictures!
May 16, 2023 @ 11:41 am
How is Marlyn doing?
May 16, 2023 @ 11:29 am
You are doing well with the reflections. Part of the challenge is seeing the possibilities since the reflections are so close to the ground. I try, but haven’t gotten the shot I really want yet. Hope you have a great day—really enjoying your trip.
May 16, 2023 @ 11:52 am
Rain rain go away Linda and Bernie want to play. Sounds like you made the best out of a bad weather day. Dessert photos are enticing. I remember the bear restaurant and cherish our photos of us there.
May 16, 2023 @ 2:18 pm
Kudos with the reflections. Fun to look for when strolling. Remind us to tell of Charles’ quest for a particular reflection of a lighthouse in MN. Always enjoy the sweets pictures and what a neat contrast with the orange.
May 16, 2023 @ 8:13 pm
Lovely bakery treats, and all the rain has produced deep green grass and foliage all around.
So pretty!
May 16, 2023 @ 9:45 pm
I’m disappointed for y’all having such cool weather. Hopefully it will be short lived. Love the thriving little orange tree! Just curious about the French people’s weight since they love bread and deserts
so much. Here it seems obesity is
is the norm across the nation.
May 17, 2023 @ 4:19 am
Bonjour Toni! It’s hard for us to imagine how much walking people do on a daily basis here in Paris. Their feet are their cars. That offsets some of the calories BUT we do notice some who are heading toward obesity. That has changed greatly over the last 20 years. American fast food with burgers and fries is a big favorite here as well as much larger servings. Pizza is also a big hit. Where there used to be an adorable, locally owned shop, now there’s a new food place. It seems the whole world is all about eating. Wine is still the top beverage but so are beer and sodas with the young people. How are my azaleas doing? Have they come out at all?
May 17, 2023 @ 5:16 am
You two are amazing! You are like the ever-ready bunny! You just keep going. And we love it. Thanks for your always interesting words and photos.
May 17, 2023 @ 12:46 pm
Love the idea of puddle reflections. Thank you for taking us along for your adventures and for sharing the joys and challenges of travel. We just got back and we are ready to go again. Your blog always “scratches that itch!”