A Trip on the Metro

 Bon jour mes amis,

Happy May Day!

Please join me for un petite dejeuner.  Now usually I eat a fairly healthful breakfast of pain Polaine and hummus.  But it's Sunday morning and this time I'm going more French, except I have my breakfast far earlier than they do.  I've thawed my croissant and have butter and jam to go with it, and a hard boiled egg to provide some protein.  The croissant smells wonderful--right out of the oven fresh, and it's so flakey and good.  Even in the best bakeries they offer croissants and other flakey pastries made with (gasp) margarine.  You can specify croissant de beurre or look for straight croissants.  That's right the actual crescent shaped ones are non traditional, and are, in my opinion, to be avoided.  This is one major reason why I come to France in general and Paris in particular.  It may seem like overkill to spread butter on a croissant made with butter, but the butter comes from Pascal Beillevaire,  It's the demi sel raw milk butter, and it is divine!  A thin spread of strawberry preserve sends breakfast into the Empyrean. 

It's later, and I'm coming to you from downstairs as my room is not yet ready, but I hope it will be soon because the bike race is early today, and it's the last stage of the race.  I nipped up to check, and when I saw my unmade bed, I grabbed my laptop and came back down.

I had determined to take the metro . . . somewhere, and I figured it couldn't be too bad on Sunday morning.  I chose to go to the Chateau de Vincennes, which was a straight shot on line 1.  The first trick was actually getting to the metro.  Les Halles was locked up tight, but there is an elevator in front of my place, so I took it down.  Underneath the Les Halles area is a gigantic transport hub, and it used to be an underground city with market stalls, but may be the Pandemic cleaned these out?  I feel very sorry for anyone trying to make a transfer from the RER to the Metro at Chatelet-Les Halles.  It's like being in an airport--moving sidewalks and all.  But I found line 1 and got my ticket and got on the train.  A new feature is glass walls separating the voyager from the tracks.  When the train arrives the gates open and one can enter the train.  Line 1 is pretty spiffy.  The cars were clean and the upholstery bright and in good condition.  On some lines the trains are sad looking rattletraps.

Unfortunately the beggars were out in force.  I see a lot of homeless men in my neighborhood, but they just lie around and don't beg.  France, like the rest of the EU has strong social support, and no one ever needs to beg to be homeless, but if they entered the social services, they would have to dry out so . . .

I emerged with the Chateau right in front of me.  Funny.  It was time for the place to be open, but I saw no signs of life.  I finally attracted someones attention and was told rather rudely the Chateau was closed.  Ok, but maybe mention that on the website so we tourists would not make futile trips.  But I was there, and the day was nice, so I decided to walk around.  I circumnavigated the Chateau.  Vincennes is on the edge of Paris and is famous for its parkland.  I got a nice walk in the woods.  The trees are in full leaf, and there were wild flowers and chirping insects and birds.  No traffic noise.  No one smoking.  I did meet Parisians jogging or walking their dogs.  All that green did me good.

Then the metro trip home.  I had to hunt around for a working exit from Les Halles, but I got lucky.  When I emerged I found a street market in full cry.  It was mostly food.  There were a couple of cheese places, fish mongers and butchers offering an astonishing variety of goods.  There were also some Asian food stands, and I confess I was tempted, but right now I have plenty at home.  But I think I need to wait a bit more until I can get back there.

You may wonder why I just don't go to a cafe for a cup of tea or something.  Well, I used to only I would stop for ice cream.  With the Pandemic still on, I don't care to eat or drink in public.  It's helpful renting an apartment for that reason, and I also save money on food and drink.

And I did get back inside in good time for apero and the bike race.

A demain