Paris - Day 2

A young man tries to start the engine of his scooter. In his striped shirt and his matching shoes he looks very French. He tries his best on the kick starter, but he fails over and over again. The front wheel reluctantly thumps against the curb, doing nothing but pump back. The guy releases a deep sigh, his hands resting on the seat. Finally he takes off his helmet and puts it in the little trunk of his motorcycle. Then he takes the two baguettes that stick out on both sides of the paper wrapping, and walks away. 

Today I met Bosccono in the 14th district where my hotel is situated. It's hard to find a decent place anywhere closer to the centre. Other than in Montmartre the prices are unaffordable. I guess it was different in the nineteen twenties and thirties when Ernest and F. Scott came here. But the south of the city is nice, too. Away from the hustle and bustle, much more of a residential area, I think. We met at the station near the hotel and found a nice food place near by. We had crepe and two cups of coffee each. 

And it's nice to just sit there and look out the window. I think that's something that Paris does to you. It takes away the urgency to see touristy things like the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre. Perhaps it's an age thing, too, but I'd like to think that it's really the vibe of the city. So we just sat there, talking about this and that, looking at people passing by, imagining their little stories. And you know, people in Paris really do walk around with baguettes in their hands. So French.

In the afternoon we took the Metro to St. Germain de Pres. Once famous for it's abbey the area is now very popular for its cafes. It is also where the existentialist movement was centered some hundred years ago. Our visit was not so much philosophical, we just took a walk through the streets. We passed a little Christmas market and checked out a few cribs, then walked on to see the Seine, which resembled very much the Thames by the way, and finally avoided the rain in a wine place near the station.