Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Happy New Year to All

In the flurry of activity that marks this time of year, I have left my small, but interested party of readers hanging, I'm afraid. What I don't fear,however, is that anyone held their breath waiting for me to continue my sad saga of our journey gone awry. I realize that everyone out there in bloggoland has an active life and many have probably been far busier than I. Nonetheless (one of my favorite words of 2005), I apologize for not posting sooner.

First, a hearty Happy New Year to all. I've been up to my pointed little ears in working and knitting and I have pictures to prove it - of the knitting, anyway. I've been working on my Hanne Falkenberg " Mermaid" This little beauty has been with me every step of the way - both in Europe and on trips domestic. Since it's being knit on size O needles, I might add that it's taking its sweet time, but then again, so am I. I have decided that Ms. Falkenberg is really an architect of prodigious talent. Her attention to detail and her love of color and construction lets me recommend her for the whatever the top prize is in the knitting world - design division. Put aside your fair isles, your lace and your entrelac, if you can bear it. For sheer sophistication and love of elegant design, no one beats Ms. Hanne. I am in love and would like to go to Denmark to tell her. However, I shall have to settle for TNNA in San Diego. I sure hope she's there so I can curtsy properly.

Ok, back to France. Where was I? Oh yes, we had located a room in the heart of the 11th or some such arrondisement. Since we had arrived ahead of schedule, our apt. was not ready and since it was a saturday, the real estate agent was unreachable. of course, it was Paris where people lead a "civilized" life and they don't work on the weekend if they can help it.

After many tries, Magellan (aka as my beleagured husband, Richard), located the only 3 star hotel with a room available. It was a cool section, he said, kind of like Chelsea. What the hell, I was game. After all, with what we had been through up to that moment,a manger would bave sufficed. Unfortunately, it was not as large as a manger. I know that Paris is known for its small space hotels. I have been in more than my share of them over the years. I'm not a snob about such things, believe me. I live in a house that is only 13 feet wide in the middle of a city that equates space with gold.t Nonetheless, I was unprepared for the postage stamp that I walked into. If you sat on the bed, your toes touched the door to the hall. If you went into the bathroom, you had to keep one foot in the bedroom and one in the bath/closet in order to balance yourself in front of the sink. After what had transpired up to that moment, however, little fazed me. I calmly sat down on the bed, using my suitcase as an end table, and I pulled out my knitting and proceeded to work on my Hanne Falkenberg jacket. The size 0 needles were perfectly proportionate to the surroundings.

A quick nap and off we went for couscous and cheap red wine. The times definitely called for a bohemian meal - and since we were next store to a restaurant that billed itself as the purveyor of spiritual couscous (heavenly fare) we were in the right place and finally in the right city. Back to the hotel and within 20 mins., back to sleep. We were on the 2nd floor, so every Vespa that found itself in the "cool" part of town was at one point or another under our window.

What the hell, we said. It was only 2 days and 2 nights and then we'd be in our nifty little apartment where we could pretend that we were parisian and that we really belonged. The time passed quickly and soon enough, it was Monday - time to go. The apartment was ok - Well located, big bed, clean as a whistle and a big kitchen - all the better to cook a coq au vin. It was monday morning before I realized fate was at it again. Unbeknownst to me, while we were sleeping, the french equivalent of Con Ed set up shop right under our window and proceeded to open the street up, using pneumatic drills that just about routed the fillings from my teeth - and they had only just begun!

3 Comments:

Blogger Mary deB said...

Ah, I'm glad the story continues!

8:59 AM  
Blogger alltangledup said...

yay! more of the travellers's tale

sorry about the EDF-GDF works and scooters are always a meance.

1:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So glad you are continuing the story! Paris is such a great city, pneumatic drills notwithstanding!

8:33 AM  

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