Debbie and I had to adjust our plans after last Saturday - we opted for more indoor activities. Of course, you have to go outside to get to the indoor activities, but we thought chances of getting soaked would still be less. Here's a quick review of activities.
Last Sunday, we skipped the open-air craft markets and went to the Louvre (along with everyone else who thought it would be a good rainy day activity). We got their early enough that we didn't really wait very long to enter. Once inside we went to the Islamic Art section right away. This is a new section, just openned, and features a ceiling that is supposed to be like a flying carpet. I liked it! Then we saw some of the main attractions (Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, Winged Victory), after which we headed to the Sully and Richelieu wings which are less crowded overall. In this way, we avoided the bulk of the crowds. It was fine - other than retracing our steps a few times because part of the Sully was closed and you couldn't get to the next wing without returning. At the Louvre, one of the main attractions is just the building itself anyway.
Sunday evening, we had made reservations at La Fontaine de Mars, not far from the Eiffel Tower. We met a coworker and had a nice French dinner (Debbie had a good confit de canard, and I tried cassoulet - traditional south France stew of white beans, duck, sausages and tomato - very tasty). While there, we noticed a plaque on the wall near our upstairs table that indicated that President Obama and his wife ate there in 2009. That helps explains the popularity (and many American voices)! The rain had stopped so we walked home past the tower, all lit up and as empty as I've seen it. The rain had even kept the tourists away!Debbie had a busy week. She had her usual activities of knitting group, yoga and homeless feeding. But she was also invited to a charity event outside Paris. An acquaintance from feeding owns a B&B in a small town on the RER A line, and hosted the event. Debbie took the train out to Le Vésinet, and spent the day there. She thought the town was nice (found a good store for purses!), and enjoyed the company. Similar to our first visit to Paris in 2009, it seems that you start to make connections and get into the swing of things after summertime. (And then it's time to leave!)
Meanwhile, my routine has been stable. I either work from the apartment or go into the IFS office in Courbevoie. Mostly, I prefer to go to the office as it is fun to get to know the people there. I also can make a point of touching base with people on the project periodically. I usually try to have lunch with some of them once a week. And this week, we even got together for Thai food one evening. It's strange for me to basically be working on my own here - a big part of the fun of being here is being with a group and doing things together. It does sound like at least one of the IFS UK team will be returning in a couple weeks, but I think we'll be working separately. Either way, it will be nice to have someone around to have a beer with!
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