Day 3: rue MontorgueilMay 2, 2012
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| This morning I lay in bed and read until I completed the Robin Hobb novel I downloaded before I left Melbourne. Typically for a writer of fantasy novels she extends stories over a number of books. This was meant to be the final volume of a trilogy but she has extended it by another volume. This means waiting for another year for the final volume. After ablutions and dressing I headed off to Bob's Kitchen but it was closed again so resorted to croissant and coffee where I had breakfasted the day before. I ordered an almond croissant but must have garbled my order as i only received an ordinary one. Then it was to the supermarkets which had surprisingly little to offer. So, then it was off at a racing pace to the market again, where I bought cheeses (roquefort, brie, artisan goats cheese), salad vegetables, including wonderfully intense tomatoes in clusters, and some Moroccan cakes. Once I returned to the flat, I decided I couldn't bear it any longer so have moved the couch, the table, the rugs and chairs to new positions. It is now more spacious; the table is under the window and the couch faces the light. A dramatic improvement. There were still many things to buy so I trundled off to the local Abruzzo delicatessen to buy oil, vinegar and pasta; to the butcher to buy pâtés, and to the boulangerie to buy bread and cakes. Finally, after putting all these away, I headed off to a local wine merchant, and bought a bottle of Bordeax produced by Chateau de Rochmorin called Passac Leognan (2005), and a chardonnay from the Cote d'Or produced by Domaine Chapuis called Chorey les Beaune (2009). I don't usually like Bordeaux but I have high hopes for the former. As Michael is coming to dinner, I of course suffered a small crisis, thinking I had not bought sufficient food, so, promptly rushed to the butcher and bought a tub of meat salad and a smoked, plump pork sausage. If that were not enough, the crisis of confidence continued until I had gone deep into the 2nd arondissement to rue Montorgueil to buy a vase and a large salad bowl. Then rushing back, purchasing lilies on the way, I reached home and rested my aching feet and began listening to Bach's Wachet auf. Rue Montorgueil is fabulous; endless food shops and restaurants, filled with the glamourous business people of Paris. To get there I travelled through two of the passages; the grand Parisian arcades of the C19th. The first, Passage l'Bourge Abbé was rather decrepit but the second, Passage de Grande Cere was fully restored, it's glass and wrought iron vaulted ceiling, restored shop fronts and tiled floors all contributing to a satisfyingly unified whole. It's a bit like, but not as grand as the Block Arcade. Other passages that I have not seen yet are much grander. In the food shops on rue Montorgueil, the huge piles of plump white asparagus and the large globe artichokes were clearly great delicacies. I must try cooking the former. Michael has been in Laon for the day and is due here between 5 and 6, so, enough writing for the day. NB Friday's weather is expected to be bad, ie wet. Today has been quite cool, but when you rush around you get quite hot. |
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