Branching Out: Paris edition

 I haven't posted in a while because there hasn't been much to post about.  France is in it's third covid lockdown, though this time they are calling it "lock down light."  Mostly it seems like it's forcing people to flock to the parks.  The first day, I was all set to be a home; when I took Kenyon to the park, you couldn't tell there was any change in restrictions.  So we are taking our cues from the locals with what is acceptable, doing as the Parisians do. On a teacher work day, Scott took the boys to their favorite park/playground, which ironically is not t he park a few blocks from our current apartment but on the other side of the city near our 2006 Paris apartment.  They met who Scott refers to as our French doppelgangers; a family with two boys close in age to Quimby and Kenyon who recently returned to Paris after being expats in San Francisco.  They grandma was thrilled to meet American boys so her grandchildren would continue to practice thei...

 It was our last weekend with the rental car so after a little research we headed out Sunday morning toward the town of Rouen and an art walk.  It was a very well maintained path that wound through several large scale art installations.   The boys had a little trouble with which pieces were meant to be climbed on and which weren't but over all we had a fun time. We got a little stuck in the "Sunday-ness" of Paris.  We stopped at a bakery for sandwiches and it was the first time I encountered a bakery that didn't sell sandwiches.  Lunch was bread and Doritos. We got caught in traffic coming home and really missed curfew but we had a great day.

 Things are blooming.  Its been a little warmer; not as wet, and I've been a little more willing to venture out. I made my first trip to the poisionier otherwise known as the fish monger.  Very friendly place.  I asked for sole fillets for 4 people.  They only had 3 fillets ready, so the guy grabbed a whole fish, took it into the back and brought out the 4 fillets.  One got added to my order and the others were but into the ice.  Might be the most expensive fish I ever bought but it was absolutely delicious. I'm getting better at the produce stand.  In many ways it's fun to eat seasonally.  I still get in trouble with the pounds kilogram conversions.  I ended up with a lot of asparagus.  Luckily, it went well with the fish!  We also tried a brandy made from Normandy apples.  Very strong.  We found it went best with a little ice cream.