nous sommes tous hors de NORMAL

Pic: Cemetery Pere Lachaise, signifigant winter sun, day after the solstice

If you find yourself in Paris in winter when everyone is home with their families, stores are closed and nothing to do...head to the nearest cemetery! I felt like they opened it JUST for me and my two super cousins. We followed super fast cousin #1 to some side entrance which he thought was the main entrance to Pere Lachaise cemetery. We spent at least three hours in the sunlight walking around all the dead people just lovin every inch of that day.

Last night was xmas eve. We had no plans and no reservations. A quick internet search took us to this famous restaurant called La Coupole. A favorite of Hemingway, J. Baker, its a huge brasserie upstairs and dance hall downstairs. As we walked up to the place, I started to realize that I was there last year...with the poet. We met his poet friend there. This is where she took us. I remembered we ordered food but never ate it cause we realized we had 15 minutes to catch our train across town back to Brussels. We rushed out and later missed the train. We stayed at his friends that night. Forced to stay in Paris. I frowned to myself thinking that free trip he got to europe (on our mutual friends frequent flyer miles) was the only reason he was with me. I decided to enter the place as if I'd never been. And it was so much fun!
Pic: Small bits of color caught my eye

We had a 45 minute wait at the bar where we drank and told stories. Cousin #2 lost her earring so there was the hunt for the silver soho dangler...then the food, the cute waiter who thought we were japanese! lol. And the table switch which I couldnt stop laughing about. They sat us next to this empty table.

Brazilian Mom and Son

Empty table with no place settings

Us Three

Parisian Family of 5

Then as if the waiters held a meeting and decided that our personalities would not blend well next to this french family, they explained we need to switch. Our table was pulled out pushed to the left and the empty table was pushed to the right, a switch. We were now sitting next to the brazilons. And the empty table remained empty for at least a 1/2 hour. Then some other small family of three sat there. But i never understood the reason for the switch. It had to be a personality switch. We were quite boisterous and laughing and talking to everyone. The waiter seemed to love us. The brazilion doctor/mom had lived in Minnesota (where the cousins are from) and spoke four languages (portugese, spanish, french, english). The food was insanity. We had fish and the cousin insisted on red wine. He is not a fan of white even with fish.

Pic: Oscar Wildes bises and love

We never found the earring but it was a perfect night. And this place is two blocks from my new apartment. TWO BLOCKS. At the end of the night the waiter gave me some advice on learning french. He said its best to watch tv late at night when no ones in a rush and they speak slower. Hahaha. that was awesome. Late night french programming where they speak slower!

Pic: Just across from Oscar, a great crane rose into view