THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2008

Today we tried to finish up our shopping but we ran into a hitch. When we got to our local bus stop, we noticed a rather large number of people waiting. On the arrivals announcement, we saw that the three buses that stop there were all not running due to a "manifestation".

After waiting a while, most of the people, us included, walked up to the place de la Bastille. We were told by someone there that the police had just removed some barriers there and as we went through the "place", we saw lots of garbage on the street and people milling around. Traffic was just starting to move so we went to the bus stop on the other side of the "place". We finally got our 29 bus and headed toward the place de la Madeleine. At the place des Victoires about 12 or so blocks from our destination, the driver told us this was the last stop since there was a "manifestation" at the Opera which was on the bus route. Off we got. This is one of the "pleasures" of life on Paris. Since we have been here, there have been almost a dozen times when some buses have been either stopped or detoured due to.... you guessed it.

We walked down the rue St. Honoré, a very nice shopping street. We have bought chocolate at one of the cities best chocolate shops, Hévin, but that was not our destination today.







We arrived at la place de la Madelaine and went to the Maille mustard store. They have many different flavors of mustard. You can buy an empty crock (three different sizes) and have it filled with one of three flavors. Better yet, you can bring your empty crock back and they will refill it for nothing.






Expensive refill from New Jersey, however. We bought several as gifts and returned home via the #14 métro. This is the new driverless métro that only opened less than ten years ago.

Tonight we went to dinner to our favorite restaurant, Chez René, on the boulevard St. Germain. As usual, we dined very well with Alexandria's favorite scallops and Erwin's favorite blanquette de veau. We always get a very nice welcome here and the food is perfect also.