Chilly Paris

Thanks to some Australian colleagues of Sue we got out last night, into the cold Paris weather.  We went to a piano recital in a tiny church, not too far from Notre Dame, which was attended by only 20 people or so.  The performer was a Japanese woman Remi Masunaga, who is extremely good.  The church (Saint Ephrem) is Syrian and quite unusual in its design.

Piano recital at St Ephrem's

We also visited a famous English bookshop called "Shakespeare and Company" where you have to wait in line to get in.  Inside it is a rabbit warren of tiny corridors and nooks, every square inch packed with books, and with cushioned corners where you can sit and read, plus a piano squeezed in among the books which you are invited to play.  No photos allowed, unfortunately.

The apartment we have rented is incomparable to the hotel room we stayed in last time for the same price.  It is 800 square feet and fully equipped, and the owner met us and left it stocked with food and drink for our free use.  It even has a printer with a stock of paper for guests' use!  He has recently started renting it out via the Airbnb website, and we are one of his first bookings, so perhaps he is trying extra hard to please.  You can just see the top of the Eiffel Tower from the window (when it is not hidden in cloud).

Eiffel Tower lit up for Christmas

As in Madrid, the shopping streets everywhere are lit up for Christmas.  It is pretty cold outside, at about 3 C, so our hats and scarves and gloves have been pressed into service.  Last night we went into Notre Dame for 15 minutes, to escape from the cold.  Fortunately there is no wind.  Here is the Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame: