train got into paris-montparnasse close to midday. my room wouldn't be ready for another hour, so thought i'd explore montparnasse. it was cold. trés trés froid. and there were specks of white in the wind. snow? really?
went to a café for lunch, and sure enough, the specks of white grew in size and number. it was snowing in paris. it was pretty.
though by the time i left the café the snow had changed to liquid. it has been raining since. not such a nice welcome after all. now in my hotel room, drying my shoes and pants, and have showered to thaw out. waiting for the sun that won't arrive (it's 4.30).
after today - 2 days left here. and so many things to do. makes me more annoyed about the rain.
but i compensate with patisserie goods. when i arrived at the hotel my room was not ready, so i walked the streets hoping to stumble upon a patisserie oasis. it's sunday, so most shops are shut. it was not looking good, so i decided to just get something from the average looking place near the hotel. thankfully i lost my way. and voila! the oasis! rhubarb tart was my choice. but it was a tough decision. and i need to return tomorrow for the almond cake. or one of many other things. the rhubard was trés delicieux.
my room is very small. very ugly too. it's called hotel modern. it doesn't feel very modern. doesn't even appear to have a lift. i guess, as always, it depends on the context in which you use the word 'modern'.
bordeaux was a bit dull. i think i would have enjoyed it more if i was a middle-aged wine and antique collector. lots of fountains and big stone buildings, but i'm least impressed by those now. not that i ever really was. though maybe in marseille i was. i ended up shopping for some french cds i've been meaning to get. i got:
les shades - my favourite french rock band so far. kinda punk-pop. heard them on the radio a lot, downloaded a few tracks, and yeah, i felt it necessary to have this album. they are playing in bordeaux next week, but i was a week too early for that.
second sex - any band naming itself after the beauvoir book (as i hope they've done) has got to be good. again, heard them on the radio. a bit similar to les shades, perhaps. retro pop-rock. the cd came with a free poster and bandana (black with red 'second sex' written all over it).
les vedettes - unlike the others, i didn't yet know this band. but the cover looked interesting, and i listened to it on one of those sampling booths, and yes, it was trés bon. perhaps a french version of cansei de ser sexy?
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