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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Il Fait Froid!

rue de Buci Pieplate said yesterday...We'll be in Paris in quinze jours, and we're hoping that the temperatures will be up a bit.
When you start learning French,
one of the first sentences you learn is,
"La plume de ma tante est sur la table..."
Well long ago it used to be so.
at Chateau Vaux le VicomteThen you learned how to say,
"Il fait beau" The weather is fine. This trip in Paris, il fait FROID! Il pluie! ! ! B E A U C O U P ! It also used to be that starving artists in Paris... Faux feast at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte (something I can't claim to be for sure) a window at Chateau Vaux le VicomteWould now and then throw themselves out the windows of their unheated garrets... (something I'm not about to do for sure!) But I surely wish I'd brought my long johns (if I had any...) La Louvre is nicely heated by the way.. Inside anyway... at Place Madeleine Mustn't grumble about Paris grey skies... on the bridge at Ile St.-LouisAfter all I AM in Paris. Now repeat after me: "La plume de ma tante est sur la table."

32 comments:

  1. I was afraid of this. I'm hoping mainly that the night-time temperatures will level out over 45 F, so we won't have to bring those heavy bulky winter coats and try to do all our walking in *boots*. It might just be a good opportunity to eat those nice solid traditional dishes, though. But, you are right: Paris is Paris is Paris, et pour moi, c'est de plus en plus difficile a' y attendre. Merci pour cou-cou!

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  2. Anonymous1:37 AM

    Great post! (I find silk long johns to be the perfect answer quand il fait froid dans le monde entier...and they take up very little room in the suitcase.)

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  3. I love the 10th picture down you took of the street scene. It's a wonderful shot.
    Wishing you warmer weather.. But like you said..it IS Paris. and that IS the Louvre. :)

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  4. Anonymous3:31 AM

    Thank you for such a charming posting. I love the way you weave your narrative through a cold and rainy Paris day with delicious humor. You made me feel as though I'm back there. I remember the strange phenomenon of just how bone chillingly cold it can seem in Paris. I know it's not actually colder there than than it is in other places but somehow it can penetrate in a way that feels different. At least that's how it's seemed to me. Not that I ever minded being in Paris, even frozen solid!

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  5. Anonymous3:35 AM

    Places far away always look so enticing...
    We tend to ignore the practicalities of day-to-day existence...
    Practicalities which can impinge on our dreams at times...
    I hope the sun comes out and warms you up in your ventures Carol!

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  6. Anonymous3:42 AM

    A French saying goes:
    "Noël au balcon, Pâques au tison" (=Christmas on the balcony, Easter by the fire place).
    As we had a cold Christmas, we hoped for a BBQ, or at least for an Easter lunch out in the garden...
    We made a fire on Sunday and another one on Monday instead...
    Marie-Noëlle

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  7. Anonymous3:49 AM

    I read somewhere that what you are experiencing is something called:
    "Les giboulées de mars"
    a mix of rain and sun within the same day.
    Typique of Paris I think...

    Is the champagne glass half full?

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  8. YES! that's it exactly.
    The Paris weather changes moment to precious moment.
    Never doubt to take your umbrella with you when you go out, PIEPLATE!
    AND Parisiens NEVER WEAR HATS!?
    It's some unspoken TABOO! :(
    I put on my hat when no one is around...in weak moments :)
    When in Rome...

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  9. Anonymous4:34 AM

    Funny how for the French it's 'giboulees de Mars' while the UK equivalent is "April showers"!
    You captured the changeable - and definitely frisky - weather very well.... but yes! Paris is perfect in any season!

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  10. Ah, rain in Paris snow in Northumberland. What happened to global warming???

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  11. What a coincidence! I'm sitting here, sipping my morning coffee, enjoying your rainy-day blog, feeling somewhat guilty in my cozy long-johns. I have an extra pair.
    I'll be right over!

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  12. Anonymous6:49 AM

    Il pleut, not il pluie.

    Christiane

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  13. Beautiful photos of rainy streets. Something melancolic about it. Love the croquembouche!!!

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  14. Pas d'un chapeau! I think I would have to be the ugly americaine and stay warm avec my hat. Love the Christmas on the balcony , Easter by the fireplace. Great photos. Lovely post PB.
    All best, Jan

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  15. Anonymous10:13 AM

    repeating after you...
    "La plume de ma tante est sur la table."
    Only Paris could look so beautiful in the rain.
    Of course, here in the Mojave ANY rain looks
    beautiful to me.

    Big hugs,
    Barbara

    p.s. I don't understand the new system for
    choosing an identity. Hmmmm.

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  16. Anonymous10:22 AM

    Il fait froid en Floride aujourd'hui... Mais ce n'est pas grave. Bisous a Paris!

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  17. Anonymous1:18 PM

    I am getting addicted to your blog!

    And you have visited Vaux-le-Vicomte... it is so close to my hometown.

    Stay warm.
    Aude

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  18. Anonymous2:17 PM

    I like the logo on Café Jade's tables. The ashtrays on other tables make me ask: what about smoking in Paris now?
    Kris

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  19. Anonymous2:20 PM

    Chere Carol:

    I so look forward to your artistic and humorous message quotidien!

    It is as if I am having breakfast with you in Paris every day.

    Merci beaucoup!

    Cordialement,
    Ron
    P.S. And I'm not gaining any weight in the process either!

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  20. Il fait froid encore!
    but not all the time...:)

    Lovely post! and the pictures are just great!

    Welcome to France!

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  21. KRIS re: the ashtrays on the tables are for those smoking outside on the terrace.
    Not indoors!!!non non non

    PIEPLATE Bring light layers and double/triple up and you will be fine. Mainly keep an eye on the weather report. I brought a very thin raincoat with no lining and I'm paying the consequenses! ! !

    No wonder everyone talks about the weather and no one does anything about it, but there are surely many amusing quotations from all that talk!
    MERCI!

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  22. Anonymous3:23 PM

    Next time you travel to Paris in winter/early spring take along silk long-johns. They are wonderfully warm when you are outside but not hot and heavy when you are in the toasty Louvre. They take no room in your bag. They have gotten me though many cold Christmas's in Minnesota.
    Jan

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  23. Snow in Vienna. Then sun. Then snow again. Tonight it looked as if Christmas were around the corner. Maybe it is. Wake me up when it's over.

    I hope you do have heat in your artist's residence. And lots of hot chocolate. I can see you melting your chocolate bunny over a candle, lapping up the drippings.

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  24. I dare say that I think it's time for Chocolate Chaud! :-)

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  25. I have to start reading this blog, first thing every morning!

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  26. Anonymous8:47 PM

    It looks sort of "literary-moody," Carol, but I'll bet it is cold! Hope you're getting to do some fun inside things. I'd still rather see rain in Paris than in a lot of other places, though! Great post!
    sue

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  27. I know everybody says this but i'd absolutely love to visit Paris and the Lovre museum. god. but french is way too difficult for me, im learning but i cant say things in the right way :/ shame

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  28. Anonymous9:22 PM

    I believe you have misplaced la plume. Ce n'est pas sur la table. La plume de ma tante est dans le bureau de mon oncle! Whoever that pen on the table belongs to, it's not you aunt. :-)
    Keep your camera dry! And get lots of moody shots! Eat more desserts! Must keep up your stores of energy!

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  29. Anonymous1:46 PM

    Cold or not, I'm still enjoying your trip vicariously.
    I sigh every time I look at your beautifully-composed photos.

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  30. Your pictures where " il pleut beaucoup" are really wonderful. I love them!

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  31. You have no idea how incredibly jealous you make me.

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  32. Le crayon est sur la table. :) First sentence I could say in French, I think.

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