Ann, that clip is from Mr. Bean's Holiday: he and the kid have lost their money and are busking so they can get to Cannes. (I belong to what must be the small subset of those who love Rowan A. but can't quite get into Downton A.) I did miss the Olympic ceremony. Will try to find on youtube. Thanks!

I love your daughter's pics. Is the jazz manouche coming soon?

I love the bookcase!! Can't wait to hear more!!!

Thank you, doula!

opaldog, part of the jazz manouche part: Bob was in heaven at the Cité de la Musique Django exhibit, and I liked it a lot, too. We used a two for one deal with out Eurostar ticket, even. Thank you for that tip.

Bob's in a jazz manouche band now, rhythm guitar, and can't get enough of it. Electric guitar offends his purist soul, so a couple of times we walked in and then out of a club based on that.

We all went up to Chope des Puces on Saturday, lucked into a table for four in the front room before the place started filling up. The music was great: two guitarists when I was there and another young guy starting to get out his instrument. By the time the waitress was able to get over to our table to get our order a couple crowded up against our table had been giving us all the "why don't you all get up and let us have your seats" look. It had been a rarely gorgeous sunny day, and MC wanted to get out and take photos of the market, so she and I surrendered out seats while Bob and H stayed.

Bob later realized one of the musicians was Ninine Garcia, a pretty big deal in those circles.

I love Ninine Garcia. He seems to be there every weekend. His brother Rocky was playing with him when we were there as well as Marcel Campion, the owner of the Christmas Village in Paris and the large Ferris Wheel, among many other things. He is a good jazz manouche guitarist and purchased Chopes des Puces a few years ago. Ninine's father Mondine was very well known. He passed away last year. He also played at Chopes. Go on You Tube to see lots about all of them. I purchased a CD at the Django exhibit of the Garcia family. I asked Ninine to play the song "La Bonne Vie" when we went. I wrote about that in my report. I couldn't remember any French and he didn't understand my english, but I managed to hum the song for him and he obliged me. He played it beautifully!

Paris will always be LOVE for me. Share the fun soon!

Opaldog, so that was Ninine! I didn't know enough to note his name when I read your post, and will reveal more of my ignorance here. I have always liked the music, but when you get past the Reinhardts' and Grappelli names you lose me.

Bob was in his blissful cloud several days there, going out again solo to La Chope des Puces and tracking down an apartment where Django had once lived, and then visiting a master guitar maker -- display featured at Cité de la Musique -- where he played his dream 7,000 euro instrument. The rest of us spent shoe leather on more general Parisian matters. I feel that my wifely duty extends just so far.

Limiting his chance of joining a jam was that Christmas and New Year's Day this year were Tuesdays, typically jam night. Also the man cold that he developed the 27th. Luckily he still had a blast, and the "poor little bunny" part really does help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EElqrgk4N0

Another helpful website: http://www.manflu.info/index.htm

Wonderful, Stokebailey! So glad that your husband was able to spend time enjoying the music he loves to play & listen to! What a memorable trip it must have been for him. I look forward to more about your time in Paris & London!

Enjoying your report so far! Thanks for posting, and look forward to more.

A super set of photos! Makes it all come alive. Thanks.

JR, 2010, Yanky, taconict: thank you for your kind encouragement.

Dancing and Miscellaneous Music in Paris:

Barrio Latino in the Bastille is the place for salsa dancing on Sunday evenings. MC became a regular during her semester nearby two years ago, and has wanted to go back ever since.

Our first evening in town we walked her there: Eiffel designed room full of serious latin dancers, bachata beat.
Big stern bouncer out front, and a velvet rope.

from internet
http://travelinhappiness.com/wp-cont.../09/barrio.jpg

The next Sunday both sisters went. H had been worried she might not get asked, then danced every dance. More leads than follows; one song ends and another begins. MC's favorite partner from 2010 saw her and said, "You came back to France!"

In Paris, music everywhere, in the streets and underground: LVIV Ukranian band at Chatelet as you walk from one line to another. Horns, strings, multiple part vocal harmony on Silent Night. Wonderful.

Most touching for me was a gorgeous black woman standing in Rue St.-Andre-des-Arts singing "Folie! Sempre Libera" from La Traviata, accompanied by boom box. Brought tears to my eyes. H said she seemed so vulnerable there in the street, besides her skill, beauty, and vocal power. Maybe that was it.

I loved the pictures. MC certainly has a good eye for seeing angles and opportunities. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much, irishface.

Here's one from the front room of La Chope des Puces, before it got too mobbed for photos:

http://tinyurl.com/a49vzte


Food and Markets in Paris:

http://tinyurl.com/ao2f5xr
Oysters are big during the holidays.

http://tinyurl.com/avhm85m
Ditto buchettes.

Our kitchen was compact, but well stocked with pots and pans. Four burner gas stovetop and microwave. Either the oven didn't work, or I could not unlock its secrets. I do now want a stovetop espresso maker like theirs.

The Marché Bastille/RIchard Lenoir is an easy walk from our apartment, and heaven for a cook. H and I got there early Thursday and Sunday. I chose the greengrocer with the longest queue, partly to give me time to observe and also to copy or remember the French terms. I was just behind a dear man with his wife's long list, so I saw how to ask for haricots verts and mache by the handful. Fishmongers, cheese stands, a creperie.

One morning I saw an American family with two young boys approach a baker's stand. The parents, to their credit, encouraged their ~ 8 yr old son to ask in French for pastry, and then to speak more loudly. The vendeuse, a good natured type, asked "laquelle?" When he looked perplexed, she repeated the question, clearly, twice, but without body language. Finally, prompted, everyone smiling, the exchange was completed.

Friday morning the girls and I took the bus up r.d. Turenne to the Belleville market.

http://tinyurl.com/bfwg69q

That's being out among the people. You push along the aisles between the stalls, past women in headscarves and old ones with walkers. Smells and sounds. Even cheaper produce than Bastille, so we filled our market bags with clementines and apples, then walked down to Père Lachaise and home.

We had some pleasant and not too pricey restaurant meals. Twice, after salsa at Barrio Latino because it's around the corner at 50 Boul de la Bastille, we had dinner at Les Associés. Great inventive salads (try the Lac des Cygnes or the Ivan le Terrible) , no frills, friendly waiter who remembered us the second time and ushered us to our "favorite" table.

Rendezvous des Amis in the Marais: great basic atmosphere, very good omelettes and soup.

MC's friend who spent a semester at the Sorbonne says the King Falafel Palace, a few doors east from L'As du Falafel on r.d. Rosiers, is arguably even better and far shorter queues. We got takeout and liked it a lot.

The evening after St-Ouen and climbing to Sacre-Coeur from the north, we ducked into La Crémaillère‎ in the Place du Tertre. I'd read a recommendation in some website, and I thought Bob would like the decor. He did. http://www.cremaillere1900.com/
Maybe a tad faux Parisian, but not crowded and we were surrounded by locals.

The best restaurant meal was at La Fée Verte, on r.d. la Roquette. http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-fée-verte-paris-2
MC had stayed around the corner two years ago, and it became her favorite bar/restaurant. I had a duck dish that was delicious, but would have been as happy with MC's long awaited vegetarian lasagne.

ooh, la place du tertre! DH stayed near there when he worked in Paris many, many years ago, and i would join him for weekends.

That's where we first ate oysters!

thanks for reviving the memories, Stoke!

La Feé Verte looks good. I'll have to put that on my list for the next Paris visit. Did you get to Atelier Charonne?

Great report AND photos!

Wonderful report, stokebailey.

I am bearing bad news, however. The latest edition of my monthly 18th arrondissement newspaper ("Le 18ème du Mois") informed me that Starbucks has bought one of the locations on Place du Tertre and will be opening there next spring.

I am sorry to hear that Starbucks is taking over in Paris. I don't care for their product and am sorry to see Parisians carrying the "to go" cups all over Paris.

Fun, Ann. Oysters, love, and Place du Tertre.

Thank you, Cathinjoe!

Opaldog, at Atelier Charonne I heard what I thought was some very nice jazz -- for one song -- before Bob's expression told me he didn't love it. As we left he said he didn't like the singer's voice. It wasn't manouche night anyway, just a peek while in the neighborhood. (I sometimes tell myself that Mozart was hard to please too, fellow-musican-wise.) Bob and H went back another time and enjoyed it a lot, and he went alone for the tail end of a Sunday night jam that ended earlier than he'd hoped. This might have been the time he got to hear a bit of Django's grandson I like the atmosphere there.

Thank you, kerouac, and drat! Starbucks the UK -- and no doubt elsewhere -- tax evader? In Place du Tertre? Let's hope they're overextended and will draw back soon.