An Urban Experience
We are making many adjustments in Paris. One of these adjustments is living in an urban environment again. I have lived in the small town of Sonoma for over 30 years. I may be San Francisco born and raised but my big city sensibilities have been softened by years of country living.
It has been exciting to be living in a city with so much life and color. The constant movement of people, the array of chic shops and cafes, the cosmopolitan atmosphere, it is the Paris paradigm. It is not like life on the Plaza in Sonoma.
I have been reacquainting myself with public transit. I have not done much transit riding since the N Judah punched my card ticket going to Sacred Heart. Paris has a public transit system that is as good as it gets. The Metro, Paris’s subway system built before WW II , is the great cross pollination point for Parisians. All of Paris rides the Metro; it is fast, clean, and it goes everywhere.
In addition to the Metro, Paris has an excellent bus system and a Bateau Bus (boat) that runs on the river. Complimenting these is the RER or suburban rail system that connects Paris to its suburban constituents. All tickets are interchangeable. This is not your Mothers Muni.
The cabs here can be a jolt, in most cases they will be a Mercedes in a muted color. The driver will be wearing pressed slacks and a nice shirt. He will not look like a candidate for a police line-up. These guys are on the up and up. No rides that circle the city endlessly, the GPS makes it simple.
We walked down Rue Montparnasse at twilight; we were looking for a café that would sing to us for dinner. We were surprised at the street life on a Monday evening. Finally we settled on the Le Select Cafe. It has a rich literary history dating back to Ernest Hemingway and the 20’s. Unfortunately Mary’s Coq au Vin was left over from Hemingway.
Not to worry, my duck confit was exquisite, glad you asked. Score one for the Operator.
We are making many adjustments in Paris. One of these adjustments is living in an urban environment again. I have lived in the small town of Sonoma for over 30 years. I may be San Francisco born and raised but my big city sensibilities have been softened by years of country living.
It has been exciting to be living in a city with so much life and color. The constant movement of people, the array of chic shops and cafes, the cosmopolitan atmosphere, it is the Paris paradigm. It is not like life on the Plaza in Sonoma.
I have been reacquainting myself with public transit. I have not done much transit riding since the N Judah punched my card ticket going to Sacred Heart. Paris has a public transit system that is as good as it gets. The Metro, Paris’s subway system built before WW II , is the great cross pollination point for Parisians. All of Paris rides the Metro; it is fast, clean, and it goes everywhere.
In addition to the Metro, Paris has an excellent bus system and a Bateau Bus (boat) that runs on the river. Complimenting these is the RER or suburban rail system that connects Paris to its suburban constituents. All tickets are interchangeable. This is not your Mothers Muni.
The cabs here can be a jolt, in most cases they will be a Mercedes in a muted color. The driver will be wearing pressed slacks and a nice shirt. He will not look like a candidate for a police line-up. These guys are on the up and up. No rides that circle the city endlessly, the GPS makes it simple.
We walked down Rue Montparnasse at twilight; we were looking for a café that would sing to us for dinner. We were surprised at the street life on a Monday evening. Finally we settled on the Le Select Cafe. It has a rich literary history dating back to Ernest Hemingway and the 20’s. Unfortunately Mary’s Coq au Vin was left over from Hemingway.
Not to worry, my duck confit was exquisite, glad you asked. Score one for the Operator.
posted by Jim Healy | 11:30 AM
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