Things I Love About Paris . . .

What do I love about Paris, even in this sweltering, lassitude-inducing heat? !?!!!?Not the swollen feet which insist on Birkenstocks, even at the risk of disdainful looks (actually, the model I wear is v. popular here, if more by the young than by the “certain age”-r).
Nor the smells wafting from every sewer grate. And no, not the crowded streets full of July tourists.

But even in this heat, there is so much to love. A list of my favourite things would be too long for one post, so for now, I’ll just show you that I love the way Paris mixes this kind of art

with this kind

I love the surprises with which it rewards the attentive eye:
For example, if you look closely at the wall above,

you will discover, between the figure’s right elbow and its right knee, a very small square, which then reveals itself as

Imagine this little jewel being unfolded for you en route to work one morning. . .

Your eye is being delighted and instructed, just as when it passes something like this

or this, a hound overseeing your arrival at a certain Bibliothèque in the Marais

And sometimes delights for the eye are also delights for la bouche, a happy coincidence!

We’ve also been loving the Jardins du Luxembourg and I’ve scads of photos to show you — a marvellous exhibit of posters commemorating Chopin.

And then there are les Soldes which brilliantly combine, if you’re lucky (and we were) climatisation and irresistible prices — I have a bag full of linen wonders from Crea that make me love Paris even more, if possible, and will keep her fresh in my mind and on my body while we’re apart. . .

Tomorrow is our last full day here and we’re spending much of it with a v. good friend. Tonight will probably be an easy meal, relaxed, nearby, but later, if you’re interested, I’ll list off a few of the meals we’ve enjoyed while here.