Groceries

We  would probably not want to visit this place on a Saturday due to the crowds (even without COVID), but we discovered a really nice market within walking distance. On a Friday afternoon B happened to have a gap between meetings so we checked it out. Fruits, veggies, really nice meats, cheeses, bakeries, bread shops, etc. A few stalls were empty likely due to COVID but there isn't a lot of room for customers. We will definitely make use of this place in the future.

The hunt for cream cheese. They do actually carry Philadelphia brand cream cheese here but we tried a local type of "white cheese". It seemed to have  higher water content, but still created a nice cheesecake. I could always strain it in cheesecloth overnight to remove some of the water. Big difference in cost! It comes in 3 fat content levels.

This is the chocolate aisle in the large grocery store we frequent.

Out and About

 Random buildings as we walk around town.

Here is a tiny little street.

Another interesting door.

This is a new thing! Right near the apartment there is a pizza vending machine. You can buy a refrigerated version to bake at home delivered in 30 seconds or a hot pizza in 3 minutes. I guess the box is dispensed at the horizontal slot. We may just have to try it because it's there.

Jardin Lecoq and Spring

Jardin Lecoq (Lecoq Garden) is a nice spot for a walk or a rest on a bench. The idea of a botanical garden in the city was floated as far back as 1745. One was opened in 1781 but was later moved to this site in 1786.  By 1826, the garden was being managed by Henri Lecoq. Many expansions and improvements took place while Lecoq lived. He died in 1871. More renovations took place between 1877 and 1905. 

The garden is located very near our apartment. We can easily walk there in about 7 minutes. We've actually visited the garden a couple of times. We took these photos on February 7. Looks like Spring has arrived, yes? In actuality, it was cold and windy.

Not so fast! Here's a photo from February 11.

On another visit to Jardin Lecoq on February 21 the very early pansies were flowering and the weather was very nice. We took the opportunity to find a bench and sit a bit.

In 1915 the door and corner turret from the Bien-Assis Castle was reconstructed in the garden. The castle was destroyed in 1914. 

A lion's head fountain from the castle was also relocated to Jardin Lecoq.

Spring was still not really obvious for another week during which we had very spring-like weather. Spring growth had begun!

Here is the first sighting of a live fly for the season!

And here are a few shots from March 6. Lots of things are blooming by then--even right across the street from the apartment! Daffodils have fully bloomed but I don't have any photos. No wonder my allergies have run amok!

Flowering trees everywhere!

Forsythia  or forsythia-like bushes in the medians are even in bloom.

I am posting this on March 11 and many, many bushes are leafed out already. There is a row of trees on our street filled with white flowers.  Ah, spring! Here comes the rain!

Miscellaneous

Currency here:

The bills are all different sizes. Hmmm.

Deliveries

We are usually here for deliveries as B is working from home most of the time due to Covid.  However, one day we were out so we were left a delivery notice. You can go and get it yourself at the main post office, or you can have it re-delivered or they will delivery it somewhere else. It does get complicated because if it doesn't fit in your postal box in the lobby they won't leave it. We don't have a "reception" area where they could safely leave items. Fortunately, for most deliveries, there are apps you can use to know when items will be delivered so you can be home. This system is not 100%. Items might be delivered before the app thinks they will be delivered.

Wedding Memento

We were lucky enough to attend the wedding of Ian and Amanda in Colorado in the United States in 2015. We carried our little bell memento back to Indonesia with us. The bell traveled back to the US with us in October 2019. The bell has now traveled with us to France. This is certainly a well-traveled little bell! Every time we unpack it we remember that beautiful day!

Covid Social Distance

While in many spots in the world the recommended social distance is 2 m (6 feet), here in France the recommendation has been only 1 m (3 feet). Now, we think the authorities are actually changing it to 2m. It will be difficult to make that change at this point. 

What Happened to Our Boots?

Rubber tolerates intense humidity and high temperatures just fine. The problem  is that when you have something in those conditions for a while and then suddenly change the conditions to cold and dry (for example you move from Indonesia to the US in late fall) the rubber is no longer happy. Boots no more!

A couple of my older shoes suffered a similar fate.

Ice

We are actually a little giddy with delight to have an icemaker in the refrigerator/freezer. In Indonesia we had to make ice cubes the old fashioned way by filling 2 small trays (which made 1 inch cubes) with bottled water. We got used to it. Lots of folks make ice this way. But it is nice to be able to drink the tap water and have an automatic icemaker! A couple of our first ice cubes. Normal size too!

On the other hand, we did actually get used to using less ice so we keep shutting off the ice maker.

Hobby Assistance

We have located several fabric shops as well as a very inclusive art shop. We found 3 fabric shops very close together and not far out of the city center.  All three even have a parking lot. Between the three shops, I will be able to find many things necessary for my textile related crafting.

Several photos from our trip out to these shops.

We also found an art store very near the fabric shops. It was impressive. They even have individual pigments so you could mix your own oils or acrylics. I was able to find a few liquid watercolors to replace the colors of my lost shipment from Amazon. I don't know the brand, but I will give them a try.

When the Car Elevator Fails

As we've mentioned, we drive the car into an elevator to then be lowered to our parking space on floor -1. This system usually works just fine. The system failed us, however, one Saturday.  We (meaning B and me and the car) got into the elevator on the street level and moved towards floor -1. On reaching floor -1, the doors didn't open. We could hear and see the door trying, repeatedly, to open but that was it. There was an emergency phone number to call so B called it and explained in French we were stuck. Thankfully the incident didn't last long, maybe 10-15 minutes. After that, the elevator budged a little and  doors opened and we exited the elevator. We think the elevator didn't quite go all the way down and so the switch for the door was touched but not depressed. Later, when we went out on foot, B noticed there was a technician outside the building but we still don't know it the system just timed out on being stuck or if the technician actually fixed it. The good news is that it looks like someone came quickly. And to answer the question you are all asking, YES, we have used the car elevator again with no issues.