BUREAUCRACY AND BONHEUR (Happiness)!!!

With May Day over and lilies of the valley taken off the streets for another year, we spent most of  Tuesday getting our physicals for our Carte Sejour (Residence Card).  I keep thinking "how much more must we do to stay in Paris for one year without issues?"  But this card will be something we keep on our person at all times so if we are ever stopped (for what I don't know???!!!),  we can show proof we are allowed to be here.  It's safer than carrying our visa around.

We were sent the information we needed to have with us (prescriptions, immunization record etc.) and an appointment time.  We showed up, got chest X-rays, did the eye chart examine, weighed and measured, fingertip bloodwork and a breathe-in/breathe-out exam and, voila, we passed our physicals!!!  In two weeks, we go for an "interview" with our approved physical forms in hand, an online-purchased stamp.  Following the interview (assuming we are approved!), we're official residents!!!    It's just French bureaucracy,  and it is what it is---that seems to be a phrase we often use here!!!! No sense getting frustrated...just do it!!

After a day of blood giving and getting on scales ( 😓), today was a day of "bonheur" (happiness)!  After David returned from Bible Study, we had our usual breakfast, he did some accounting work and I did some cleaning and laundry then, we were out....!!!

Recently, I'd read about an exhibit in an unknown (to us) museum, Musee des Arts Decoratifs.  It ends up the article I'd read wasn't actually an "exhibit" but a piece of an exhibit.  The article was about a famous courtisan, Emilie-Louise Delabigne.

Musee des Arts Décoratifs

In the 19th century Mademoiselle D. was just a poor , working class Parisian girl with a single mother working in a sweet shop in a working class neighborhood.  This became an area where men would go looking for "steamy" liaisons!!!  According to the article, the girls involved in this weren't the normal prostitutes, but ladies who "dipped their toes into this kind of work to pay a bill or two....not something they did regularly.   Anyway, Mademoiselle D wanted out of her poverty-stricken life,  and she worked to become the best girl in the game even giving herself a new name"Valtesse".  She "worked" for artists, musicians and acquired mass wealth never marrying.  Story is she even had a bench by her tomb for her lovers to sit and cry!!!  I love that!!!!

So what's at the museum????  Her bed and one of her portraits.  This bed is beautiful, and I told David I want one like it when we get back to Texas!!!!!  I love the ruffled, lacy bed linens and told David I'd like to shop our flea markets to find some to use now and when we go back.  He just rolled his eyes!!!!!

Think I could find something like this in Plano??!!!

By the time we left the museum, it was lunchtime so we walked over to this great little boulangerie, Boulangerie EK Louvre-Palais Royal.  This is one of several locations Eric Kayser has in the city to share his divine pastries and desserts.  There were also sandwiches, salads and drinks you could purchase to go---that was our plan!!  He has boulangeries/patisseries world-wide and is said to be one of the best bakers in Paris.  We bought a turkey-avocado sandwich and a brownie (gotta have dessert!!) and took off for the Jardin du Palais Royal.

Here's another "I'll Never Be a Skinny French Girl" lunch!!!

What a lovely place for a little picnic!  Lots of green space, a fountain and benches/seats for people to    sit leisurely and enjoy the quiet sunshine (today at least!!).  The seats around the fountain were taken so we found a little bench in the shade and enjoyed our lunch.  By the way, we split the sandwich and the brownie!!!!!

These are the days I can't replicate in Plano....these are the days that call me to Paris!!