HOT SUMMER DAYS!

Summer has finally arrived in Paris, and while I know my Texas family and friends have been experiencing three-digit temperatures, I must say our 95-degree days are sweltering.  Unlike Texas where almost everywhere is air conditioned, here almost everywhere is not.  I feel as though I'm back in the early 60's living with darkened rooms (shades/blinds pulled to keep the heat out) and fans everywhere.  But it's actually okay...I told David I wouldn't complain too much because once it gets cool, it will stay cool and that also means rain😒.

So Wednesday night we had an unplanned night out at Moulin Rouge.  We'd been there once before during one of our visits here and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Due to some scheduling blips, our friend, Harold, had tickets that were for July rather than September.  Whoops!!!!  So instead of going with friends, we went alone😢.

I'll always think of Moulin Rouge when I see a windmill!!!

Let me tell you about Moulin Rouge in case you don't know.  First, it's in Pigalle, an area that ranges from sex shops and ladies of the evening to chic cocktail lounges and barista cafes.  The neighborhood's naughty appeal dates back to the l880's, the Bohemian Belle Epoque Paris.  The first time we were there we took a cab to and from and it felt kind of sleazy as we were heading home late at night.  This visit, however, I got a completely different feel.  There were lots of people sitting at the cafes, talking, walking and it felt very safe.  Second, it is a topless show (gasp!!!!!).  Not all the girls are topless, but many.  I have wondered why some are and some aren't.....do you get to choose????  Do you make more money topless????  Just my curious little mind!!!!!   The big difference between Moulin Rouge and Las Vegas is in the word "natural"!!!!!  These girls are all natural, slim, small-chested women not like most of the Vegas dancers.  It gives you a very different impression. Anyway, it's a very classy place (seriously!) with waiters in black tuxedos/suits and a beautiful old Paris interior.   The show itself is fabulous...the sets are wonderful and the costumes (which are changed frequently for the different numbers) are magnificent.  Now it is mostly in French, but even that isn't really problematic since you're focusing on the music and the dancing.  During three short breaks in the production numbers, they have short entertainment....ventriloquist, juggler, things like that.  I know...sounds dorky but the performers we've seen have been really excellent.  Then the dancers come back.  You can get dinner/show tickets or just show tickets.  Our tickets included dinner which was nice.  Though it would have been more fun with our friends, it was a nice night out (thanks, Harold!!!).

An unplanned night on the town!!

Then yesterday after my chiropractor's appointment, we took the bus to visit Le Maison de Victor Hugo.  I'd had it on my list,  and we decided this was the perfect time.  It's a 30-minute bus ride from the house,  and the buses were full and hot.  But it beat walking!!!  This "museum" is the apartment where Victor lived before his exile from France for political reasons.  I love this kind of museum.  It's free, which is always nice, and not crowded.  Headsets were available (and we usually take advantage of them) and most of the signs by pictures in the rooms had an English translation (which isn't always the case).  David and I both read Les Miserables several years ago (what a beating!!!! though we loved the movie) so it was interesting to learn more about the author.  David now feels inspired to try reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame.....it's 400 pages so he's pondering it right now!!!!!!

I imagine my grandsons playing this

To raise money for poor children, VH got some writer friends to donate their inkwells for this writing desk-they couldn't sell the desk for 100 francs!!!!

My favorite room, of course!!!

I did love this room with the plate-covered wall!  Most of the walls in the apartment were dark and many done in wallpaper and ornate patterns.  One room was the Asian room and all the artifacts, colors, furniture were Asian-inspired.  Hugo's bedroom was fairly small and a dark cranberry color with dark furniture.  Maybe the dark colors kept it cooler in the hot months.

Hugo's bedroom

The apartment was 280 square meters and he paid 1500 francs for it!!!  Our apartment is 90 square meters....so it was a big apartment.  And it had a great view...

...not exactly like this (!!!!) but you get the idea!!!!

After leaving Victor's home, we decided to stay in Le Marais and walk to Sacha Finkelsztajn's (really!!!!) for lunch.  We were there on a previous Paris visit and it is a great deli.  We walked the ten-minutes there and she was closed!!!!  Arggghhhh!!!!!!  She was closed the last time we went there too.  Anyway, instead we stopped at this popular (based on the lines) little place for a falafel.  Honestly, we didn't really know what that was...we got a cone-shaped paper filled with ten deep-fried balls of ground fava beans or chickpeas.  Very tasty!!  You can get it in a pita, which I may try next time.  Walking back to the bus, we stopped at Amorino's where the ice cream in the cones is shaped like tulips....gotta have one of those on such a hot day!!!

Perfect ending to our morning excursion!

It really was a perfect day, in spite of the heat,  and one we will always have in the Paris memory book of our minds.