Cross my heart

A man holds a crucifix at the foot of the steps of the Basilica.

Not yet

Empty terrace of a usually lively Montmartre café.

***

Specifics for the upcoming May 11th déconfinement in France have been announced and include wearing masks on all public transportation and continuing with the usual precautions (social distancing, masks, regular hand washing etc.). Markets will re-open (to be decided by regional mayors and préfets), travel within 100 kilometers will be permitted, and the famous attestation won't be required. The "most vulnerable" - ages 65 + as well as those with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, upper respiratory and cardiovascular issues and what's become the most significant group at risk, the overweight / obese - are being urged to continue with present lockdown rules as much as possible. - BPJ

As yet no firm date has been decided for the re-opening of cafés and restaurants.

Italian night

Raymond: We have pepperoni pizza for dinner Monday nights.
Susanna: Pizza? You get pizza in an institution?
Raymond: Monday night is Italian night!

From Rain Man (1988)

 

***

 

During the lockdown we've made Monday night Italian night, but instead of pepperoni pizza, this week it was brown rice mushroom risotto using scotch whisky in the place of white wine. - BPJ

 

Recipe May newsletter

Sibling Sunday

A brother and sister outside their building enjoying beautiful Sunday weather.

Quiet walkway

The serenity of a cobbled walkway.

Above: a stairway leads to Place Dalida and Allée des Brouillards

A surprise breakfast

Some days, it's nice to wake up to a surprise.

It wasn't the typical French petit-déjeuner, and it wasn't Café de Flore, c'est vrai.
It was better.

Menu: just-right oeufs à la coque, toasted baguette, crispy bacon, mascarpone topped with the season's first strawberries, strong coffee (w/cream for my crème), artisanal preserves (blueberry; passion fruit-mango) and honey. Everything fresh, everything perfection. And butter.

***

Tentative date for re-opening of Paris cafés, bars and restaurants: June 15th

Working in

 

 Many Parisians are using the confinement / stay-at-home time to get (or stay) in shape. Whether it's Pilates, yoga, dancing in place or lifting weights, the lockdown has been an opportunity to tone up, and if we need help, trainers and studios are offering free online workout classes... all at one's fingertips with but a quick online search. For many, like former CHANEL model now author Caroline de Maigret (find her books on Amazon) - who openly admits to pretty much hating scheduled-workout anything - exercise doesn't mean a structured gym routine, and in Paris, staying active doesn't even feel like "exercise" partly because most everyone walks as much as possible and uses bicycles to get around as part of daily life.

 

However, things are changing. Gym clubs (salles de sport), once a rarity, have sprouted up in unexpected neighborhoods. While most workouts come from the U.S., Swedish Gym is popular, mostly among women, offering cheap and numerous classes around the city. Runners, another rarity until fairly recently, seem to be everywhere. And of course Montmartre, with its hilly streets and many stairways has become my own personal daily workout territoire - a perfect excuse to enjoy this dazzling spring weather, not that I need one. - BPJ

 

Above: Vitruvian Hog