Saturday - Kevin and I spent the early day looking for restaurants for dinner with our friends, Rob and Erica, arriving on Sunday. We looked at a couple that were listed in my book, but they were either too expensive or didn’t have a prix fixe menu or were closed on Sunday (which was mostly the case anyway.) In the meantime we had settled on lunch at a little bistro down a small street near the Odeon. The meal was wonderful and Kevin I both enjoyed it. For dessert I had an Ile Flottante, which seems to be back in favor as a dessert. They weren’t on any menus three years ago, and they are a favorite of mine. Imagine a huge lump of merangue baked slightly, then placed in a bowl of Crème Englaise (custard ... read more

To the right is a picture that prompted me to hit the diet. This was taken last October and I was standing next to a REALLY SKINNY good-looking person. I knew something had to be done if I was going to go to France with a clear conscience. The second picture was taken today... Do you see the difference? Well, you should - there are about 20 pounds, or 8 kgs, missing..... But this now will give me the freedom to eat without guilt for the next few weeks.... I am armed with books of restaurants, books of street markets, articles of restaurants, lists of restaurants. And I am also armed with expandable-waist wraparound skirts, and expando-pants, and shorts with elastic waists. Hopefully, the damage I inflict will be minimal. But this isn't about me. It's ... read more