Mardi (gras)

This morning dawned grey and rainy and around 60 degrees fahrenheit - PERFECT!!! More accurately, the day "nooned" this way - my atrocious jet lag kept me up too late...I didn't wake up until 11:30 this AM.

Zinc roofs - Tour Eiffel under beautiful grey skies

I had an appointment for a haircut today - I found the place (Christine Marie Loyeux Salon) and the guy (Mario) in a Yelp review. Something about treating myself to a Parisian haircut sounded good. So, I headed out and took the 20 minute walk through the busy, crazy streets. I have to get my city-chops back - it was a bit exhausting. At one point I was kind of lost, but was able to ask a nice man if I was on the rue Louis Blanco, and he said yes, so I was kind of found.

It was a groovy place - Christmas balls with golden angels and cherubs festooned the walls. Awesome old iron barber chairs painted pink. Mario was great - he's from Cuba, and was just a sweetheart.

I like my haircut, but it is MUCH shorter than I had anticipated (Blix - you might want to sit down and take a deep breath....), and more, I don't know, style-y than I usually am. I can't get it into a ponytail! Still, I put myself in his hands, and I am more than satisfied. What is a vacation for except to get out of a rut?! This is definitely a new look for me.

After the haircut I meant to go to the marché St. Quentin, but I was (am) tired - still adjusting. So, instead I went to the Monoprix and I'm so glad I did! I love going to grocery stores in other countries, and now I figure I have some regular old stuff to compare the artisan stuff I hope to get at the marchés later. So, I got some chicken and two enormous artichokes (2 for 1 euro!!!) to cook tonight, and some cheese and Bayonne ham for lunch. I picked up a baguette at a boulangerie called Le Grenier A Pain. Et voilà- le déjeuner!
 

Left to right - St. Marcellin, Camembert, Bresse Bleu

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So, these are all supermarket cheeses, they were all cheap, and they were all great. The St. Marcellin is made with lait cru ( raw, unpasteurized milk) which is forbidden in the US - definitely a treat. The Bleu de Bresse is like a bleu brie - mmmmm. The Camembert was nowhere near as transcendental as last night's, but I still felt that we made a connection! Jambon de Bayonne was as good as some of the expensive imported/artisan prosciuttos I have had. Got about halfway through that plate and now the little wedges of cheese are oozing down into puddles.

I got some tea infused with verveine (verbena) which I first discovered in Le Puy en Velay a few years ago - a specialty of that region. So, my cheese will shlappa-ta on the counter, and I am going to get into bed and watch a movie with a hot cup of tea on a chilly day...I swear I am going to a museum soon....