The weekend we just had

My friend Alex lives on rue Vavin, just above Le Select.  I will never stop being impressed by that.  This is because I am uncool, but I am cool with being uncool. 

Alex had a shindig Friday night and I said to Sophie when I ran into her Sunday at McDonalds, (there are all sorts of places I prefer to use the internet, but McDonalds is the only one that is free, except sometimes I go on the benches at Place Maubert, but it was raining), I said to Sophie that it was a little like seeing all your friends on the first day of school after having spent the summer at different camps.  We were missing  Guigui, Olivier, Julie, and Caro, but still, it was a great night.

I’ve been reading A Moveable Feast and I said to Alex, “Can you believe you live above a cafe where Hemmingway hung out?”  He shrugged, handed me a kir cassis, and went to make out with his very nice copine, Chloé.  

Meanwhile, I took some pictures >>

Comments

[piu piu]

are u in those pics?

[Coquette]

Stunt double.

Kidding. Yes, I am. I say "me" in the captions when it's me.

[Andy Cogbill]

How very strange; I just finished reading A Moveable Feast. Not one of Hem's best, it's still a beautiful book.

[Coquette]

Seems like he mostly wrote at the Closerie des Lilas, which is right nearby. I loved it, reading about all the ghosts that haunt the streets of today's Paris.

[piu piu]

and did any of your childhood friends suffer fat camp? or was that a secret?

sorry, had to ask

[Jillian]

i feel very unhip after seeing those pictures...

[DDJ]

Cool location - that sign is one heck of a nightlight. It looks like you had a perfectly fun evening. Oh, I think I see a bottle of cheap Nicolas Vin de Pays on the counter? I love that stuff.

[R J Keefe]

Charming flat Alex has.

[Neil]

Great photos. What fun! But what's this I hear about free internet access at McDonald's? When do we get this in the States?

[Gloria]

There is free internet at some McDonald's here. I know because I was trying to figure out when breakfast hours were over, so I could sate an Egg McMuffin craving (they put crack in those things, I swear), and found out that little bit of interesting info.

Fun pictures!

[Coquette]

I think all the Macdo have free internet now, and don't seem to care if you come and buy nothing. Lots of cafes have free WIFI, but you obviously need to at least buy a coffee. 2 euro, ca va. But it adds up. At any rate, the internet is BACK UP TODAY chez moi after almost 2 weeks, phew.

[Neil]

I guess I can live with one of those crappy Egg McMuffins for some internet access. If only those plastic chairs weren't so uncomfortable!

Are the Mcdonald's any better in Paris? Do they use Chabichou du Poitou rather than American cheese on their Big Macs?

[ak]

I read A Moveable Feast recently - makes you want to trace Hem's steps around town, doesn't it? And by the way, I love the photo.

[la.dauphine]

Yes, Great pics. I am a nerd is my new wallpaper.

OMG your friend Soliden SO looks like my girl Ludivine Sagnier!

When I was in Paris in '97 I brought my laptop to a nearby cafe to do some work and everyone looked at me as though I just pissed in the Beaujolais Nouveaux or something. Glad to hear that things have changed.

Looking forward to more (frequent) posts!

[Flare]

Really neat place! You and Jeanne looked cute in the pics. Especially like the one of you doing the Elvis lip. Nice. :)

[Miss P]

Ludivine "Saigner" ??? Ahhhh that is a good one...
(sorry bad french humour, but your friend does look like Ludivine Sagnier.

[Adrian]

Who's that hot chick in picture 5?

[Anne]

I should get a copy of that...sounds cool. It is always good to be able to wander down the road to place you are reading about.

[Gina]

I am tres jalouse de ta soiree. Nothing that exciting has yet happened in Lyon. In fact, I'm spending most of the time with the students on the program that I work for. At least I taught them how to properly open a wine bottle?

[schuey]

I think that you are pretty cool ;)smart people are always cool, no ?

[Coquette]

Neil, I think you've inspired me-- you'll see.

Dauphine, "I am a nerd is my new wallpaper"--I heart you.

DDJ, it's good stuff, non? V. good for kirs.

Miss P, that make me laff.

[Marilyn]

Reading your post my first thought was, "What a delightful life Coquette has." Looking at your photos? "My GOD, they are so impossibly young!" (sigh) Alas, 25 seems like, well...25 years ago...ha!

[julie]

So what ARE their morning hours? As embarassing as it is to go to Macdo in Paris (and as embarassing as it would be to have to sneak out in the morning so no one would know after all my rants to french friends about how americans eat other things than macdo iswear) I have the same craving and yet to fulfill it with a crack-filled mcmuffin...
sincerely,
another uncool american in paris

[la.dauphine]

..in fact, I lived not far from there at one time on a little street called Rue Boissonade between Blvd Raspail et Blvd Montparnasse.

Never actually made it INSIDE Le Select or La Coupole b/c of the crowds but they looked tres chic!

[cort]

Liz, I loved your comment about being a nerd discreetly. It's such a great way to describe our early high school years, (calling my mom to come get us from a party and hiding in bushes until she arrived)! I hope all is well, love ya!

[Coquette]

Julie, I think it's actually more FRench than American to love McDo these days. I know people will disagree with that, but all I can say is that none of my friends eat there regularily in the US. Here they do.

Cort, What about eating lunch in the yearbook room with Griff? :)

[Asian Lep]

I miss Guigui! He's hot.

[julie]

Coquette--

I respond with about the same thing when French people ask me "How can americans eat only Macdonalds?" as diplomatically as possible. ie, "well, it's funny that all the Macdos in Paris are always crowded whereas none of the ones in the city where I live ever are..."