We [heart] Rue Mouffetard

(I don't know the PC key combination for a heart so please bear with me.)

After just a few days of eating every meal out we were ready to stock the pantry. On the advice of our leasing agent, Thierry (short, slight, very short hair, stylish clothes and glasses, wears scarf, travels by motorcycle -- the very model of a modern busy Frenchman), we walked a few blocks to Rue Mouffetard. The street probably hasn't changed in 100 years if you look past the Starbucks and electronic gadget shops. There is a wonderful choice of shops each with their own speciality, be it cheese, produce, pastries, bread, fish, cooked chickens, meats, sweets, etc. Mixed in are pharmacies, boutiques, bookstores, cafes and restaurants. All this with a intimate neighborhood feeling. We strolled around and just took it in. The sun was out, the shopkeepers were friendly and we bought as much as we could lug back.

For lunch we split a crepe from the crepe stand a few doors down from where we are staying. The crepe rounds are pre-made. They add whatever you want (we had cheese and mushrooms) and then cook on a small grill. Fast, inexpensive and tasty.

A word about buses and the Metro. At every stop, an LED display tells you how long until the next bus or subway arrives. And it's accurate. I like that!

Heard about the storm in the Northeast. Hope everyone weathered it without too many problems. -E.