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June 25

Yearning for a real PC

The metro is plastered with billboards that seem to change every three days with advertisements for one or another of Paris's 6,000 events a year. They all look enticing and we have become adept only at reading the dates. We then usually have to take a photo of the billboard and decipher it on our translator app when we get home. In addition,  we then have to eliminate anything that has language, so we are left with pretty much only dance and music.
 
The poster for WuWei looked intriguing, maybe some sort of visual performance, not quite a Cirque D'Soliel, in a part of town almost out of town. 
Using the ipad, the mini-ipad and translating, Steve was able to get through the all French website and buy tickets, only problem it turned out was no way to print them.  More translator divulged that we could go to any FNAC store (kind of like a book record store chain that sells tix) and pick them up.

A FNAC store was close by yesterday, in the Gare d'Est-perfect. The Gare is big and has lots of chain store shopping but we finally found our FNAC, the cashier spoke some English but could not print for us. Turns out Steve had opted for etickets which you must print at home. Next, find an internet  cafe, next get through not only that French website again hoping to retrieve the eticket, but now the French keyboard!!! The letters are all over the place, the @ sign is impossible to figure out without help and the number keypad doesn't allow you to use numbers! But Steve, hero that he can be, did finally get them printed...now next week we just have to make sure we can find the venue.

Luckily our frustration was then rewarded with a beautiful lunch at Albion in the 10th, which we accidentally tried to eat at the prior week at 80 rue Faubourg when we were really looking for Abri at #92 which didn't matter anyway because they were all full. In fact, I cannot wait until Open Table comes to Paris because many of the great tiny restaurants have no website, no online reservations, and don't even answer their phones or return messages. And of course when they do answer and speak no English, I am pretty much stuck. So we have figured out, you simply GO to the restaurant one day to reserve for another. That is how we got to Albion and how we finally figured out that ABRI is FULL for lunch the entirety of our stay here. 

We will leave you today with a short description of a delicious lunch.
ENTREES (appetizers) 
Cerviche in cucumber water and lime
Gaspacho with flowers, spices and organic feta
PLATS (mains)
Sea bass with baby vegetables and foam
Monkfish with fennel cream foam and pureed cauliflower and greens
WINE, a requirement
A very nice bottle of a Bourgogne Pinot Noir 
And of course, a cafe.

Lastly while we were eating I got to look at, well probably stare at, one of my many versions of a great looking young French man.

P.S. The day also included taking in the Haute Couture exhibit at Hotel de Ville, 
a walk through St. Germain and a very touristy boat ride on the Seine last night  during golden hour which comes about 9pm. 

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