Arrived here Sunday by the train: saturday in Paris I finally located the internet cafe which was - amazingly - not far from where I was staying::........... of course, it closed at 5 on Sat and did not open on Sunday - ah; la belle France!
However, managed to send some emails, then found a huge outdoor market selling everything including halal meat; Later caught some of the match between the ABs and Portugal - a walkover even in the early stages so I gqve up in favour of more cultural pursuits, found a very very beautiful old house on ile saint louis; open for les jours du patrimoine (closest I can translate is cultural heritage), which had been built by some fellow named Cgarles Gruyn for his second, young; wife. Beautifully preserved or restored, more likely, as in later years it was a hangout for the poetic fraternity including de Nerval among others, who worked there but also famously smoked weird substances and wrote about the experience of eating a green cake made almost entirely of drugs and absinthe!
After that, wandered along the island and came across a swedish juggler, very good and taking advantage of le rugby to demonstrate the national juggling characteristics of each country - including those who, like the Swiss, do not tqke pqrt. It zas very funny but really you had to be there..............
Then there was a trio playing on the bridge, very old-time early jazz/swing, who were really good:
Then decided to take a look at why there were dowzens of police and vans around - there is a huge screen in front of the hotel de Ville, for le rugby, of course; no doubt the fact that there was a match to be screened live shortly meant therer might be trouble; so the cops were well prepared - mostly it seems to manage the crowds of drunken Scotsmen.
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