It’s time for a new instalment of cultural station, don’t you think? I happened to be on my way to Madeleine today so instead of taking a bus like I normally would, I took the metro instead so I can photograph this panel of stained glass of Ryaba la poule (Ryaba the hen) by Ivan Loubennikov. Unfortunately, in my hurry (I needed to make it for my tango lesson across town), I didn’t notice that poor Ryaba is now headless, oops.

This is the story of Ryaba as inscribed next to the mural:

Il était une fois un vieil homme et sa femme
Ils avaient une petite poule du nom de Ryaba
Un jour elle pondit un œuf extraordinaire : tout en or !
Le vieil homme tenta de le casser : toc toc ! : rien à faire !
Sa femme tenta de le casser : toc toc ! : rien à faire !
Une petite souris qui passait par là fit tomber l’œuf et le brisa
Le vieil homme se mit à pleurer. Sa femme aussi
Alors la petite poule leur dit : ne pleure pas grand père
Ne pleure pas grand-mère
J’en pondrai un à nouveau, mais pas en or…

My attempt at translating this:

Once upon a time there was an old man and his wife
Who had a little hen called Ryaba
One day it lays an extraordinary egg: it’s all in gold!
The old man tried to break it: toc toc!: nothing happened!
His wife tried to break it: toc toc!: nothing happened!
A little mouse in passing knocked the egg down and broke it
The old man began to cry. His wife too
And so the little hen said to them: do not cry grandfather
Do not cry grandmother
I will lay another, but not in gold…

Ps: spot the egg which is reportedly 80kg in weight!

The weather is not particularly kind today. There is a predicted strong gust of wind coming our way, and depending on the forecast, it could be anything between 30 km/h to 100 km/h. At least we’re nowhere near the north/west coastal area, which would bear the brunt of things from the look of it.

There is a bookshop near work that specialises in selling rare and antiquarian books. I’ve always find it fascinating to peer into the windows and see what’s “new” and admire the books with period covers and hand-bound volumes. I mean, how many more books nowadays that you see and still bear gold embossed letters with motifs framing their edges? Super cool, I tell ya!

I like the library network in Paris. With just one membership card, all the public library is accessible and so I can get books out from any of the branches run by the city council. And it’s free! (Membership with access to multimedia costs something like €35 per year – still a bargain if you ask me.) Since I noticed something interesting may be available at the branch of Baudoyer, away I went.

Just outside the entrance to the building complex of Mairie du 4ème where the library is housed, there are several interesting and eye-catching Christmas trees at Place Baudoyer. Oh they are festive, green with hints of reds, and fitting as festive decoration. On a closer look though, these trees are made using recycled material. More specifically, plastic bottles of carbonated drinks. How cool is that for an idea and to raise awareness!

Ps: as I took this photo, a woman stopped next to me and started chatting (in French no less) of the importance of caring for the environment, why these trees are magic and potentially a lead for my next photo of the day. I’m just thrilled she thought I fit in enough to strike a conversation with me :D

One of the things that I miss most after my move to Paris is the kitchen in my old place, which not only is very well equipped, functional and pretty, it is also bigger than my entire studio apartment at Cité U. Yes, I know, I was spoilt. I have also since vowed never to take my kitchen for granted anymore.

My new apartment do have a proper kitchen now (yay!), albeit a rather cosy one. It has since kicked start my kitchen daydreams again, of owning something sleek, with full spice rack, a KitchenAid on the counter, an Aga keeping the room warm, and let’s throw in a few Le Creuset too. And oh, a good shelf of awesome cookbooks and Larousse Gastronomique would be highly appreciated too. ;)

It’s not often that I venture around town in the middle of a work day but since I was on my way to meet the agent of our new apartment, why not grab a sunny day shot instead of worrying what I can photograph later in the day when it’s rather late and all dark outside, right?

Seems like the city council of the 5th arrondissement is also trying its best to decorate the neighbourhood up a little. In front of the Panthéon tens of Christmas tree prettied up using red and yellow ribbons, while just across the street, the city hall itself has silver tinsels streaming along the height of the building. Rather impressive, I must say.

Just a couple of weeks back I blogged of the cat that fishes and now while exploring around my new neighbourhood, I found “the dog that smokes”. Not just a plain cheap ciggie, but of a nice-looking old-fashioned pipe. Only in Paris, that the dog would smoke in style ;)

Even then, this is not the only Au Chien Qui Fume in this city. A quick web search shows that the main one (or rather, the top search hit) is actually a restaurant at rue du Pont Neuf within the heart of Paris, and there’s another at Versailles. I don’t think these are part of a chain, given their logos are different. One imitating the other when it comes to name branding?

With the recent move, I needed to look for the closest market(s) to me where I can do my regular fruits and vegetable shopping. One of them being the Breteuil-Saxe market that’s held every Thursday and Saturday, at the tip of the (imaginary) axes where Champ de Mars and Les Invalides meet in southward direction.

It does mean the setting is simply idyllic on a morning like today, where golden ray bounces of the dome of Les Invalides while on the other hand, one could shop while admiring Eiffel Tower at the same time. If this is not one of the ways to celebrate the fabulous life of a Parisien(ne), I don’t know what else it could be. Especially for one who loves food. And I’m doubly pleased that my vegetable producer from my old regular market also sets up stall at this one. He was certainly surprised to see me here this morning!

I’ve been mostly cocooned indoors in the last couple of days, and today must be the height of laziness (but really it’s the last push to really get better, pronto!) that I haven’t even step out the building. Therefore, let me entertain you with a photo of the stairs from my floor… :p

I must say I adore this set of stairs. There’s a certain quaint quality to it, like something out of an old movie, where you expect to see the gentleman running up with a bouquet of flowers (not roses though, something else more unusual would be nice) while his sweetheart waits at the landing with bated breath while trying to contain her excitement.

Ps: I think my brain is simply fried and my imagination running even wilder than usual…

Who wants to get me a giant chocolate Santa? ;)

This delicious looking creature is currently attracting a lot of attention of anyone passing the chocolatier Patrick Roger on rue de Rennes – I was not the only one trying to grab a photo. Just how cool it is to have this masterpiece in your home? Set on the table, it is taller than me and even in comparing its height to mine, it’s still standing pretty tall.

It makes me curious now what centrepieces have he got in his other branches around the city. There are, afterall, five of them altogether. I’m normally here, or at the one on Boulevard St Germain – about 15 minutes walk between the two. It has been a while since I last shopped there though. Perhaps it’s time to revisit and get some Christmas goodies for those near and dear.

Remember I mentioned not so long ago that, in Paris, you could throw a coin somewhere and you’d probably hit a monument? Something along that line anyway. Well, I found out today that if I walk back to my new place from across the road as opposed to the side I usually take, I am treated to a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. If it’s on the hour after sunset, then the tower is also sparkling pretty.

Not much is going on otherwise. I haven’t been feeling well for a good few days now, and the grey grey sky outside that’s on feature a lot lately is not helping much. I hope this is not going to be all that I have to look forward to for the next 2-3 months or it is going to send me straight to the world of winter blues. Paris, I’m counting on you to keep me amused and happy!