Musical Toilets

Okay. You are probably wondering why this post is called "Musical Toilets." You are just going to have to read on to find out. Today, I looked in my book of 20 Different Walks Through Paris and decided that it would be fun to try the walk entitled, "Nez au Vent" or "Nose to the Wind." It was a walk all about smelling, tasting and really savoring Paris. What could beat that? After all, one of the big reasons I am here is for the food. Back to the walk. The book says, "The French appreciate a wider range of odors than their air-freshener-consuming American counterparts. For example, a typical American may enjoy steak but not brain or intestines. We Americans generally have a narrow palate when it comes to food and smell. In other words, one person's body odor might be another person's alluring scent. Napoleon wrote a famous letter to his wife that said: 'Home in three days. Don't wash'." The French love all sorts of smells and tastes! Maybe that explains why there are over 400 different types of cheese here. I have never tasted better cheese than in France--I honestly can't get enough--but there are also some really smelly varieties.

So, to begin this olfactory experience, we got off on the Madeleine Metro stop. There was a very strong stench from the sewer below as we got onto the escalators and exited the metro. It almost smelled to me like old cheese. We walked right into a beautiful flower market and the church of the Madeleine. The front of the church was covered in beautiful flowers. It smelled so fresh! What a contrast!

We then turned the corner to see a Gourmet Macaron pastry shop. I honestly felt like I had entered a high class jewelry store. Wow. It was perfectly air-conditioned. The workers were all dressed in classy uniforms. These creations were invented in the early 1900s and are the favorite pastry of France. I have gotten them in the states and they do not even compare. Each one cost 1,75 Euros (over 2 dollars), but it was so worth it! My favorite flavors were Lime and Basil as well as Chocolate from Ghana. I cannot even put into words the divine flavor in each bite. I wish you could all come to France just to taste these!

The next stop was at the famous Fragonard perfume shop. We got to take a tour of the factory and see all that goes into making the perfect fragrance. They are known here for their aluminum bottles. This is to protect the perfume against sun and heat exhaustion. I was talked into these expensive perfumes when I visited Southern France a few years ago and haven't worn them once. They are very strong and concentrated. I basically just let my students pass them around and smell them once a year. I did not get pressured into buying any this time, but it was fun to look around.

We ended our Savory Walk at a little café that we just happened upon. I ordered a panini and freshly-squeezed orange juice. This cafe was very modern-looking with huge computer screens all around, geometric-type chairs and tons of futuristic demos. I later found out they are trying to attract home buyers with this atmosphere. They show prospective clients pictures of all types of available apartments/homes and offer them a relaxing environment to enjoy while working on their plan. Afterward, we asked to use the bathroom, as always, since we never know when we will get another chance in this city. We walked in and what do you know? They call it a Musical Closet. Look at my first picture on this blog: Cabine Musicale is on the bathroom door. Right next to the sink is a touch-screen where you can pick your type of music: rock, classical, hip hop, easy listening, etc. Then you get a list of several artists to choose from. So, as you are in the private toilet stall, it plays your favorite song. Maybe this will be the bathroom of the future. What do you think?

I will be meeting some friends in Brittany in a couple of weekends. I stopped by the Train Station to pick up my tickets. I swear that everybody from France loves to travel. The line lasted over an hour. They said that I came on a good day! I am impressed by how well Europe is connected with public transportation. You really don't need a car over here. I will get to take the high speed TGV in 10 days and I am looking forward to it!

The last message that I want to say today is how nice the Parisians have been. I have noticed that if you try to speak to them in French at least and are very kind yourself, they are some of the friendliest people I have ever met! Here is a picture of a guy that works in a creperie here. I started taking pictures of him (I will need those for my students come Fall) and he looked at me kind of funny. I then asked him permission, as I felt a bit awkward. "Why do you need my permission? You already took a bunch!" he said with a smile. I smiled back and said that I wanted some good pictures of him and his amazing crepe making skills for all these people to see in the states. He put his hand up to block my pictures, all in good fun. He then said he was going to charge me 20 Euros for the pleasure of having his face in the states. I told him I would email him the pictures of him instead at no charge and he looked pretty excited about the idea. He gave me his email address. I was with Henry, from the group, and as we sat on the wall, enjoying our cheese crepe, this crepe man (David) asked us what we were going to have for dessert. We shook our heads and said no thanks. He picked up a banana, cut it in half and gave it to Henry for free. He told him to give me the bigger piece. Little things like that really make a big difference. I told him that he was the best crepe maker and that I would come back and visit him again soon.