Jaron’s Blog

Six months in Paris

Today, April 9th, marks six months to the day since Emily and I arrived in France. What follows is a little photo journal of that time.

October

On October 9th 2020, our trial of domestic travel, visa applications, and coronavirus tests was over, and we finally boarded a flight for Paris.

My suitcase was perfectly packed.

On the tarmac at our connection in JFK.

Me, preparing to fly.

We stayed for six days in a hotel while searching for an apartment.

An early and jetlagged sunrise from the hotel.

Emily on our hotel balcony.

The Louvre pyramid, devoid of life.

The apartment we found is small but nice, in an excellent location.

One of our skylights.

The loft.

Our window is directly above the “On” of “On Fleek,” on the highest floor.

Our first homemade meal.

Our kitchen.

The poissonnerie across the street.

Jardin des Plantes is close.

A common lunch.

Urgency drove us to mostly stock up at Ikea, but we did find a couple nice things at the flea market at Vanves.

A butter dish.

Jadeite cups.

Our prizes in action.

Check out LivePlantCam.com.

The street from our window.

Calm morning light in our apartment.

Though cases were steadily rising, Parisian indifference was a little contagious. We were a little bad in the last days before November’s confinement.

Drinks at the cafe below our apartment.

The street from that cafe.

Raclette at a nearby restaurant.

The last supper of the Simons collaboration.

With confinement on October 30th, there was not much else to do besides work and walk.

Our bags arrived just as confinement started.

Our window gate, slowly filling with plants.

The market (and its oysters) persisted despite the confinement.

Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont.

Rue Saint-Jacques.

November

Many days were spent walking the Jardin des Plantes.

We ate very well, despite the lack of restaurants.

Contemplate the egg.

Never far from home.

Our street was lit for the coming holidays.

My bicycle came in the mail.

On November 28th confinement was eased, and we were permitted to travel further than 1 kilometer from our apartment. This allowed us to finally take in some sights.

The Eiffel tower, within three kilometers.

On the Archipel des Berges de la Seine.

Swan on the Seine.

A day too beautiful for confinement.

December

Lights at Place de la Contrescarpe.

A rainy winter day.

The same day as above, just later and upriver.

Some new habits formed.

For Christmas, I got Emily a mini-four. It came a little early.

Unboxing.

The mini-four in action.

Gruesome results.

Some days in December were extremely beautiful. Here’s a series of photos from the 19th.

The Seine from the Square du Vert Galant.

A barge passes between Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis.

Notre Dame from Île Saint-Louis.

Notre Dame and the Seine from Pont de l’Archevêché.

Lights at Place de la Contrescarpe after dark.

Brioche men with masks.

Christmas festivities at the Hôtel de Ville.

A sinister reindeer.

Stairs to nowhere.

Pantheon at sunset.

The view from our sunroof.

On Christmas eve, we ate a lot.

Our first home escargot.

Scallops from the above poissonnerie.

Pasta with the above scallops.

Panettone.

Cheese.

When a friend comes to town, one must have wine by the Seine no matter the weather.

Emily made chili and I made cornbread.

For New Years Eve, Emily bought the biggest steak I’ve even seen and we got dressed up.

It barely fits in our dish.

All dressed up and nowhere to go.

January

A seagull tops an obelisk at Jardin du Luxembourg on New Years Day.

A moor hen poses for me at Parc Montsouris.

Our galette des rois for the epiphany.

Emily is the newborn king.

On January 3rd, we found a snail in our market kale. We named him Penny II.

Happy olive tree.

A week after finding Penny II, his home was upgraded from a tupperware to a beautiful terrarium we bought at a tropical pet store nearby.

January 16th was a small snow day (or at least a few hours).

Penny II growing steadily.

A brass band playing illegally on our street.

In late January, steady rain led the Seine to overrun its banks.

Le Génie de la Liberté.

The floods are a great inconvenience for some.

The street along the Centre Georges Pompidou gives a line of sight to both Notre Dame and the Pantheon.

Fontaine des Innocents.

Pont au Change is famous as the spot where Javert kills himself in Les Misérables, but one couldn’t hope to be harmed by this fall.

Square du Vert Galant virtually an island.

February

The flooding continues.

Monument à la République

On February 4th I went to a march headed by several unions and political organizations.

Balloons on top of cars in the staging area.

Smoke from flares.

Vin chaud served from the back of a moving vehicle.

Macron.

Église Saint-Ambroise.

Le Triomphe de la République.

A beautiful day at Jardin des Plantes.

The floods worsen.

Penny II grows yet bigger.

Lions drool at Place des Vosges.

Swans do not mind the floods.

A ludicrous Valentines day patisserie.

Penny II loves cucumber.

Chapelle de la Visitation.

A great place to read and drink in Luxembourg.

A beautiful weekend day means the pétanque players emerge in force.

First spring flowers.

We finally made it to the flea market at Saint-Ouen, and found several nice things.

A fancy coffee cup for work.

March

Penny II continues to grow.

In March we started an A1 French class, in person and run by the city at a nearby elementary school. 120 hours of class, two hours a day, four days a week!

Making use of our coffee bowls.

Penny II explores.

Always with oysters.

The view from a classroom at ENS.

Always with cheese.

Sitting at the newly emerged Square du Vert Galant.

The garden at ENS has at least five cats living in the ruins of old infrastructure. They emerge to pick over lunch scraps.

Cour aux Ernest

A big paella at the Marché Monge

Penny II on a new sculpture.

Me with a neighbor’s cat.

Barbed wire protects the burnt-out cathedral.

Emily by the Seine.

April

Easter by Lac Daumesnil.

Condensation on a cold morning.