Afternoon Tea At The Mosque.

Wednesday was a hectic day with Marie-Césare, but told Kerry I would meet her on the Champs Elysees for a little late night shopping...when I got home I was so tired I went straight to bed!  

It was a beautiful day in Paris yesterday, so after school Ashleigh and I met up for some sweet mint tea at the mosque.  Unfortunately, my Iphone battery had died and so I had to take pictures on my French phone, which I now can't figure out how to get them to my computer.  Bluetooth isn't working and I can't exactly text them to my US phone for fear of 2 euro charges.  Which only means that I will have to go back!  Since the sun was shining and it wasn't too cold we sat on the outside "patio" if you will.  The service wasn't exactly impeccable, as we weren't even directed where to go or given a menu.  The patio was decorated with blue and white tiles, with splashes of greens and yellows.  There were 2 huge shade trees planted right in the middle of the patio, where dozens of little brown birds sat and waited for morsels of food to land on the ground.  The chairs were blue and white wicker..typical Parisian bistro chairs and tables.  

We ordered two glasses of sweet mint tea and Ashleigh went to the pastry case to see what had been made today.  She came back with a Turkish delight and a baklava.  The Turkish Delight was quite large and covered in powdered sugar.  I have never had Turkish Delight so I was in for a real treat...and I must say I think I started off right.  You could taste the rose water as soon as you put it in your mouth.  It absolutely melted there was so much sugar, and the texture was exactly as it should be.  Wasn't SO impressed with the Baklava.  Maybe it was a specific type and was just expecting something else?  There weren't any nuts which I love in my Baklava and it was practically soaked in sugar and rather mushy.  The sweet mint tea was my favorite...and judging by the amount of glasses our waiter brought out just in the time we were sitting there I know they must make it by the gallons.  It was served in a painted glass rather than a tea cup, and almost too hot to pick up.  After it was cool enough to take a sip, we gave it a shot.  Spot on!  It was sweet and spearmint like.  Just brewed strong enough to where you could taste the tea, mint, and sugar all at the same time.  Yummy!  (This is the point where I really wish my pictures would load!)

We sat there for an hour or so just people watching.  Watching droves of people come in for lunch, tea, and just for pastries.  When the shadows had taken over our table, it became very chilly and was a sign we should head on.  We walked down through the Jardin des Plantes in the warm sun and across the Seine to Gare de Lyon.  Hopped on the metro up to Montmartre to the Montmartre Cemetery.  Didn't have too much time because we were going to pick up the kiddos but this has been on our list of things to do.  It was very similar to Pére Lachaise....except very difficult to get to.  There was only one entrance, and we walked around the entire perimeter of the cemetery before finding it.  Alexandre Dumas and Edgar Degas are buried here....along with several other people many Paris metro stops are named after.  And yes, that's mostly how I know their names...metro stops.  

Marie-Césare and I have been going in the afternoons to play with her friend, Manon.  Every day after school they always run up to us asking if they can play.  Here lately, I have been a sucker and we went Tuesday and yesterday.  Manon's mother is very nice, and patient with my French.  We don't talk a lot, but she is the first adult besides my French teacher that I actually try it out on.  Well, Franck, but we only talk about Marie-Césare and Gaspard and how the kids were that day.  I told her to correct me...and sometimes I'll ask her how to say things.  I'm getting to know the kids and parents in the "neighborhood," the boulanger, the florist, the man at the supermarket downstairs, as well as the banker.  It's quite nice!  

Slept in today which was so nice and will hopefully have a good afternoon with Marie-Césare!  Going to the Musée Rodin with Kerry and Ashleigh tomorrow...amongst a few other things.  I'm suppose to be babysitting tomorrow night, but haven't heard exact details, Chloé's leaving for Dubai soon so she's busy at work trying to get everything caught up before she leaves.  Bonne week-end á vous!!!