If everyone out there could just think a little harder about our home internet getting hooked up, I think we could make it happen. A few moments of silent meditation. A quick muttering before a shot of Beam, perhaps. Orange, as the formerly state-run telecommunications company is known, says it takes about 15 days to get things going. How is this possible? If someone could offer a reason I would be happy to wait the time needed to rev up our internet. Any explanation more than a shrug and a sympathetic smile would be sufficient. Anything to get this image of a guy waiting 15 days to press our Internet Button out of my head. Reasoned explanations not being regularly forthcoming over here, I am ready to resort to supernatural means. Thank you in advance for your prayers and small animal sacrifices.

In more cheerful news, we visited a lovely park. There is an old elevated rail line running from Bastille to Bois de Vincennes that has been converted to green space called the Promenade Plantée. While we haven't walked the entire length yet, we did explore far enough to reach Jardin de Reuilly, a beautiful collection of gardens surrounding a wide green space. Parks in Paris tend to be tight, formal affairs, without a lot of open spaces, so the big lawn is a welcome novelty.

The lawn has a footbridge arching over it. It's cool. Lia inspected the gardens. Satisfactory.

We pique-niqued with goods bought at the Bastille Saturday market. The bees and wasps were diverted by the release of decoy ham.

Another reason to love Paris was found at Reuilly- free sparkling water! Eau pétillante, all you the bottles you can fill, for free!

Today we visited Uniqlo, a fashionable yet bargain-priced clothing store based in Japan. Clothing is really expensive here so we are trying to find the good cheap stuff. I think only rich tourists shop at the regular clothing stores. Everyone else is buying €5 knock-off Converse from sidewalk vendors or shopping at H&M and Uniqlo. We bought jeans for €10 each. After shopping we grabbed some sandwiches and ate them on the steps of the Opera. While eating, a pigeon shit in our bag on our new pants. I was displeased.(no photo)

Right now, Lia is doing some heavy cinema theory reading while lamb stews away on the stove and I try not to drink too much wine before dinner. Our colds are waning. I have a new guitar. This weekend we are going to check out an exhibit at the Institut Finlandais. Something about forests.