M&M in Paris: January 2011

We've fallen behind in posting updates. One theme of our French experience so far has been the rampant bureaucracy. An example comes from prior to our departure. We were instructed that we must get visas before we left due to the length of our stay, and warned we might get turned away at the border unless we could pull out visas upon arrival (it wasn't true--we whisked through passport control in 30 seconds). After weeks of waiting after our initial application, and our departure date only a couple days away, we were given an "appointment" to come in to apply in-person. We arrived at the French consulate in Boston at 1 pm. We were told that the office was closed for lunch. They would re-open at 2:30! So we hung out at a nearby Souper Salad, watching scores of people hustle in and out (obviously not French, or else they would have had a leisurely lunch). Promptly at 2:30, and weary of waiting, we returned to the consulate. We were greeted by a dark window, locked door, and the instructions below.

This sign was far more prominent that the travel posters of the Azure coast or the official map of French provinces. Obviously, we got our visas in time. And the odds we'll actually have to show them to anyone are virtually nil. Other examples abound, now that we're here. We went to get photos for a different official document. Michael poised himself for the photo. The photographer abruptly stopped. "No, no," and he wagged a finger. "You must not smile," he explained.

And now here are some more recent photos. Just to prove we're really in Paris:

And seeing some interesting art, such as this David Hockney exhibit-- images that were created, and displayed, on iPhones and iPads.

We're adjusting to the café life, and realize this is what we'd been practicing for all those mornings at Peets:

Since Michael will be working at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, we timed our trip there to overlap with the market day. This is the place where I originally fell in love with French markets in 1995.