ducklings!

I saw my first ducklings of the season today, little balls of fluff smaller than the size of my fist. A small clutch, just two, but the whole family (mom, dad, and babies) were all together. It still amazes me how quickly the little ducklings learn to equate humans with food. I crouched down by the side of the canal and they all made a beeline for me and the little ones got as much of my sandwich crusts as the adults. So cute!

And I should have other bird-related news to post very soon, I'm just waiting for the a-okay. :)

happily (very happily) ensconced in Paris

My train got in on time around 6:30pm, and Joel was there to meet me. By the time we took the metro home and deposited my things, I was pretty hungry so we walked over to Notre Dame de la Croix which is a few blocks away, and then through the neighborhood around there to find a place to eat. I had confit de canard and he had a tartiflette (potatos, ham, and what smelled like raclette), which we started off with excellent gins and tonics. Very satisfying.

His apartment is on the 7th floor of a building on top of a hill; from one of his windows we have a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower, which is lit up at night and for ten minutes at the start of every hour it goes all shimmery; it's doing it now, and is really mesmeric.

Tomorrow if it's sunny we're going to Saint-Chapelle, and if it's not to Vincennes (sp?). He's got the whole week planned out.