(Part
II)
Please scroll slowly or refresh the screen if photos do not appear.
Saturday,
16th of March 2013 (Paris, France)
As
one of my friends used to say ...
"Being
a woman, it is your prerogative to change your mind.”
...
and so instead of returning home, I decided to follow up on a lead
regarding an internet cafe.
Since
the metro Opera was only two stops away, it only made sense to do so.
Ascending
onto the busy footpath I approached a young guy for help ...
“Exuse
moi, si tu pouvez m'aider? Je cherche un internet cafe “La tête
dans les nuages” par ici. ”
He
said that he recalled seeing a place with computer games around here,
but was not able to give me any specific directions.
I
decided to ask a vendor at the newspaper stand and he was able to
tell me how to get there. Unfortunately, I must have muddled up left
and right turns as I ended back at the starting point.
Feeling
a bit embarrassed to ask him again, I took a wander around the area
in hope of finding this place by chance ... so with my feet firmly on
the ground I was looking for the internet cafe called “A head in
the clouds”.
“Is
this a joke?” ... (some of you may ask)
Yes,
this did cross my mind. However, I decided to stay positive and ...
I found the “Milk” instead! Hooray!
Well,
they do have some great names in Paris ... (don't you think so?!)
As
I accessed my emails, I was touched by the number of birthday wishes
forwarded to me by my friends and google+ community.
I
informed my friends that all is well and that I am having a ball -
giving only a few headlines to keep them under suspense.
It
was now 4 pm and I felt hungry. Luckily I didn't have to look very
far as only a couple of doors down from the “Milk” was an organic
“Exki” cafe.
At
a very reasonable price I had a beautiful soup with a bread roll, a
rhubarb crumble, an espresso and a bio-organic wine.
Though
it may not sound like a lot, my stomach felt very satisfied.
Now
I was definitely heading back home!
Upon
reaching my cosy abode, I decided to spend the rest of the evening
reclining in a armchair with a book and it's very intriguing story.
To
make things perfect, I needed some wine as well as some extra cheese
and bread to accompany it. I am sure you agree that one can not
survive on a book alone.
With
the choice of three wine stores on my street I selected the one that
gave the impression of being more upmarket as I wanted to get a
really nice red wine.
I
was attended to by a young assistant who was very helpful in trying
to pick a wine that would satisfy my taste buds ... I have to say
that he got it right!
Since
I forgot to check if there was a bottle opener at home, I gave him
the pleasure of opening this special drop for me as I watched with
envy.
Removing
the cork from a wine bottle is like an excitement of an upcoming
holiday and I love both of those feelings. Unfortunately, with the
screw tops dominating an Australian market it is not very often that
I get to use my old friend ... the bottle opener.
With fresh bread, a new selection of cheeses and “a ready to pour” bottle of wine I hurried back home to the tune of the drizzling rain getting heavier with every step
I
couldn't wait to get acquainted with the chosen companion ... and
yes, my taste buds were thrilled with the choice!
After
a few sips of wine and a few bites of cheese, instead of reaching for
the book, my “creative self” decided to make a use of the
sketching pad and charcoals which I have brought with me just in
case. I am sure you will agree with me that one can not ignore
artistic spontaneity ... especially in Paris.
Self
portrait ...
and
my “artistic blossoms” of going with the flow ...
After
a short burst of creative juices, I happily settled with the book
until the sky (or maybe wine?) lured me to sleep.
Photography
and drawings by Olga Kulanowska
. . . . . . .
It
is possible that some of you may not be familiar with my earlier blog
titled “What's around the corner ...” containing a selection of
short real life stories.
If
so, here is the link ... http://olgakulanowska.blogspot.com.au/
Thank
you, Olga.
