Lunch at the club

Seen from the Quai D'Orsay

This morning I walked to the Place D'Italie and hopped on an 83 bus which goes north and east, around the Jardin du Luxembourg, along the Bouleward St. Germain, down the Quai d'Orsay and across the Seine to the Champs-Elysées and up to the Arc de Triomphe.  A lot of sight seeing for the price of the bus ticket.  Paris was sparkling in the sun.

Lunch at the club!

My destination was the British and Commonwealth Women's Association (BCWA) on Rue du Foubourg St. Honoré.  I went along to a) change my library book, b) have lunch if there was any going and b) check out the 'craft day' which was advertised in the newsletter.  This takes place weekly from 10.30 to 3.30.  I took my knitting with me in case everyone was busy with their crafts and I was quickly advised to hide it in a corner out of the sight of Penny, the organiser.  Women turn up to make 'things' that are then sold at various functions in order to raise money for the club.  I'm sure the rents are very high in the area.  The crafts being worked on round the table were a needlepoint hanging, greetings cards, various crocheted hats and scarves, decorated tiles and Christmas wreaths.  Most of them alarmingly hideous, but everyone was having great fun and they were so welcoming and friendly.  Again I heard stories of friendships with French women rebuffed, but it wasn't a French-bashing session.  Just polite mystification about the difficulty of making French friends.   We went in to lunch together...chicken tagine and couscous, salad, cheese, dessert and coffee and wine.  When I left Penny reminded me that the session starts at 10.30 am (I had turned up at 11.40) and I could see the others smirking behind her back.  I don't think anyone takes themselves too seriously.    Here we are at lunch.  That's Her Maj on the wall!!  I laughed just about the whole time I was there and came home feeling really buoyed up

The other good news is that my new classmate at the language school is really good at speaking French. She's a Thai woman married to a Frenchman who did a year in Norwich some time ago while she was completing her Masters. Que le monde est petit! She wants to be more fluent and improve her accent.  I think it will be very good for me to have her as a co-student.