The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
No Joy in Mudvillle
Genie is still in the grip of the beast, whatever it may be. She's feeling a little better today than yesterday but she's nowhere near ready to suit up and hit the street. Of course, unless we're taking a road trip, our usual routine is to head out for about two hours in the late morning, spend a few hours back at the apartment and perhaps wander out for a couple of hours in the late afternoon/early evening. So in a way, we're not missing out on that much, but it's a long way to come just to be sick.
After days of overcast, the sun broke through in the late morning. I went out a couple of times today to run errands (food, cough syrup and such) and was surprised at how heavy the crowds were. It must just mean that school is out and the working stiffs are taking Christmas week off. The entire historic district is pedestrian-only from 10am to 8pm, so there's lots of room for the crowds to spread out. I'd hate to think what all this would look like with cars in the street and everyone trying to stay on the sidewalks.
The town takes on a magical glow when the sun goes down and I am really impressed by the extent of the decorations on many of the buildings. The Christmas market season runs for about a month from late November until just after Christmas so over-the-top decorating and lights is just another form of marketing. Judging by the crowds, it's working!
I brought back some soup for Margene -- that was about all she could handle -- but couldn't face the idea of yet another ham and cheese sandwich for me, so I wandered back into the center as the street barriers came down for a quick meal at Cafe de l'Ancienne Douane (Cafe of the old customs house). It was a small neighborhood sort of place with modest prices and decent food, about all I was after at the time. Despite my minimal French and their minimal English, we managed to make it work. I love a place with friendly folks who smile a lot. How is your team doing in that regard?
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