Celebrating the 26th of April - shopping will do!

The real me!

I took the afternoon off work today, intent on having a long walk along the Themse, as a sort of companion piece to the one I took along the Seine last Saturday, but the weather was against me.

The whole afternoon was 15 minute episodes of rain interspersed with short periods of sunshine - I got wet four times, then threw in the towel.  I did manage to take one or two photos, but they aren't very interesting, so I posted this picture of my Alter Ego, Hixi, instead.

Thus thwarted by the climate, I went shopping!

Not massively successful - I was looking - still! - for a green hat to go with my yellow dress.  I visited at least a dozen shops, but no hats - nor indeed gloves - did I find.

I did, however, find new towels!  Sunshine yellow, perfectly matching the aforementioned yellow dress.  Not that I usually wear a towel over my dress, but still.  I do love that shade of yellow!  And I last bought towels when I bought the house, so it was about time.

Towel

Dress

ditto

 

You have to admit this is a totally beautiful dress.

However, upon reflection, not the sort of dress to wear to a superior sort of garden party?  With a green hat, with perhaps a small parrot perched on top?  And green gloves with yellow polka dots?  Perhaps, it occurred to me as I searched in vain for green hats and gloves, a somewhat less dramatic outfit would be more suitable?  Perhaps the yellow dress could be used for less formal occasions?

So I went in search of a more suitable outfit.  Dear Reader!  Have you ever, against your ingrained parsimonious nature, resolved to spend a small fortune on an entirely frivolous item, only to search for it fruitlessly all over town?  

That was my portion today.  I looked in department stores, classy second hand stores, and even Harrods, but didn't see a single outfit that interested me (more than the yellow dress / green parrot combination, that is).

Finally I remembered a charity shop just along the road from Harrods, which I had discovered some years ago, and decided to make that my last stop before I gave up.

And Glory Be! I found a very beautiful dress and jacket outfit by Max Mara (see below).  I am very pleased with it.  Now all I need to do is to NOT wear it with a green hat with a parrot perched on top, and I am all settled.  A black hat, perhaps, with black gloves and black shoes, would be suitable.  Also much easier to find, I think.

In real light it is a very rich red, sort of strawberry

So I did have rather a good day after all - sunshine yellow towels in the bathroom, and an outfit for my garden party, all the more appreciated because I bought it - relatively cheaply - after having passed up so many inferior - and much more expensive! - offerings.

Happy 26th of April!

Strolling along the Seine on an overcast day

Duck family on the banks of the Seine

I was in Paris this weekend, first time this year.  The weather was overcast and we didn't do much.  After a long leisurely lunch in a little cafe near Notre Dame we wandered along the banks of the river, which has recently been pedestrianised.  So wonderful to be able to promenade where cars used to speed and pollute!

Half way along I remembered that I still needed a hat for my royal garden party and we headed for the only hat shop (or so it seems) in Paris.  A grave disappointment, like most hat shops.  All I want is a green hat, green with yellow undertones, a green like new leaves in Spring, with little flecks of yellow - you would think this to be a popular colour, available in every half decent hat shop, but no such luck.  Black brown and grey, that's about all that wass available.

We then nipped into my favourite scarf shop, but didn't see anything worth buying.  Finally we drifted into Richard Grand, whose cashmere shawls have long tickled my fancy, and I fell for a bright orange one which should look very nice with green or yellow.

After that there was the Panhaligon's shop, where A discovered that her favourite perfume had been discontinued - isn't that always the way?

Then we had drinks and discussed the upcoming election.

We live in trying times!

Thank God for scarves and Picsou!

 

Cafe instead of cars!

And lots of little play grounds!

The removed the locks from the bridges, but they found new homes!

Gardens on ships, one of my favourite sights!

Is that lettuce I spot?

An anchored little island ...

...for a duck sanctuary!

I still think it is a shocking treatment for scarves!

Catching Up - Gluten-free cakes in Paris

I know I am totally behind .... But last year I finally managed to go to the gluten-free bakery in the centre of Paris to see my friend Sebastian, the maestro of cakes who used to work in a little bakery around the corner from me in Oxford.

http://sitron-sansgluten.com/

The cakes are of course delicious!

Having eaten our fill, we meandered on to the Ba'ta'clan - it was shortly after the terrorist attack, and the atmosphere was muted and thoughtful.