I always get a kick out of children. They can be annoying as all get out but they are also so refreshingly honest and open that I find them-mostly-entertaining. Of course, the fact that I miss my own grandchildren back in Texas probably has alot to do with the fact that I am always taking photos of children.

  I did a tour of Paris with a family of four and their two daughters, 8 and 10, were bright eyed and bushy tailed and excited to see the city. The 8 year old was a talker. I’m sure the family was glad that she had some else to talk to so that they could have a little break. She noticed that I didn’t have a French accent as she expected right away so I did a Texas accent for her. I don’t have a Texas accent but because I lived there for so long I can sure put one on. It wasn’t the last time I was requested to speak that way.

On the front of Notre Dame above the doors are some interesting sculptures. When I showed the family where an angel was leading some lucky dead to heaven and the devil was taking the unlucky to hell she spoke up and asked, “What’s hell?” So her mother and I had to do a short explanation of it. I didn’t bother to show them a devil stuffing people into a boiling cauldron as the last time I did the little boy in the family was appalled-and he was Catholic. The burning of Joan of Arc at the stake wasn’t easy to explain either.

  She wanted to know all sorts of information about me, such as the age of my children and grandchildren, about living in Paris, if my hair was naturally red. She loved my hairstyle and told me that she liked the way it curved under on one side. I was waiting for her to mention my wrinkles but she never did. Finally she said that I wasn’t at all like she expected me to be. She thought I would have long blond hair, have a French accent and not be so old. She was upset when I ended my time with them. I think I made a new best friend.

I didn’t take a photo of her but I wish I had.

 I don’t know why but sometimes you start seeing the same things around Paris. In shops, for a while and it still continues, there were chickens. The last year or so I have seen lots of images of cows in Paris. I’m wondering if it started with that series of decorated cows in Chicago which became madly popular but, in any case, I have found quite a few photos of them saved up.

 These cows were in front of a store near the Pompidou Museum that sold nothing but objects having to do with cows-plates, cups, aprons, you name it.

Last year they even did the same thing in Paris that was done in Chicago and had cows decorated by famous designers and stores all over Paris. My favorite was a cow whose horns were made out of a giant croissant. I never had my camera with me when I saw it.

 I saw this cow in the Marais

 I have no idea why they had this row of cows up there on top of a building. I just happened to spot them while walking in Vincennes, a suburb of Paris. It’s fun when you happen to spot somthing quirky that makes you smile.

The largest market in Paris is on Richard Lenoir which stretches out from Place de la Bastille for blocks. It is always packed with people-on Thursdays and Sundays-and tourists and photographers alike are amazed and delighted.

A view of Bastille from the middle of the market

Scallops for sale. This variety has that orange “foot” that is always cooked along with the white part. I don’t like the texture of it so usually leave it behind on my plate.

Getting ready for Easter

I’ve never tried pig’s feet but since I like pork so much, I’m thinking they might be good. They were also selling pig’s snouts. Hmm.

(These photos and writing were also done in April in case you were wondering about the Easter eggs.)

In the Marais there is the newly refurbished museum of the chase, or of hunting, devoted to those who ride horses in red jackets and chase after foxes, as well as many stuffed animals and some interesting displays. The building itself is breath taking.

Wonderful chandeliers made of metal hung everywhere and many other metal touches were seen.

One little dark room was devoted to the owl and the entire ceiling was covered in feathers and the heads of owls.

I think these were metal replicas of deer horns hung from the ceiling.

A long room full of stuffed animals and heads.

There are always street performers and memes out when it is sunny, many of them around the Pompidou Museum. This funny guy had his outfit made totally out of plastic bottles.

He wanted money for his creativity and would turn his back if someone tried to take his photo without a little money in his collection box.

I wonder how long it took him to come up with this idea and how long it took him to make it. It gave me a good laugh anyway.

(I’m back in Paris for a week. These photos were taken last April.)

 Quiche is, I suppose, one of the best know French recipes that there is. I usually do the Qucihe Lorraine with bacon. onions and cheese but since a friend showed me how she made her quiche, I now always use her recipe. I learned a little trick with the pastry too. I can’t remember anymore if the ready made dough comes with the special baking paper around it or not in the States. It does in France. I always just threw it away but not any more.

 What I learned was to use the paper under the crust. This will be used later to lift out the quiche. Plus, you don’t have to do the beans or weights on top of the dough and precook it, although I suppose this could lead to a crisper crust but why bother, really?

 Then you cut a couple of tomatoes into slices and get rid of the seeds so they won’t be too juicy.

 Top with shredded swiss cheese

 I know this isn’t very pretty. I should have divided the quiche top into six parts with the zucchini but forgot. Slice the zucchini into thin slices and quickly cook in the microwave for a minute or two. Then cut up some chevre into rounds and place on top.

 Here it is out of the oven-40 minutes at 350 degrees. The egg mixture is 3 eggs, 1 cup of milk and a little nutmeg and salt and pepper. My friend said to use 8 eggs and just a little milk but somehow I couldn’t do it. You lift out the quiche almost immediately and place it on a plate to cool. If you leave it in the pan, it gets too soggy.

 And here it is. It is very tasty. The first time I served it to some French friends the lady asked me if I had had help with it-like Americans aren’t genetically able to make quiche.