Paris 2014 - Day 8, more laundry, more neighbourhood

Although the apartment is very well equipped the washing machine is quite small, by North American standards. So, 2 more loads today to complete 2 sets of bedding and towels. In between moving washing from washer to drier I went out for the routine coffee and then completed the postcard chore.
Sharon had asked that I mail her a "kitschy" card from Paris. Well what exactly is kitschy?

Are these kitschy enough?

So with a selection of cards for Sharon and 1 for Heather, just 'cause I thought she'd like it (and I haven't been able to find the brooch she wanted, sorry Heather) I went in search of stamps and a mail box, Well the mail box was easy, almost outside the door.

I asked at the café, "Le Petit Club" and in a combination of French and English, was directed to the tobacco store up a side street. I couldn't remember the French for stamps so had to pull out the postcards and use gestures, whatever works.

In turned out the "Tabac" was more a lottery centre and although they had stamps, not the ones I needed to get the cards to Canada. The clerk and 2 of the customers got into a heated debate as the best way to get to the post office but I got the general idea and headed up to the big shopping street, Avenue General Leclerc. The post office is also a bank and they appear to sell cell phones as well, so I needed some direction to find where I could buy timbres (finally remembered the word). The woman at the desk was very helpful, allowed me to choose the stamps and gave me a wet sponge to save the licking. Hopefully they will actually get to their destinations because I haven't had much luck in the past with cards ever getting to Canada.

I had a bit of a wander in the market street before heading home again.

Loved that the wine store puts its bottles out on the sidewalk just like the produce store.

Circled through Place Denefert Rochereau. This is a huge square with  8 streets coming in to it. Traffic is a bit of a nightmare, as is crossing the road, for the uninitiated (have to watch and obey the green and red walking signs or risk vehicles coming at speed out of nowhere, nearly lost Greg a couple of times). In the centre are 3 islands. One has the entrance to the catacombs, one a children's playground and the other the entrance to the metro and a pretty little park full of benches.

The lion, our landmark from the bus, sits in the middle surrounded by a constant stream of
traffic from every direction.

Back to the apartment, bedding from washer to dryer, lunch (actually I just had a slice of flan that I'd picked up at the boulangerie), grabbed my sketching stuff and headed back out.
I walked to the Montparnasse Cemetery. When all the cemeteries were emptied, the making of the catacombs, new cemeteries were created outside of Paris. Of course they are all now within the city. Montparnasse is one of those and is about a city block. Unfortunately my camera battery died when I got there so I will have to go back to take pictures. It was very quiet although there were people walking around, some actually looking at the graves but most just out for a walk in a peaceful setting. I sketched an area, sitting on a bench in the warmth and felt very content.
It got quite humid walking home and there were a few drops of rain, my first since I got here. I stopped for a coffee and the bartender was quite excited to tell me about the football game tonight between Chelsea (England) and Ste Germain (France). He said the bar would be packed and noisy.
I got home, had a glass of wine and supper and my friend, Chris, from Wales, arrived right on time and we gabbed the night away.