Socially Acceptable Spying

I meant to get a lot of work done today, I really did. But around two, my phone rang, and it was Annie. She'd just heard about a manifestation in town and wanted to see if I were interested in meeting her and Richard in front of city hall. (Side Note: Manifestation is the word used for demonstration, so I was a little confused about why they seemed so enthusiastic about checking out a protest. Later I remember that it can also more generally mean "an event," which made a lot more sense but was a lot less exciting.) I said sure, then scrambled to find matching shoes, a rubber band for my hair, my house keys and bus pass. And then I ran.

The event is called Entre Cours et Jardins, and it's yet another let-the-peasants-admire-our-bounty event. In the old city (which I visited in previous adventures), families open their normally well-shuttered courtyards and share their private gardens with the ticket-holding masses.

It was fascinating. Unlike the U.S., where everything is open (big front yards, picture windows, etc.), in France everything is insular. From the outside all you see is stone walls and imposing iron gates, none of which even hint at the sumptuous beauty of the houses and gardens inside. I can't tell you how many people said something along the lines of, "Who would've guessed all this was right here?"

The weather was beautiful and the gardens were lovely. You can see them here. When we finished we stopped in a gorgeous little bar and had some liquid restoration. Since this is one of the few places in town that specializes in cocktails, I splurged and had a margarita. (Neat, since "frozen" and "on the rocks" are not concepts here.) Richard had a Manhattan. Annie had tea. (Party pooper.) We talked shop and they both gave me great ideas and advice on how to handle my monster class.

It was a lovely day (though chilly, I don't think it broke 60), and well worth every hour it set me back in lesson planning. I'll get around to that one of these days.