Dressing the Dog, Chapter 9-Part Two

DRESSING THE DOG

Chapter 9 (Part Two)

We were having so much fun getting to know Ms. Claudia better!  She was only staying for a few days, so we were trying to pack in as many things as we could.  She and Mummy had registered for a “macaron-making class” and I would catch a few extra winks until they returned.  Mummy ADORED macarons and really wanted to learn how to make the delicious little meringue confections.  There was a trick to making them turn out, successfully… and what better place to learn than in Paris, France!!!  They took their class from the same company that Mummy and Ms. Sandra had already taken a few cooking classes… La Cuisine Paris (www.lacuisineparis.com).  The class was a success and so were the macarons.  Now, if only they could duplicate the entire process once they returned home.  Even though they were FULL of macarons, there was one thing that they were NOT full of, and that was éclairs!  The two of them decided to hold their own contest to determine WHO made the best éclairs in Paris.  We spent the better part of the day going from one patisserie to another, buying just ONE éclair.  They were all different flavors but it would be best to sample every flavor out there if possible.  By the end of the afternoon, they had six éclairs of various shapes and flavors.  Each patisserie had their own UNIQUE ÉCLAIR and you could tell that they were proud of them.  This was about as French as you could get in the patisserie world.  Later that evening, they lined up the éclairs across the kitchen counter and began the tasting.  They ate those éclairs until they were just about sick, but it had to be done.  They had made it their DUTY to determine the BEST in all of Paris!  They ate and ate and finally looked at each other in defeat, claiming them ALL to be winners!  It was getting late and they both looked a little “green around the gills” after the sugar extravaganza, so we called it a night and dove into a deep slumber.

When morning came, everyone was rested and ready to hit the streets for another day of shopping and exploring.  The first stop was the Champs-Elysées where we popped into a huge “Sephora” to do a little make-up shopping.  They had all sorts of stations set up in the store where people were having make-overs of some type done, so Mummy and Ms. Claudia decided to have a go at one of them.  Ms. Claudia held me while they slathered creams and lotions on Mummy and told her that she might want to use a wrinkle cream around her eyes.  Hmmm, she cut her eyes over at Ms. Claudia and told her she might not like this make-over idea after-all.  Then the lady said that Mummy needed an under-eye concealer for the dark circles.  Awww man.  A moisturizer for the lines around her mouth and down her neck were next on the list.  Mummy asked them if they also sold anti-depressants because she was gonna need them by the time this make-over was done.  After a few more dabs of varying products, they proclaimed they had done all they could, but thought that Mummy looked better.  “See for yourself,” the saleswoman said.  And I have to admit, she DID look a year or two younger… so Mummy bought all of the products.  Cha-Ching.

We left “Sephora” and made a left onto the Champs-Elysees.  You could really choose ANY street in ANY arrondissement in Paris and there would be something to see… there was beauty everywhere.  The old buildings with the gorgeous stone facades were always stopping us dead in our tracks.  Some of the buildings had been converted into small boutiques on the ground level with apartments above them, and you just starting dreaming of what life must be like to live around this every day.  We walked past a lovely garden and Mummy wanted to go inside, but there was a small plaque on the fence stating “no dogs allowed.”  A security guard stood at the entrance so Mummy asked if I could go in if I stayed in my bag, but the answer was still no.  Apparently, dogs are not allowed in the gardens of Paris… I guess they could do some damage to the delicate flowers and plants, so it was understandable.  No bother, there were plenty of other sites to see.

Bicycles were a big thing here in Paris and lots of people used them instead of cars.  They had the cutest little wicker baskets on the front that were perfect for holding your food purchases from le marché… or even a little chienne like me!  The traffic was terrible and just the thought of driving in it made Mummy nervous, so she decided not to rent a car… relying on taxis and the Metro for our transportation needs.  The cars here were soooo tiny!  They looked like little clown cars from the circus.  Some cars were only made for ONE PERSON, with most made for two, but it would be tight in there.  There is no way that our luggage would have fit in one of those cars.  I guess when Parisians go to the airport, they have to call a taxi.  After several hours of exploration, Ms. Claudia and Mummy were ready for lunch… and there was never a shortage of cute little cafés to stop and eat.  Today they decided on Italian and we all sat down to rest, eat and talk about the day.  Even though I’m a little doggie, I love Italian food… and pasta with a tiny little meatball sounded like something I would love about now.  Mummy and Ms. Claudia perused the menu and both decided on a slice of pizza, which was also fine by me because I LOVE PIZZA TOO!  A glass of wine accompanied the pizza and Mummy said everything was perfect.  She picked up her pizza and took a huge bite.  YUMMY, she exclaimed!  Ms. Claudia was looking at her, laughing again.  OH NO!  “Please don’t tell me that I have to eat PIZZA with a knife and fork too?”  Ms. Claudia laughed again and nodded her head, YES.  Mummy looked around the little café at the other pizza-eating diners, and sure enough, they were all using a knife and fork.  Holy Pizza, Batman!  This was just NOT RIGHT!  Pizza is absolutely one food that needs to be handled… as in with the HANDS!  But Ms. Claudia continued to say no, Mummy had to use a knife and fork.  It took all the fun out of eating pizza but Mummy complied with the silly custom and said from now on, she would order take-out pizza and eat it the way she wanted in the apartment!  We finished the meal, but it took a bit longer than expected because, you know, it takes a while to cut each bite from a pizza slice.  Try it the next time you order a pizza!  Ms. Claudia had to catch her flight home so we returned to the apartment, called a taxi and said “Adieu” to another friend.  My aunt Helen and cousin Caitlin had already arrived and were able to spend a little time with Ms. Claudia before she left.  I was sad that she couldn’t stay longer but we told each other that ONE DAY, we would meet again.  We kissed goodbye and she was gone.  You can’t stay sad for very in long in Paris… especially when you have so many friends coming to visit!  Mummy turned to her sister Helen and asked them what they wanted to do first?  “THE EIFFEL TOWER,” they screamed.  -SIGH-  The Eiffel Tower is indeed a lovely site, but we had been there so many times now that Mummy practically knew the “survey takers” by name and if she tried, she could probably get a JOB there pointing out different features of the tower.  But she remembered how excited SHE had been when we first arrived in Paris… so off we went, to see that tower for the one millionth time.

***All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography and information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author.

***There is a delay in the posting of comments due to the way our system is configured.  We love hearing from our friends and hope that you will be patient with us.  Your sweet comments will be posted as soon as the system has run its checks.