Favourite Paris photos - 37

Normal life

Well, here I am, back to normal life in Paris - or rather, what passes for normal in a place as quirky as Paris.  Anyway, I don't really have much to report - just wanted to let you know that tomorrow is Miss K's birthday and Miss K is planning to party, so I am afraid that I will be neglecting you then as I won't have time to post while I get everything ready.  I may also be neglecting you on Thursday as well, depending on how many brain cells I have left by then - I am hoping that I will act my age and be somewhat sensible, but seeing as how my last party carried on until after 5am (you know your party has been a success when people can catch the metro in the morning), I have my doubts about that!

But since I am going to neglect you, I thought I would leave you with a nice colourful little shot of Mediterranean awesomeness.  Enjoy, and try not to miss me too much!

Favourite Paris photos - 9

Ninth photo:

But Miss K, I hear you say - what's so Parisian about that photo?  Those could be any flowers, anywhere.  But they're not.  They're my tulips, bought in the Marché St Honoré, sitting on my dining table in my flat in the centre of Paris, bathed in Parisian sunshine.  And I therefore deem this shot worthy to go in my Paris favourites.  So there.

Oops

Really - oops. As mentioned, I am new at this blogging thing and I have now been informed by those in the know that if I'm going to have a blog I should update it every day. In fact, some bloggers apparently update theirs several times a day. Yikes - I'm not sure I have even one interesting thought per week, far less every day, far less several times each day.

Nonetheless, gentle readers (and I am astonished that I actually have any readers but according to my hit counter, over a hundred people have already visited my blog this first week - I know that's nothing compared to the gajillions that a lot of other blogs get, but I am completely delighted that anyone is taking an interest, so thanks!), I am going to commit to trying to somewhat entertain you on a daily basis. Deal?

So, in that vein, here is today's bit of randomness:

When I first arrived here, I had to pick up quite a few essentials for my room and while I was at it, I decided to pick up one non-essential. An orchid. Anyone who knows me is going to be laughing like a drunken hyena at that piece of news, because it is well known that I am a plant killer extraordinaire. The angel of floral death, people - I walk into a plant store and they all flop over and play dead in an effort not to be chosen:

African violet - Don't look at me, lady, I'm already wilting, wiiiiiilting - pick the cactus, he wants to go with you...

Cactus - Shut up, maybe she'll take the orchid - fool doesn't know enough to fall over when The Killer comes in. Now just be quiet, she's heading in that direction.... Yes!!!

Or so I imagine it goes. Anyway, the point is, nothing green lives once I get hold of it - I actually have killed off African violets, ivy, and various cacti (all of which I was assured are unkillable. Yeah, whatever.) among many more fragile plants; I don't have a green thumb when it comes to plants, I have a black thumb. So I don't know what possessed me to suddenly buy an orchid, but I did, and rather lovely it is. And I use the present tense because the damn thing is still alive after three whole weeks - I can't imagine how or why, but it actually seems to be thriving. (But if any of you would like to start running bets on exactly when I will manage to murder the poor thing, please do feel free, I won't be offended.)

None of which is actually relevant but anyway. My point is this: when I purchased the orchid, there was a little sign posted into the soil, which I assumed would be instructions for caring for this innocent flower going to its doom. But no. The sign was a warning not to eat the orchid. Let me just repeat that so that there are no doubts on what it said: not to eat the orchid. And the reason I can be so crystal-clear on this instruction is that it was printed in FOUR languages with a diagram. My mind is officially boggled - is there some orchid-eating addiction that I am unaware of? Some underground movement that gets their kicks from consuming non-edible flowers? And a warning in four languages?? I have actually purchased bladed appliances and pharmaceuticals with less warnings involved; hell, I think there are places in the US where you can buy guns with less warnings involved. So if someone can explain this to me, please do. I know the French eat some...erm...unusual things, but orchids? I'm completely mystified.