PS

Just in case the last post left any confusion - yes, we're back in the States. But that doesn't make Panda-à-Paris obsolete. Au contraire, we expect that continued posting will help ease our transition back into American culture. Here's one way to think about our situation: like Panda in this picture, we're still on a Paris high.

We hope you'll keep checking in as we work through a massive backlog of material, thus warding off Paris withdrawal while gently making our way back down to solid ground.

Next Time Around

With our departure only four days away, it's high time we embarked on some retrospection. There's no disputing that we had an amazing year, that we learned a lot, and that we're satisfied with our experience. Still, if we ever have the opportunity to do it all over again, there are a few things we'd do differently.

1. Subscribe to a French newspaper or news journal.
2. Watch more French TV.
3. Go to the movies more often.
4. Plan more trips during the winter, fewer during the spring.
5. Take more day trips around France.
6. Write down the schedules of local food boutiques (for a long time we always thought to go to the fromagerie on days when it was closed), try to buy food from them whenever possible, and budget the added cost (because it can get quite expensive if you shop there regularly).
7. Get year-long passes to the Louvre (which cost only 30 euros if you're under 30 and which let you bring one guest for free per pass) and the Centre Pompidou (only 27 euros, which is more than paid for by three visits - and exhibitions change every few months).
8. See what it's like to live outside of Paris, maybe even outside the metropolitan area. 
9. Dedicate time to creating a children's book called "Panda à Paris" in which Panda has a series of adventures around the city. The plot line is still in the development stage, but we have a lot of faith in the premise.

Happy Birthday Panda!

She's 2 now. We think.

How quickly they grow . . .

Mercredi Mashup

We take lots of photos. Beaucoup, as they say. At last count, our Flickr photostream contained over 6,000 items. Many of these photos appear on this blog. Some go the way of the dinosaur. Still others get set aside, hoping for recognition, holding their breath every time we browse for a blog-worthy photo. This post is dedicated to all the misfit photos out there . . . get ready for a whirlwind tour of photos that have nothing to do with one another, other than the fact that they are random, and we took them.

This Scooby Doo character and van was parked outside the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). Many, many otherwise sane looking adults were waiting to have their picture taken with Scooby. I really don't get this. What's the attraction? Maybe it's a generational thing...

We had a coffee and used the toilet in this bar/restaurant with Katie and Darryl. A rugby game (England? Italy? who? what?) was playing on the telly. The Gaudì-inspired decor was super cool and super trashed. Too bad.

This dog was hanging out around the Jardin de Luxembourg. Thank goodness for that convenient opening.

Street art in Belleville. Awesome.

The latest performance art installation at the Louvre.

Maggie and Louis attempt to create art. Fail.

 

We saw this dog on the street, at night, and had to do a double-take. Doesn't he/she look just like Panda??

Panda à Paris

People we haven't seen in a while (like Talya and Ari, our current visitors) always ask how Panda is adjusting to life in Paris, usually with the implied subtext of her anxiety issues. We always say she's doing great, and then have a hard time describing what exactly is so great about her life here. Maybe pictures would help.

Mostly, Panda's life is great because she spends so much of it sleeping. She probably sleeps - or lays down, curled up or sprawling on her side - around 20 hours a day. You'd be pretty satisfied with your life too if you slept that much.

Of the four hours per day she's awake, a good hour and a half is devoted to walks. We take Panda to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont morning and afternoon, and to her special nighttime pee spot just before bed. In the park, Panda frequently runs off-leash, especially when there are other dogs around. But even when we keep her on-leash, she still gets to make plenty of new friends. We're slowly but surely learning the names of the dogs (if not the dog-owners) who are "regulars" at morning romps.


Then there are more infrequent adventures, like going on errands with one or both of us, hanging out at a café, or catching a glimpse of a stilt-walking lesson.


Yup, Panda's got it made. Now if only she would sleep a little less, and spend a little more time helping me with my research . . .

Panda Rx

It's time for an update on Panda's separation anxiety, which flared up shortly after our arrival here. We had to double her medication for a while, but now we've worked her back down to her regular dosage and she's responding well - not a peep when we leave her alone. What a relief! (For us and for the neighbors.)

People generally seem surprised to hear that Panda is on Prozac, but it's so much crazier than that. Not only is she on Prozac (technically a generic, but whatever), but she also has her name on a file at the Porter Square CVS.

Let's see, as if picking up prescription drugs for my dog at the CVS weren't enough, they had to ask for a name, and Panda Epstein was the only thing I could come up with. Rest assured, Maggie was not happy. In the future, all prescriptions will be made out to Panda Face Kaiserstein, which is her full legal name.

Snow day!

We woke up this morning to a glorious and rare Parisian sight: snow!

Of course, we had to run right outside and play!

We even caught a glimpse of a certain jolly fellow's most famous eco-friendly flyer.

Winter Granola

It's "winter" here in Paris (I mean, come on 30 degrees F, that's all you got?) so of course we try to keep the oven on as much as possible. That means trying out things that we've been meaning to make for years. Example: homemade granola.

We always knew it would be easy. We just didn't know it would be this easy.

We borrowed a recipe from food-blogger and American-in-Paris David Lebovitz (another person we not-so-secretly want to be our friend) but made a few changes based on our own preferences. Here's the ingredient list:

5 cups (450g) multi-grain flakes or old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups (375g) almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup (125g) sunflower seeds
3/4 cup (100g) untoasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup (120g) packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup (180g) unsweetened applesauce (or another unsweetened fruit puree)
1/3 cup (100g) rice syrup
1/4 cup (80g) honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

(We eliminated the sunflower seeds and used unsweeted apple/pearsauce.)

I would highly recommend that you visit the post where he describes this granola, mostly because it includes a picture of a hot dog. Mmmm... hot dogs.

Have Dog, Will Travel

Before leaving for Munich, we did a bit of research to make sure that Panda was welcome on both French and German trains. As you've already guessed, it turns out she was - under certain conditions. You're supposed to carry a muzzle with you, in case a neighbor is uncomfortable with your dog's gaping, bloody jaws. Also, a neighbor can ask for you and your dog to be moved. Dogs under 7 kg don't need tickets (it's assumed they can travel in a small bag and/or on your lap) but dogs over 7 kg require reduced rate or children's tickets.

We also read that conductors rarely ask for a dog's ticket, so we decided to play it by ear and only buy a ticket for Panda if someone asked us to on the train. In four ticket-checking situations, only once did a conductor inform us that Panda needed a ticket - and that was probably only because we mistakenly drew attention to her. (She had just chewed off her harness, and we were busy trying not to let her sprint down the aisle in search of the dining car.) Most of the conductors didn't even seem to notice her as she lay quietly at our feet.

All in all, traveling with Panda by train was a pleasant experience. And the single ticket we had to buy was still cheaper than boarding her at the local kennel. Still, I can't help but wonder whether Panda might have gotten to Munich faster on her own four feet . . .

We Get Around

I mentioned last week that we were heading to Munich for Thanksgiving #2. What I didn't realize is that we'd also get to see a bit of Stuttgart (while waiting to switch trains), a lot of Bavarian countryside, and the Austrian Alps! Highlights included:

Panda pooped in the huge park in central Stuttgart from which you can see the former royal residence, the current state parliament, the opera, and - in this picture - the state theater .In case you're keeping track, Panda has now pooped in at least three states (GA, NJ, MA) and three countries.

We perused the wares, sights, and smells of Christkindlmarkt in Munich's Marienplatz (where you can also find the not-so-new, gothic-out-the-wazoo Neue Rathaus). We did not try Glühwein, the mulled wine that everyone seemed to be enjoying in festive mugs (it's served hot).

Saturday evening we attended Thanksgiving Dinner II chez Maggie's first cousins once-removed (or, Maggie's mom's first cousins). You'll notice that, as traditional as the rest of the meal was, we could not avoid socking away massive amounts of delicious beer.

Sunday, we took a spin through Bavaria and saw three castles. Neuschwanstein, constructed by crazy Bavarian King Ludwig II (my namesake!) as an homage to Richard Wagner's creative genius and influence, was Disney's inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle; in the same town, the much less crazy Hohenschwangau is very yellow; Linderhof is more of a country chateau than an honest-to-goodness castle. To get from Schwangau (the town at the foot of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau) to Linderhof, we drove through the Austrian Alps and enjoyed the views.

The entire weekend was basically made possible by the incredible hospitality of Rebecca (Maggie's second cousin) and her boyfriend Moritz. We stayed at their lovely apartment, shared excellent food, and enjoyed their company throughout our excursions within Munich and throughout the Bavarian countryside. Thanks so much, and see you soon in Paris!

Portraits of the Bloggers

Panda is kind of like the Mona Lisa in this one - is she looking at the computer screen, or at the camera?

She probably doesn't miss me right now, since she's making new friends at the kennel. But there's no question that she misses Maggie - they have a special bond.

This post, as well as the next few, are all "pre-fabricated" - I set them up before we left for Belgium so you'd continue to be entertained while we're "afk". But we'll be back with "live" posting as soon as we return Sunday evening!

Today

While eating lunch in my favorite park, a woman sat down next to me on the bench, and after a few moments of silence, she asked if I was American. "Oui," I replied. "Comment saviez-vous?" She pointed to the whole wheat oat bagel, vache-qui-rit and lox sandwich I was eating. Apparently she had spent some time in the states and recognized a bread shape she hadn't seen in many years. I informed her that a) you can totally get bagels in Paris (in addition to Ninasushi and La cérise sur le gateau in the 19th, yesterday I stumbled on an awesome-looking sandwich shop in the 6th called "Bagels and Brownies"); and b) you can easily make them yourself.

Then she told me her life story and the life stories of her kids, only stopping when she remembered she had originally sat down to smoke her one cigarette for the day. She asked, almost rhetorically, "Vous fumez pas, comme tous les américains?" I answered "oui," and she very kindly went off to smoke at another bench. I really do love that park.

Unrelated: Fast forward to tonight, when Maggie and I started getting ready for our trip tomorrow. We took out Panda's vaccination form to put it with her other stuff for the kennel and realized she's past due for a bordatella shot - which is the shot that's specifically for preventing disease while your pet is at the kennel. So tomorrow morning we're going to have to scramble to find a vet who will take walk-ins and hope we don't have to use the emergency service at the one place we know will be open. (Tomorrow is a state holiday. Emergency service is costly.) Luckily we haven't booked any train tickets, and since we're staying with couchsurfers we don't have any deposits down on hotels, so if we have to wait until Thursday to leave (when more places will likely be open) it's not the end of the world.

Oh, Panda.

Paris in the fall

Every time I look down on this timeless town

Whether blue or gray be her skies
Whether loud be her cheers or whether soft be her tears
More and more do I realize

That I love Paris in the spring time
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles

I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris, why oh, why do I love Paris?
Because my love is near

I love Paris in the spring time
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles

I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris, why oh, why do I love Paris?
Because my love is near

- Cole Porter, "I Love Paris" (as sung by Ella Fitzgerald)

The Dreaded "Bath"

It took us almost two months, but last weekend Panda finally got a "bath." I put the word in scare quotes because she actually got a "shower," which is also in scare quotes because, while the event took place in our stand-up shower, we used the Euro-standard, removable shower head, which made the whole experience much more like going to an actual groomer. Except it took place in a stand-up shower, and we had to do the work.

Unfortunately, we were unable to document the actual "bath," so hopefully what I've already said gives you enough of a mental picture. What I can offer are before and after videos, which pretty much say it all, while still leaving something to the imagination.

Before:

After (or, Panda's silent criticism of French political opposition to headscarves):

That's one bitter dog. And one last video for good measure:

Yes, Maggie, you really do sound like that when you talk to Panda.

Maggie Did Not Approve This Post

I couldn't relegate this to a comment on her last post. This is pretty much what Maggie did all week:

Panda could not have been happier.

One Year Later

On October 12, an important milestone went completely unnoticed by Maggie and me:


The One Year Anniversary of Panda's Arrival!!!!!

In belated celebration, I offer an abridged timeline of events since then.

First, Panda came to us from Georgia via New Hampshire, where we picked her up.

Then, we realized she had/has separation anxiety.

So, we didn't leave her by herself for a really long time (thanks to all the Pandasitters who made this possible!).

But she got better after she went on medication (Prozac!) and after we engaged in intensive training for months and months.

All summer she was great - we could leave her alone for hours and hours and she wouldn't cry or scratch the door.

As a reward, we brought her with us to France - and she relapsed.

But only briefly, and now (that we've upped her meds) she's perfectly happy staying home alone again!

The end.

Oh, also, we really love her and we're so, so happy we adopted her and brought her with us to Paris.

Bringing Your Dog to Paris

Some tips for people thinking about bringing an American dog to Paris:

1. Train your dog to run off-leash in open, un-fenced spaces. There are NO fenced dog parks in Paris. None. Nada. Rien. In other words, your dog should come when called. From what we can tell, Parisian dogs are trained this way from the very beginning, so unless you are bringing a puppy to Paris (who can learn from the locals?), you might want to invest in some off-leash training classes.

2. Train your dog to pee on hard surfaces. There are very, very few grassy spots for Spot to take care of business. Your life will be easier if your dog can pee on the nearest garbage can. I'm not exactly sure how one trains for this... we haven't yet been able to figure it out.

3. Train your dog to ignore pigeons. Pigeons are everywhere here. If your dog likes to stalk pigeons, it will be very difficult to walk down the sidewalk to the nearest non-grassy, non-dog park. Again, this is not something we've had success with.

4. Train your dog to wear a disguise. Well, not really. But if you want to take your dog anywhere that is not within walking distance (and you don't have a car), you will have to sneak him or her onto the Métro. Alas, Parisians seem to ignore this breach of the law much as they do subway panhandlers.

5. Train your dog to be ignored. That is, your dog may be super cute and win the hearts of all passersby back in the States, but this is Paris. Public displays of affection for someone else's dog just don't happen. Unless, of course, you encounter another dog owner. This may afford you a cordial Bonjour, or perhaps just a knowing smile.

When it comes down to it, we're happy that Panda accompanied us on this adventure (if a little stressed every time we let her off-leash and watch her sprint off into the distance). She has forced us outside every single day (and will continue to do so even through what we've been told will be a dreary winter) and sparked conversations with strangers we never would have had otherwise. However, there are aspects of having a dog in Paris that we did not ever consider - hopefully these tips will help others be more fully informed.

Panda is amazing

Panda is amazing
Originally uploaded by kaiserstein

Ok, before I go to bed, I just had to share this video of Panda getting some serious air today. We really should find an agility class here in Paris.

So Long, Farewell...

Panda will sorely miss Robert, who departed today after a two-week visit. (We'll miss him too, but you can see that Panda grew especially attached to him.)

Before he left, Robert treated Maggie and me to a delicious lunch at Bistrot Paul Bert, in the 11th. We enjoyed such delectable dishes as tuna tartar, porc pâté with salad and cèpe mushrooms, veal puff pastry with mushrooms and cream sauce (entrées), lamb shoulder with vegetables, cassoulet bréton with andouille sausage, white beans, and other sausage/ham, filet St. Pierre (fish) in a cream sauce (plats), fondant au chocolat (moist cake) in a basil crème anglaise, île flottant with crushed almond pralines, and roasted figs with honey and vanilla ice cream (dessert). So unbelievably rich. So, so good.

Thanks, Robert, for a lunch that captured the essence of your entire visit!

(Other than this brief nap, Robert slept on our brand new, double air mattress. Just in case you were worried.)

Fête des Jardins

A festival every weekend! That's our impression of Paris so far. This past Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 26-27) the city celebrated its many parks and gardens with the Fêtes des Jardins. Because Maggie wasn't feeling well and because we had a lot to do at home we didn't stray very far from Belleville, but we still got to enjoy the Fête. Saturday afternoon, I brought Panda to the Parc de Buttes Chaumont for her afternoon constitutional and got to hear a "Joystick Orchestra" "warm up." As part of the festivities, an interactive electronic music group called Puce Muse had set up an array of 24 Play Station 3 controllers, all of which were connected to computers and big-screen monitors, and all of which could be used to make electronic music. Pretty nifty.

Sunday afternoon, Maggie and I took Panda back to the Parc de Buttes Chaumon and went on a hunt for festivities. All we found was a different Puce Muse set-up in the same spot, but we also traveled across a foot bridge that had been closed for a while, which Panda did not like one bit:

Poor P-Face! After subjecting her to this injustice, we dropped her off at home and hit up the Parc de Belleville. Technically, this park is closer than the Parc de Buttes Chaumont, but we've never been inside because dogs aren't allowed! It turns out the park is beautiful - loads of flowers, a "Maison de l'Air" (basically a museum for children about air), lots of terracing, greenspace, bamboo (???), you get the idea. And for the Fête des Jardins, they installed something special in the most beautiful section of the park:

Sorry for the terrible video quality - I'm out of practice. To recap, the Fête des Jardins was great, we love hitting up free events on weekends, and we wish we could have brought Panda to the Parc de Belleville. The end.