Friday, February 11, 2005

Moving Out

Even though I had a scheduled walking tour today to go visit the Cognac-Jay Musuem, I didn't go. My daughter did not get better last night and awoke this morning with her ears still hurting. She told my husband that she thought she had spider webs in her ears. *digdigdig* "That's ok daddy, I got it out!" Not sure what that meant, but don't think it was good.

We called the pediatrician first thing in the morning and found out her first appointment was for 3:30pm. So my daughter and I spent our day sitting next to each other on the couch while she would periodically scream in pain. At one point, we notice something outside our window, the sole excitment of the day... someone was moving into our apartment.

These old Parisian apartments were created for the haves and the have nots. Those on the first 5 floors of our building have access to the elevator and the main stairwell. Those on the first 5 floors, in the past at least, had 'help.' The help lived on the 6th floor, where they would have a studio apartment and share a hall bathroom. They have a stairwell, but it is smaller. It's practically impossible to move items of any large size up the small stairwell. As a result, they have to use this portable elevator to move, or in the case today, move in. (Actually, using the portable elevator is quite common, especially on upper floors. Everything goes in and out through the windows.)

The first picture is the view of the move-in from our window. On the elevator is a bed. The second picture is the elevator from the street.


By the way, my walking tour friend did go to the museum today and did not give it a great review. The collection was bequethed by Ernest Cognacq and his wife Louise Jay. Although the original collection was very impressive, the couple stipulated in the will that some relative was allowed to take about $5 million worth of paintings from the collection. Needless to say, this relative took the best pictures, so the lesser paintings are in this collection and it's not that big. Doesn't sound like I need to make a trip there when there are so many other museums in this city.

-- said Auntie M in Paris
10:15 AM

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