Avant et après IV

I awoke on 14 novembre and was struck by how quiet it was on the street outside our apartment. It was Saturday, so I didn't expect as much weekday traffic noise, but it was quieter than normal. I almost thought perhaps everyone in Paris might have been told to stay inside for safety reasons. I opened the windows and leaned out. I saw a few people walking, and a few cars. I decided to go across the  street for coffee. I observed a few families out,  some bikers and a few walkers with their morning baguettes tucked under their arms. 

Later in the day, I met up with Genie, Holly and Verena, a blogger from Vienna who was visiting Paris as well. We met at Nemours for lunch. As I walked through the Colonnes de Buren, I noticed these two sitting quietly and talking. Their mood seemed to say it all. I will say, that by that time, the café was probably almost as crowded as usual and there seemed to be more people out and about. 

After our lunch, Verena and I walked back through the Palais Royal for photos and were met by someone who announced that the gardens were closing immediately. This was a bit disconcerting as it was 3:15 in the afternoon. Since the weather had gotten very cloudy and colder, we said our goodbyes and each headed back to our apartments. Mary, Phil and I stayed in that night and had bread, cheese and wine for dinner.