Paris

Today was a mild and sunny day and I enjoyed some shopping with my sister Nina and my brother in law Bernard. Bernard needed a new tie for a wedding next weekend and we went to the high end department store Bon Marché. It was indeed very nicely appointed and I ended up buying a tie too even though I don't wear them very often and certainly don't need more stuff.

What I did need was some English reading material since the movers packed and shipped to Thailand the books and magazines I had set aside for the trip. Nina took me to two English bookstores near the Tuilleries and I ended up with three books:

"An Artist of the Floating World" by Kazuo Ishiguro that was recommended by my sister, a novel that deals with the transition between pre-WWII and post WWII Japanese society (or so I think);

"Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond, a self-described "short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years" and a book that had been on my radar for a while;

"Bangkok Eight" a crime/mystery novel by John Burdett that was also recommended by friend, particularly because the action takes place in, obviously, Bangkok.

Which one will I read first?

I also picked up some of my favorite chocolate bars (1848, 76% dark).

I also spent time with my niece Alison and nephew,Pascal. Yeah and I ate well. Nina's a fabulous cook.

It was a very relaxing and enjoyable day.