27. Paris - A salon

We went to a 'salon'.  Well, really we went to dinner at Jim's with 80 other people from all over the world, but he calls it a salon so I will too.  A very interesting and famous man - Jim Haynes

Quote: Every week for the past 30 years, I've hosted a Sunday dinner in my home in Paris. People, including total strangers, call or e-mail to book a spot. I hold the salon in my atelier, which used to be a sculpture studio. The first 50 or 60 people who call may come, and twice that many when the weather is nice and we can overflow into the garden. 

Every Sunday a different friend prepares a feast. Last week it was a philosophy student from Lisbon, and next week a dear friend from London will cook. 

We had a good vegetable soup and a fair boeuf bourguignon.

That is Jim in the red apron, supervising the serving of a great fruit flan for dessert.

Paul and I stayed inside and bagged a seat on the couch.  This room was packed, I just happened to snap the pic at a time there was no-one standing in front of me. 

We met four very interesting people - James, an architectural historian from New York City whose mother has lived in Paris for 30 years and often came to Sunday Dinner at Jim's to keep in touch with other Americans; Barbara, a business woman from Austin, Texas travelling alone and doing foodie type things; Lisa, a young event planner from Philadelphia who needed a holiday between jobs and found a cheap, one week trip to Paris on the Internet and Robyn, from Freemantle who used to teach at the Steiner School in Geelong.  

That's Robyn sitting next to Paul and writing her email address for me.  She is off to Malta next and has promised to send me photos and impressions.  Despite your best advice, Barb Abley I couldn't get Paul interested in Malta for this trip - maybe Robyn will be able to do the trick and it will be on our itinerary in future.

James, from New York City is in Paris to support his mother who is currently in a nursing home.  Whilst here he has seen almost every current exhibition, so we grabbed a few ideas from him.  He has visited Melbourne and was most impressed by our historical buildings in the centre and out along St Kilda Road.

So, tomorrow it is off to the 'Button' exhibition which James recommended.