Thursday – Sunday 9-12 July 2026

Thursday we departed Barbizon for Paris to meet our home exchange couple Sandrine and Greg, who live in the Paris suburb of Chevilly-Larue, which is 9kms south of the city, halfway between the Peripherique and Orley Airport. This is a modern home in a fairly modern suburb but as per usual there is no AC. The fan and living in the dark just about make it liveable in the red alert temperature conditions.

Havana the cat does cat things and couldn’t give a stuff about anything or anyone. We see her occasionally.

Sad news. All the Fireman Balls, planned for July 13/14, have been cancelled in Paris due to the red alert. No one wants a pissed pompier turning up to a fire!

We are a very short walk to the Chevilly-Larue city centre which has a number of restaurants, an Intermarche and other shops. A strange discovery is the local Indian French restaurant, serving Indian and French food, cheap wine and friendly Indian staff. We will have to try the food. Then just up the road is a Thai Japanese restaurant. Not sure what they do yet. There is not a single brasserie or bistrot to be seen.

In some ways, you’d have to say Paris is not like the old days. Although we don’t miss the dog shit and bourgeois attitude of Parisians.

Braving the heat, we walk up to the market for some fruit and vegetables. This is a very good, if not small, and cheap market. Also at the mini shopping building we get some cheese and fillets of Merlan – a fine textured white fish. Flashy thought it looked familiar, so he Googled it. Merlan is the French word for whiting. No wonder it is so good. Three large fillets for 12€.

Sunday is a day of admin with back and forward emails, bill paying and sorting blogs. Before you know it – it’s 5.00 pm and this means gin and tonic time.

A bit hot outside. However our Pug's AC is very good!
Our beautiful, leafy back yard.
Not many old Roman buildings in Chevilly Larue. Doesn't that sky look hot.
Japanese Thai restaurant.
Cuisine Franco Indienne


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