As I mentioned before, one important aspect of this new diet is that we get to eat whatever we want on Saturdays, and we have been trying to take full advantage of this loophole.
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| You said we could eat WHATEVER we want, and as MUCH as we want! Bwahahaha! |
Despite our enthusiasm and hunger, it doesn't take much food to fill us up. We try to keep eating, but pretty soon we feel like this:
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| I think our stomachs have shrunk from dieting during the week... |
For lunch last Saturday we had Spicy Szechwan food from Trois Fois Plus de Piment. It was very good, but we found a place that we like a little bit better: Carnet de Bord, in the 2nd, has homemade DanDan noodles that are to die for... I just wish they had a little more sauce.
For dinner on Saturday Melanie decided that she wanted pizza. After a little research I found two highly recommended restaurants. One of them, Pizza Rossi, was pretty close to our apartment so when we started to get hungry I called for an Uber and, after a short ride, I was there.
Pizza Rossi is on a street called "Rue Blondel", and I had read that it was a little seedy, but I wasn't expecting an outdoor brothel! I was too nervous to take any pictures, but it felt a bit like this painting:
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| Rue Blondel is the red light district of Paris's 2nd arrondissement. |
As we pulled up in front of the pizza place I was thinking, "I'm going to get inside, order my pizza, and then sit near the window so I can get a good look around... from the safety of the restaurant."
The Uber driver let me out and drove off. Head down, I walked to the door and pulled.
It didn't open. My heart skipped a beat.
I pulled harder. The door wouldn't budge. What was going on here? Was I too early? Couldn't they see I was kind of desperate to get inside?
Then I spotted the sign on the door:
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| That sign basically says that the restaurant was closed for the evening (unexpectedly) |
Ah, crap. Closed.
I slowly turned around and immediately felt like a small mouse surrounded by hungry felines. I looked down, trying to figure out what to do next. I texted Melanie to let her know about my predicament, but she didn't seem to have much sympathy for my plight. In fact, I think she found it rather funny. I thought to myself, "Okay, don't panic. Call an Uber and have him take you to that OTHER pizza place."
I finally got the Uber ordered, but was dismayed to see that it was going to be a ten minute wait. Super! I leaned up against a wall and tried to look as nonchalant as possible, while sneaking occasional peeks up and down the street.
A few minutes later a couple of drunk customers arrived, looking for action. I think they were both Johns, as well. Isn't that weird?
Suddenly, I realized something. These two guys walking down the street were seeing half a dozen prostitutes leaning up against the walls... and me. I undid a couple of buttons on my shirt and gave them a come hither look. (Okay, I didn't really do that. But I did start to laugh out loud when I realized that I was standing there like a hooker.)
You know, to be perfectly honest, the women seemed fine. One always imagines prostitutes as scary drug addled predators, but other than the clothes they were wearing these were just normal looking women, ranging in age from about 20 to 50+. No one approached me and after a few more minutes my car showed up.
I was later to discover that Rue Blondel was once home to a famous Parisian brothel from the 19th century called "Aux Belles Poules". Today, the location can easily be identified by the original red faience tiles on its façade.
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| You can see the brick entrance to "Aux Belles Poules" on the left. The pizza place is just up the street. |
Like all Parisian brothels, Aux Belles Poules was closed in 1946 as part of a conservative-led cleanup of the French sex trade after World War II. The building was converted into student housing, while the ground floor operated as a candy wholesaler for decades, then a Chinese clothing importer, before it closed down a few years ago...
I'm not sure what the Uber driver thought when he picked me up from this den of iniquity, though I suspect it was something like: "Worked up an appetite did ya?" And: "Dude, just don't... touch... anything back there, okay?" <sigh>
All in all it was a pretty entertaining evening, and I have to say that the pies from Pizza Julia were really tasty! But boy is that place small!
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| Pizza Julia is tiny! (This is the whole restaurant AND the kitchen.) |
Next time we're in the mood for pizza we'll give Pizza Rossi another chance. And who knows, maybe I can pick up a little cash while I'm waiting!
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