Gelato

Stopped at a cafe on route home from taking bella to music school. The dilemma is always whether to hop on the bus home, in which case she will fall asleep and I wont profit from her naptime. Or walk to the 7th, about 15 minutes away where there is a Starbucks (as explained earlier, one of the only places I can take her during lunch in the poussette) and then play in the Champs de Mars - which is incredible - a beautifully designed park just below the Eiffel Tower.  Then we have to shlep home on the crowded bus.

It is suddenly summer in Paris - so warm that we leave all of the windows open during the night. So warm that closing the shutters doesnt allow enough of a breeze, so Isabelle has been waking early due to the light.  When we left for Italy 2 weeks ago, we were wearing rain boots and coats. Now it's tank top and sandals weather.

Rome was a bust. We' d' been hoping to fall in love with it as we want to live in Italy fulltime, just not at our house in the country. We need some city life. I was greatly disappointed. Of course Im awed by the history, the ruins, the stories.  But life there made me really miss Paris. If only we could combine the amenities of Paris with Italian culture.

What a relief to be among a friendly, child-welcoming culture. Everyone bella encounters falls over themselves at how cute she is. And once she opens her mouth and engages, shes got people wrapped around her wrist. Here in France (at least in Paris), her overtures of "hellos! Au revoir!!" Are met with blank stares and scowls. In Italy it's just part of the culture to embrace babies.

The difference in cultures is night and day. In Italy, we walk into a gelateria and, unless it is a tourist area, Bella's cone is almost always free - and about twice as much gelato as she can handle.  Meanwhile, yesterday, we stopped by the Italian gelateria near us in Paris. They charged three times as much as in Italy for a tiny scoop. When I asked if we can get a tiny portion - half of a small size- for the baby, the woman replied "of course! Thats 3 euros please". " N0 i mean half of a small size - for the baby". "Yes! Just tell the scooper you only want a tiny bit. 3 euros"

So you want me to pay full price for a half portion?  I sat Bella down with her gelato and spoon and waited for Clay. When Bella saw his cone, she all but climbed over my head to get to it. Apparently it was the cone she was after. So I went back in and asked for a cone. "Oh n0. Desolee. We cant do that". Do what?! Give me a cone for the full size gelato I just paid for?  The scooper went inside to discuss the matter with her colleague. Apparently giving cones with a cup is a grave matter. What"s the problem? I was just in here 2 minutes ago!  
They finally came up with a solution and emerged producing a jar full of tiny "taste size" cones.  When I presented the cone to Bella she took one look at the tiny cone, handed it to Clay and reached for his cone.  she looked at me as if to say "I may be small but Im not stupid. Think I cant tell you are trying to pass off a pint size cone on me?"