Paris
13/09/2011
Up early because today the sheets are changed and the room is cleaned (used linen to be folded/piled neatly on bed and room vacated). Timing is important because if you are in your room, they simply leave it until next time, a week away! This gave me the perfect excuse to try the Spanish Restaurant for breakfast again. I made sure that my selection was exactly the same as the student ahead of me (i.e., the set menu), then at the check-out I handed the right change for a 2.8 euro "Petit Dejenure". We had a short discussion in French/English/Spanish but that was it. I got my breakfast!
I did some reading in the restaurant but ultimately had to go back to my room. Not cleaned yet but at least I had a pile of fresh bed-linen on the end of the bed. I connected to Internet and got to work, with one eye out for the cleaning ladies and ready for a fast exit! Only a week to go so a thorough, "professional" clean now will make my exit easier. My aim was to complete a section of the body of my Literature review; no word back from JCU supervisors on the draft introduction so I will continue with my "theme".
The chief Librarian at the Central Library pointed me to the Museum's web-site where they had images of some of Lesueur's artwork. Very similar images to the Le Havre Museum web-site, taken from the Terra Australes Atlas to Peron's journal. I have seen the original marine images first-hand in going through the Paris archived manuscripts, although I am sure the Le Havre curator and possibly the Paris librarians do not realise that is possible. [At this point the cleaning crew arrived so I "moved out", a displaced person for the morning.]
Back after working at the Central Library in the afternoon, a long shift going through the earlier manuscripts I had re-ordered comparing them to the "known" Terra Australes drawings from Le Havre. Not very successful; a case of close but not quite the same image on a number of species. I Photocopied a fair number and can go through them in detail later. I have another manuscript/box to go through today (Wednesday). Going through the images I have already photocopied has given me some pretty strikingly "similar" images to the drawings. I am wondering if the drawings were the precursor or "drafts" to the paintings and I need to allow for the differences. In any case I only have two more days, (three if Friday is allowed, but I need to give the staff at least a days notice to get photocopies). I did successfully manage a Smart-Phone video of the entrance and research area of the Central Library despite the strict "no camera" order.
During my displaced time (it is cold and intermittently wet in Paris at the moment), I checked-out the mens-wear shops for a spare pair of jeans. I was far enough away from the Cite' and the main tourist areas of Paris for there to be "French only" shop assistants, which was both a surprise and a language difficulty. The marked prices were obviously for locals, which was good but I did not get to try anything on (culturally not acceptable??) or buy anything. I may talk to the other floor residents to get a Department store style shop.
No breakfast today, I will try "Dejuener" aka lunch, at the Spanish Maison. I am immured to the fact I will pay 10 euros (because I am a not a student) but that is better than 15-20 for a hot meal "outside". It would have been nice to stay in the Maison actually, because the residents get the meals at the base price by signing off on the residents list.
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