Puerto Rico
I flew to Puerto Rico on Monday to meet up with some Sunshine Divas and other Il Divo fan groups to attend their last performance of "An Evening with Il Divo", their recent tour. It was my first visit to PR and athought I didn't get to see much of it, it is beautiful.
First picture is of my group hanging out by the stage door waiting for the "guys" to show up for their sound check. We waited for about an hour and the security guy came over and made us leave. We had to wait outside the gate and stand on a street corner. Finally the black SUVs came but couldn't/wouldn't stop in the middle of the street so we didn't get to see them and give them the gifts some of the gang brought for them.
The concert was wonderful, though, and it made up for not seeing them sooner. Such fun to become a groupie at my age. Il Divo are devine but meeting all the fun and fabulous friends I've made has been the best part.

The Homage to Stravinsky fountains are adjacent to the Center George Pompidou. Fountains designed by Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint-Phalle represent many of his scores. I last saw this in December and it was partially frozen and most of the fountains were turned off. October was a perfect time to enjoy all the action.

Paris Street Art
There is graffiti all over Paris. Some of it is messy and disfiguring to the surfaces used, but some so well done that it is more graffito, which means an inscription or drawing on a rock or wall, than graffiti.
These three are just a few that I liked. The Warhol styled multi-image was in the Beau Arts area of the Left Bank's Latin Quarter and the other two were near Rue Mouffetard.

Paris Skaters
Getting off the bus on the Rue de Rivoli by the Louvre we saw a crowd gathered in the square. The rollerbladers had set up some obstacle courses and were competing. Some were zigzagging through the little cones on one foot while others were jumping the ramp. There was a cord stretched across an area that looked like they might do the Limbo but they were jumping it.
I don't know if this was planned or one of the spontaneous events that seem to pop up in the streets of Paris. The police came by but didn't interfere. We stayed awhile to watch and enjoy the show.
When we walked away we crossed the street to the Comedie Francais and found more to stop and enjoy. Will post that one next time.

Paris Fashion Week
The week I arrived was the start of Fashion Week here in Paris. At the Louvre they had built a huge temporary building in the big square ajacient to the one with the Pyramid. I watched the finishing touches on the construction one day and a few days later getting off the bus on the Rue de Rivoli, I saw the crowd that had gathered at one of the entrances. There were black cars, limos, and SUVs pulling up and when the doors opened the paparazzi flashes went off and the crowds swarmed to the area.
I saw some of them but had no idea who any of them are as the closest I get to high fashion is Project Runway.



There is always something happening in Paris. Soon I'll post the pictures of a film shoot, a skating competition, musicians, and other fun happenings we stumbled upon.

More Books
Paris has so many book stores but the one on most of the "Must See" lists is Shakespeare and Company. It is an english language bookstore opened in 1951 by George Whitman who encouraged young writers and let many sleep and work in the shop in exchange for working a few hours. Different owner today but the tradition has continued.


Peter has posted some information on the original Shakespeare's and photo of the site in his post on Hemingway.
We visited the Vanves Flea Market a week ago and there were many book dealers and many tempting old books with beautifully marbled covers and end papers. My friend spotted some she wanted to alter. I don't think I could do it. They are so lovely.

Paris Books
Paris is the city of Light. It is the city of Love. It is also the city of books. There seems to be at least one bookstore on every block and sometimes more. There are stores with new books, old books, antique books, text books and there are the booksellers along the Seine. Here is just a glimpse at a few of them.