...Continued from page 1

The lack-of-candle oversight is overwhelmed by Linda hauling out the mini-toothpaste tube and the travelling toothbrush her dentist has given her. Normally, the only thing one gets from dentists in France is huge bills and invitations to 'come back sooner than last time.'

These items are lined up for their 'Toothpaste of the Week' photo - in focus - and their 'Toothbrush of the Week On Top of a Glass of Vin Rouge' photo - out-of-focus. With Billy's birthday, these items are solid club 'firsts,' but the out-of-focus photos do not qualify.

This reminds me it is 'Group Photo of the Week' time and out on the café's terrace we go, with all of the members standing under the awning, while I take up a shooters' position in the pouring rain.

One of these 'positions' on the sidewalk causes a passing scooter driver to hit an obstacle - me - causing yet another weird photo. The scamp didn't even ding his warning bell! To be safe - and dryer - I get under the awning for a back-up photo, and this is the one at the top of this page.

Back in the dry, several members try to think up likely locations where Chopin may indeed be found. "You live here - what would you know?" is Christina's estimation of my feeble efforts. This is so just, it becomes the 'Quote of the Week,' along with El Dorado Hills as the 'City of the Week.'

Linda is set - with a balloon of rouge. The mini-toothbrush and toothpaste are not strictly necessary.

It turns out that Christina will be satisfied with seeing the cinema museum. She is somewhat surprised to learn that it features museum-grade movies more than museum-grade anything else.

With the club's final clink of glass, we are out in the street with the rain again, which seems to have continued by itself while we were inside. Paris is acting like a wet rush-hour, suitable for early March.

Tonight's TV-weather forecast holds only a slight ray of hope for tomorrow night's open-air 'Bals' - but hope it will clear up a bit.

I nearly forgot - here is a member's 'Tip of the Week.' If your cats want to visit Paris with you, Roberta Morris says their air fare is $60 each. If you bring more than one, you might have to ask fellow passengers if they mind flying with a cat under their seat.

The 'About the Café Metropole Club' Page

Some of the expired club 'rules' and other so-called 'information' is now history, but you can still catch up on some of it by reading the 'About the Café Metropole Club' page - which will also tell you where to find the club in Paris - and the day and time of the meetings.

If you have committed this to memory already, it could still a good idea to look at this page. It also contains a virtual replica of the club's membership card. This is an item not to be found on other Web sites.

Date, Time and Location of Next Meeting

The next Café Metropole Club meeting in Paris will be held on Thursday, 17. July, which is the day known as Saint-Arsène's Day. This will not interfere with the club's regular meeting even if you've never experienced a special day like this one in Paris before.

The day after will be just another ordinary Sainte-Marina's day, and has nothing to do with the several marinas in the Paris area.

The café La Corona meeting place will be open as it is seven days a week as well as every Thursday. Your club's meeting time will begin at 15:00 and continue until 17:00 in Europe's Central European Time Zone - which is 'CET' for short and not 'TUBT' - and elsewhere known as 3 pm to 5 pm otherwise.

From left to right - Debbie, Elizabeth, Doug, Christina, Linda, Roberta, Billy and Michael - in the infamous 'bump' photo.

The club's secretary, also known as 'Ed,' will be making a few 'report' notes during the coming meeting but there's no need to worry about this because 'Ed' may be using the club's new good-luck 'cobra' pen, because he forgot to show it to today's assembled membership.

Prepare to have your new 'Quote of the Week' ready or put your own new 'City of the Week' forward or even invent any other 'Things of the Week.' Having these on hand might be enough yo get them mentioned in a meeting's club 'report,' like this one.

Share your wise words and thoughtful thoughts with the other members present - and all readers of this online magazine with the free Paris club for readers who 'just want to be' members - if you are in Paris, and I hope you are.

The café's location is:

Café-Tabac La Corona
2. Rue de l'Amiral de Coligny - or - 30. Quai du Louvre
Paris 1. Métro: Pont-Neuf or Châtelet.

A bientôt à Paris,