'Club' Matures, Issues Membership Card

The Rue de l'Amiral Coligny side of La Corona
faces the Louvre.

News About the 'Café Metropole Club'

Paris:- Saturday, 6. November 1999:- The last meeting of the 'club' should have been held outside because it was a beautiful day in Paris again. This could have been organized at La Corona, but its large Quai de Louvre terrace is subject to considerable traffic noise.

Last Thursday's regular meeting of our club was enhanced by three brand-new charter members who nave not even read Metropole. There were two visiting moms - Eveline Aron and Veronica Hendrie - and Paris resident, Claire Waddington, who was dragged along by Heather, who is a very 'active' member.

Long-standing regular charters members who also attended were, in no particular order of arrival, Jan and Dana Shaw, Heather Stimmler, Kathleen Bouvier and Mark Kritz.

Although former Minnesotans were again present, they were outnumbered by past and present residents of Albany, which I was told is somewhere cold in the state of New York.

Heather agreed to help me out with the 'official' photos, but the camera was bamboozled by narrow slabs of overbright sunlight pouring into the café where we meet - so we both blew most of our shots.

The Cafe Metropole Club is proceeding at a leisurely pace and nothing much exciting happens at it. For this reason I will cease the bombast that I have produced in this column for the past several weeks.

For a sketchy account of the fourth meeting, you are requested to hit this link in order to have it before your own eyes.

If there had been any 'popular demand' for membership cards I could write, 'due to popular demand,' but there hasn't been any. I include the brand spanking new virtual Café Metropole Club membership card here because last week I said I would do it.

Now that it is here, I expect there will be objections to it of one form or another. As I am already ready for these, you needn't bother. The new card is only for diehard fans who want a membership card. If you don't have one when visiting the club, don't worry; nobody will ask to see it.

You will note that this is a 'virtual' membership card. If you want to carry around with you - perhaps to prove that you belong to an exclusive* club in Paris - you will have to make a print of it.

Once printed, simply cut it out along the dotted line I have failed to indicate - you can imagine about where it is. When trimmed, it should be about the size of a standard plastic card. It is not plastic, however, so do not try to use it to withdraw money from an ATM.

As for the 'text-only' version of the card that was featured here last week, this is still acceptable for use by folks who have no printer.

*'Exclusive' in this sense means that it is the only Café Metropole Club in Paris. Do not be fooled by imitations.

Here are the day, time and location details for you to note:

Café-Tabac La Corona
2. Rue de l'Amiral Coligny
Paris 1. Métro: Louvre-Rivoli or Pont-Neuf
Every Thursday at 15:00, until 17:00.

La Corona has a small 'salle' just off the bar and a large 'salle' behind the bar. There is a small terrace on the Rue de l'Amiral Coligny side, which faces west; and a big terrace on the Quai de Louvre side, which faces south. The club meetings are held at the rear of the big 'salle.'

The 'Café Metropole Club' held its first meeting in the above-named café in Paris on Thursday, 14. October 1999. The second gathering was held on Thursday, 21. October of the same year. The third session was held on Thursday, 28. October, still in the same year. And the fourth session was held last week on Thursday, 4. November. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 11. November - even though it is Armistice Day in France and Europe - at the same time and place, also in Paris, as is now almost monotonously usual.

The 'Club' has no actual real or virtual benefits. Its sole purpose is to offer an opportunity for all readers to meet each other and me, the 'Ed' of this online weekly magazine about Paris, in Paris.

So that no one is excluded by virtue of not being in Paris, 'virtual' membership is not only permitted, but encouraged. It is not necessary to be in Paris - even 'virtually' - if you wish to do this. Possession of the new 'virtual' membership card is not obligatory.

See you soon - A bientôt à Paris,