Throwing Down Gauntlets

For members who may have forgotten - your club's café.

Advance Warning

Email from Linda Thalman. Sent via the Internet: Friday, 16. February 2001:-

Dear Ric,

I officially and respectfully protest the baloney in your 'report' about the Thursday, 15. February Café Metropole Club meeting having the most members present.

The club's birthday party had a whole lot more people, like at least 16, 17 or 20. Remember, we couldn't figure out how to cut the cake into 25 pieces - and yet you ate three whole parts!

Now, if I'd been at club like I should have been yesterday, I wouldn't be complaining would I?

Check those club notes, secretary! and I'll throw down the gauntlet - what is a gauntlet, anyway? - and challenge all members past, present and future - to all show up on the same day, at the same time, same place next week to set the real world record for attendance!

See the club's Thursday, 5. October birthday report if you don't believe me. What kind of club secretary are you anyway?

Linda, the Server-Lady

Bonjour Linda,

I don't see any way I can weasel out of this, not with all these gauntlets being thrown down on me. 'Gauntlets,' by the way, are what hockey players take off, before they begin fisticuffs.

Linda is correct about her lower numbers for the largest number of members attending a meeting. But if the club's 'Waiters of the Week,' Monsieur Ferrat and Patrick are added, the total is 18. The club's secretary makes 19.

Present at the birthday meeting were Natalia and Thomas Yanul, Robert Von Maier, Richard Miller, Cheryl Sylvester, Irina and Valery Stevenet, Shirley and Walter Pappas, Betty and Jerry Blizin, Jude Wood, Jack Lambert, Doug Fuss, Adrian Leeds and Linda Thalman - for a grand total of 16 real members.

In case you are undecided about joining this free club without many rules that are observed, consider the advice offered during the party by Betty Blizin, "You don't have to be Jean-Sans-Peur to join the club!"

At the club's last meeting, Al Riley was so enthusiastic about the number of members, it didn't occur to me to check my short memory. To be the club's secretary, being Jean-Sans-Peur is a definite advantage if not an absolute necessity.

Email from Shirley Lindsay. Sent via the Internet: Friday, 16. February 2001:-

Dear Ric,

I started looking and clicking on Metropole Paris at 4 pm St. Louis central time today and at 5:40 pm today's club meeting was there. Liz looks wonderful after her - their - long flight. Thank you for including me in the article.

I really would love to see the [Maurice Utrillo] painting in person that is on the poster I have. I sent a very long e-mail today to Raileurope.Com so shall see if they answer.

Charles Fremont keeps sending me names of books to read or travel books to buy before our trip. I do hope the library gets me 'Paris to the Moon' before we leave on 16. March. I am getting excited about the trip, especially so since seeing Liz today in Paris.

The club meeting looked quite hectic and fun - a good time to be in Paris. I am already talking about our 4th trip and this is our 3rd coming up. Have a good day. I can't retire cause I am hooked on Paris and travel. See you soon.

Shirley Lindsay

Bonjour Shirley,

You have referred to last week's new club member, Elizabeth Krekorian, who told me she was your advance scout. I have also heard from club member Charles Fremont about your impending visit.

For the information of readers and club members, Shirley Lindsay is the owner of a SNCF poster illustrated by Maurice Utrillo. For over a year Shirley has been trying to track down, by post and email, the location of the original painting - and so far, she has not had much luck.

But along the way she has learned a lot about Utrillo, and has had all sorts of people in Paris and France scrambling around trying to help her with her search.

I am, for one, curious to meet you. There are people who will look around a bit for things - and then there you are, the 'lost' painting detective who won't give up.

There! I've done it. Readers are warned, club members are warned, Paris is warned. Get ready for Shirley Lindsay!

Email from Dana Shaw. Sent via the Internet: Thursday, 15. February 2001:-

Good morning Ric,

Although I assume you are well aware of the enclosed information, just in case you missed it, here is part of a short article I read in my morning paper.

Paris:- "The city of Paris dedicated a garden and children's nature center on Wednesday to the late Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in the French capital more than three years ago. Off a quiet street in the Marais, one of Paris' oldest neighborhoods, Mayor Jean Tiberi opened the $3.1 million project at the Clos des Blancs-Manteaux, a former school restyled as a mediaeval French garden and environmental workshop."

The article also referred to the 'unofficial' shrine at the 'Flame of Liberty' near the Pont de l'Alma.

Cheers! Dana

Bonjour Dana,

I saw the item in Le Parisien some time ago. It was mixed up with municipal election news, so I did not give it a lot of attention.

The Rue des Blancs-Manteaux in the Marais is about 320 metres long, but a modern map indicates no nearby area of any school, former or otherwise.

The Dictionnaire Historique des Rues de Paris does not even contain the name of the little park next to the Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux church, which seems to be the only open area in the vicinity.

Just because I can't find the original newspaper piece or any likely spot for the memorial's location, doesn't mean it doesn't exist or can't be found - it's here someplace.