All cats are grey in the rain?

Last night we returned to Shakespeare & Co. for the launch of Adam Biles's novella Grey Cats. I bought it last month and not only devoured it but also persuaded my students to read it for class as an extra project. So four of them came with me last night to hear Mr. Biles read and then get our books signed. We got there early enough to get chairs in the courtyard, which was exciting, but then a few minutes into the reading there was a huge clap of thunder. It started to rain a bit and everyone spontaneously moved their chairs under the store's awnings like an unsolicited group hug for Adam Biles. (Who, by the way, handled all this with much grace and good humor.)

The rain got heavier and the organizers decided to move everyone inside, to the upstairs "library" section of the store. Not everyone would fit but at least a couple of us got in. The remaining three, including me, listened from the corridor and browsed around the store--not a bad way to spend a half-hour anyway. At the end of the Q&A, a lot of people cleared out (as I was hoping) and my students and I were first in line to have our books signed. One of them told Mr. Biles that they were reading his book for a class and introduced me as their professor. So I told him that his book was already on its way to being canonical literature if profs are assigning it to their classes. When he signed my copy he wrote "Thanks for introducing the cats to the canon!"

We'd had a pre-dinner gelato (eat dessert first, they say) but we wanted Real Food so we let ourselves be talked into a couscous restaurant on the edge of the Latin Quarter. It turned out to be a great choice: very tasty, very filling, very inexpensive. Plus everyone who had never had couscous before had a new experience! I had a vegetarian tagine that was just the thing after getting a bit wet and chilled.

After dinner I came back to Cité and went to bed because today was my morning class's excursion to Versailles. Ultimately we all had a good time but the crowds were very intimidating. My advice to those who want to see the château is go early. It opens at 9:00 and you should be there waiting when they start letting people in. My students took Rick Steves's advice and went through the gardens first, then visited the château toward the end of the day when people were clearing out. I actually left a bit early myself--I'd been through the château before and got some good time in the gardens today. I wanted to rent a bicycle in the park and ride out to the Trianons and the Hamlet (why oh why is it "le Hameau" and not "l'Hameau"?) but the sky was threatening. I had no umbrella; it had been sunny when we left! The students reported that it barely rained; nevertheless I am glad not to have been cycling through the park in a skirt with the wind gusting. I have another chance at Versailles when Daniel, Vicki, and Samantha come to town next week. 

Tomorrow morning I'll be eager to hear from the students about their experience and their thoughts. I gave them a blog assignment about whether Versailles is a potential target for satire. At the time I was thinking of the famous excesses of Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, etc. but I think the crowds of tourists are equally likely topics--reminding us, as Juvenal said, that it is difficult not to write satire.

I've got to go to bed but I'm pleased to report that more photos will be coming soon. I added several to Flickr this afternoon and just need to slap the captions on. À bientôt!