Paris, Sunday March 15th

Municipal election day. Stayed home yesterday like a good girl, but went out with my shopping cart around 6pm to do some grocery shopping before the shops closed: to the covered food market a block away, where we (my husband and I) bought fruit and vegetables and the makings of an osso bucco to tide us over the weekend and Monday morning when food shops are mostly closed. True, the supermarket towards the Seine would be open but has narrow aisles and lots of customers, including (usually) tourists, so we have been avoiding it, in favour of the small bio shop behind the 6e city hall, where the three employees wear masks and gloves and take their jobs personally. But, last night, a longish line there too, customers who normally shop day by day filling large bags, stocking up. Even the unbleached toilet paper was gone… . In the streets between St Sulpice and the Bd St Germain the cafes were full. We hadn’t, at that point, realised they’d be closing at midnight.

This morning the street is empty, lots of parking spots. Sun, for the moment. Will go out later to vote, but for now quite happy to stay home with my books. I’m reading James Merrill, also Le Carré’s latest spy story on audio, from Libby…and a lot of newspapers.