Waiting for Travaux

Travaux (pronounced "tra-VOH") is the french word for "works", or, in our case, gut renovation of a beautiful but crumbling Haussmannian apartment in a neighborhood that is "en pleine evolution" (meaning, property values are expected to increase but men still feel free to urinate in our doorway).

Travaux is also synonymous with delays, language barriers, waiting in endless lines only to come home with the wrong tool (or the wrong advice), tearful fights in bathroom supply stores, insomnia, overdrawn bank accounts, and general intestinal distress. Oh, and let's not mention the disruptive presence of student demonstrations and national public holidays (of which there are three alone in the month of May).

I know it will all be over soon and we'll have a great apartment (if we're not in debtors' prison by then). But patience and long-term gratification have never been my strong suits. Ask anyone who's ever played a board game with me.

My friend C. says to be "zen" about it all and just "go with the flow." I don't mean to be testy, but go with what flow? Negative cash flow? Or the flow of sewage leaking into the downstairs neighbor's apartment because the workmen disconnected the toilet pipe and neglected to connect it back again?

But I digress. My main goal today was to show you photos, since all three of you reading this have requested them. So here you are -- VOILA. (And yes, i know that in my last post i promised only photos and no commentary. But blogging means never having to say you're sorry....right Ariana?)