Paris: 6 June 1999, con't.

Miguel ("Nono") is really one of my favorite guys here, and has been for 8 years. He is always happy to see me, helps me with stuff (like the second time I left my cell phone in a taxi cab) and always makes me feel welcome. In fact everyone at the Relais Magenta always makes me feel like I'm a celebrity or something. No wonder I'd rather drink there than any other swanky Parisian club (that and the 2$ beers!) I do business cards for him and print photos of him and the patrons of the bar and they think that's pretty cool. One time I took a picture of him and Photoshop-ed a famous soccer player into the picture with him. He thinks I'm some sort of god or something. Here is Miguel pouring a beer for a pretty young lady, and saying that it's on him.


Good ol' Relais Magenta! I guess I've got a bit of my Dad's blood in me when I realize that at times I'd rather just hang out here at the bar, nursing a cold beer or a glass of red wine, talking to the locals and solving all the world's problems.

You can see Hotel Little down the rue Pierre-Chausson on the right


One night, this guy who I can only remember as the "crazy dancing guy," was relatively a few sheets to the wind as he stumbled around the bar and told us he was the world's greatest dancer.

"Just watch" he sais, and commences to show us...

 

 

Miguel and the crazy dancing guy.

Another night I ran into these cool American music students from the East coast. They're all in school and they had been traveling and performing music in Europe. Some were singers, and some were instrumentalists. They had come upon the Relais Magenta and found it as hospitable as I had, and spent a few nights there.


The Couscous place:

Ma Bicoch near the Relais Magenta in the 10th serves the most awesome real-live Algerian food, more specifically, Kabyle. Kabyle is a region of Algeria in Northern Africa which Miguel, Rabah, and lots of other people who frequent the bar are from. The food here is incredible!

 

 

 

This is Camelia and her mom. The family runs the restaurant. Mom and dad cook, dad also waits on tables and hosts, and Camelia and her brother wait and cook.

My first time here, I just had to take a shot of the grub. I get hungry just looking at it. They've got good couscous places in San Francisco too, but they just won't be the same afterwards.

 

 

 

 

This is Kri-kri, Jean-Luc's girlfriend after a long night of consummation.

The meals often last three hours as we all talk, drink and enjoy! This is a map of the Kabyle region that Miguel cranked out with pen and ink.

 

 

 

 

The guy on the left works there as well, alongside Camelia's brother. Funny how I remember her name and not his!

Images

Side Trips

Journal:

11 April
15 April
19 April
10 May
20 May
6 June a
6 June b
27 June
17 July
5 Sept.
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