Friday with Van

Quiet morning at home. I went to the bank to pick up credit cards, cheq & deposit books plus coffee (of course - bien sur).
Neither Kwan nor I was feeling 100% today and decided that a Chinese meal might help. We lunched at Delice dÁsie 28 rue Surcouf 75007. Spécialités Chinoises, Thailandaises et Vietnamiennes, the sign outside announces. One of the things we've noticed is that they lump Asian food together and don't make the distinctions that we are used to. Cantonese staff and Mandarin chef Kwan informed me. The meal is certainly acceptable and we both feel a bit better.

Kwan heads home and I head off to the Cyber cafe in the 16th, a 30 min (2.5k) walk along and across the Seine half way up to the Arch de Triomphe, to print out some documents and send a fax.

By the time I get home its 4pm and we decide to rest up for an hour or so before going out for the evening. Tonight we have tickets to see Van Morrison at the Olympia.

We catch the Metro to Madeleine and find something light to eat. Kwan is concerned that we are running late for the 8pm start. I inform her that we will only miss a few minutes of the support act. We arrive at 8.10 and the bars are full. Maybe everyone is sitting out the support. After people watching for a few minutes we go in. No one on stage! Oh well running late... We are shown to our seats. We purchased the B reserve in the circle as they didn't look too far back on the plan and we were pleased at being able to get seats on the aisle. It turns out the aisle seat is a jump, or folding seat. Presumably this is to make for wider aisles when people are leaving, but it doesn't make for particularly comfortable seating. Kwan is stoic. I note that they have not sold all the jump seats... local knowledge.

At a little after 8.30, "Ladies and gentlemen Mr Van Morrison" and the 7 piece band and 2 backing singers strike up Moondance. I'm in heaven. We experience an hour and a half of the most amazing Jazz meets country sprinkled with rock and roll and Irish folk. The set includes Brown Eyed Girl, Bright Side of the Road, Days Like This, Stranded, St. James Infirmary, I Can't Stop Loving You and the Olympia erupted when he concluded with GLORIA. One of the classiest concerts I've been to in years. Van Morrison in Paris

10.15 we head home thoroughly satisfied.

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