Spring has sprung

On Sunday I planted flowers! On our balcony we have a number of big planters filled with dirt and not much else. So I bought some spring flowers and some good soil and planted them. There are daffodils, grape hyacinths and white crocuses (croci).

In the afternoon, I went downtown and had a coffee and then walked around a bit. I was looking for a boulangerie that was open (no luck - it was Sunday after all). However, I did find a book market on the Quai Pêcherie. I could even buy a book because I found an Amsterdam guidebook (in English nonetheless) for 3 euros. And strolling through a book market on a sunny Sunday is a wonderful experience.
Today I got my hair cut. Oh boy is it short! However, I was a 'model' so the cut was free. Plus, it'll just grow and I think I just need a couple weeks to break it in.

Last week I also went to a traditional Lyonnais bouchon. Bouchon literally means 'bottleneck' or 'traffic jam' but in Lyon is a type of restaurant. The food is quite heavy, very meat based and predominently featuring various parts of a pig. I noticed pig snout, pig's ears and pig's feet on the menu. You could also order (at least) two different dishes comprised of gras, literally, fat. I was not brave enough to try this myself but one of my companions did and I tried it. It tasted all right but I certainly couldn't imagine eating a whole plate of it. I had tarte à l'oignon (a quiche-like appetizer) and Parmentier which is the equivalent of shepherd's pie, with potato and beef. Usually the dish Hachis Parmentier is with ground meat but mine had chunks of incredibly tender beef. Mmmm. All this accompanied with thick slices of bread and a glass of Beaujolais.

Lastly, a beauty shot: sunset from my balcony.