Bookcrossing

What a wonderfull idea!

I was so happy to begin it, as soon as I heard it existed in London. Then, I went to the bookcrossing.com page and read: it exists also in Paris!

Great!

I was ready to begin. What books "release" first? I have hundreds waiting for another reader!

I decided on some good suspense from Tom Clancy that I could barely put down when I read them, yet do not feel like keeping. First, I have to say, the ergonomy of Bookcrossing site is pain, difficult to understand how to use it.

After I figured out, how to register a book to have the Number I have to put inside the cover, it took me an hour to register merely ten titles! Then, separately, I had to find the way to tell where I'll release them.

Where?

I'll not let them lie on a bench: it rains too much in Paris, too. Nor behind a statue, or any strange place I found others did use. Finally, I found! There was, the site said, a single café in Paris where there is a special shelf you can put the books or find others.
Rue Saint Denis, in center of Paris. Yes, 1e arrondissement, OK, but rue Saint Denis reputed - what is called in english? red light street? - does not matter, it was the only one place. I go.

With luck, not much circulation Saturday morning, I arrived in half an hour to le Halles and found easy a paying parking place St. Eustache. Luck was not with me, all along: I arrived around number 79, the café was at the beginning of the street, the other end.

Did not cross many people, so early, it was 10 or around, only a group of nice bikers waiving their hands as seeing me taking pictures.
.
The only girls were the mannequins welcoming in people to a shop.

The bag begun to be heavier as I arrived to the café. Its name was supposed to be Petit Chatelet, but what is written on it is petit Chat and in very tiny letters the rest. The meaning of that, in French is something else, more in concordance with the street's bad fame. It is not a very inviting name and the tiny café did not seem very inviting either.

It was closed!

I lingered more, went nearer, no one inside!

What to do with my books?

All cafés nearby were closed, I had to go farther to find one open, and even there just to prepare it for later. And no, I cant leave the books there, the boy cleaning told me.

I had to go back, with my books growing more heavy every step.

Did not really matter, as a bit farther I found tulips, a merry-go-round, and nearer St. Eustache church tourists enjoying them selfs.

I asked one of them, after he had photographed his two kids on the face, look at it, one of the new art's I love, to take an image of me too.

As for now, after having lost 30 pounds in the lasts month, I could squeeze myself between the face and the hand of the statue.

I paid 6 euros to the parking lot, then came home: it was almost noon. The ten books were still in my car, and I did not move them. Still hoping. There is a French song: if you are not successful the first time, try it a second time, if you do not succeed then, third time and so on.

For the moment, I was very disappointed and even more as I thought: if it is so difficult to go from a wonderful idea to its realization, then what would arrive about the idea of going to live in London that seemed also so wonderful for me?