Walt is off to Paris today. He has an appointment with consular services people at the U.S. Embassy to have some documents notarized. Do you know what they charge for that service? Fifty dollars for each notary seal that they put on a document. What does a notary charge in the U.S.? Add in the cost of the train ticket, and this becomes an expensive proposition. But it's necessary.
While he's spending the day in Paris — it takes nearly three hours to get there by train, and the same to get home again — he'll have lunch with friends from Seattle (Dean France and his wife Jean) who happen to be on vacation in Paris right now. And this afternoon he'll meet Ellen, an American friend who lives in Paris, at a café for a few minutes before getting the train back to Saint-Aignan. I think it's been a couple of years since Walt was in Paris last. We hardly ever go there any more.
My collard and kale seeds have come up in the vegetable garden.
There's some shopping to do in Paris, mostly for cooking utensiles. If Walt has time, that is. It's going to be a busy day. Oh, and it's supposed to rain in Paris all day. Showers, at the very least. I'll be staying here in Saint-Aignan with Callie and Bertie. We might have rain too here in Saint-Aignan, but there's less chance than in Paris according to weather reports.
Des figues
I know we talk a lot about the weather on our blogs (not just Walt and I do, but other bloggers in France do too). It's not just us, either. The weather is a big part of the news in France these days. Yesterday, a main segment on the national news was devoted to how chilly the month of May has been up to now. (Today, they are expecting heavy rains in southeast France, which is Nice and the Riviera, with the Cannes film festival going on.)
Des poires
Yesterday's news report pointed out that May 2007 was also chilly and damp, and May 2010 was chilly too. I remember 2007 well. That year we didn't really have any summery weather until late August. The vegetable garden was nearly a complete failure — especially the tomatoes. Here I am crossing my fingers for the 2013 summer and garden.
Sky clearing up. It wasn't drizzling when I was out earlier. I'm crossing my fingers for a reasonably nice, if cool, day. Looking forward to seeing Walt later.
ReplyDeleteIf you call the US Embassies around the world for ANY questions related to immigration, you need to pay up front now.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the rapidly shrinking deficit, it seems to help......
Hi Ellen, it would be nice if you had some sun this afternoon. Hope you have a good time.
ReplyDeleteH.P., yes, everything is user fees now. Chacun pour soi...
Here in St. Louis, you can often get a document notarized at your own bank for free, but if you have to go somewhere where you don't have an account, I'd say it's about $15-$20--- sure not $50! It used to be more like $2-$5 tops, just a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteHope we see pictures of the visit with Ellen :)
I'd enjoy a day in Paris even in the rain. I hope it goes well for Walt.
ReplyDeleteI think it was a couple of years ago when Walt helped me drive to our hotel near the Opera- I couldn't have gotten there without him. At the intersections, he'd tell me you are going to have to go- I had to be bold, people and motorcycles were partout.
I've always used my bank for free notary services in all the states I've lived in. I, too, have read the fees for non-account holders and they have been pretty consistant in the past with Judy's estimate - I was thinking more like $22-25 here.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think I will call because as you said, everybody is looking for ways to earn a little extra and I could be paying the next time even as an account holder.
Weather: pouring rain here today - but Oregon needs it so I won't complain!
Walt ended up paying $150 because he needed the embassy official to witness and sign three documents. He only needed the embossed seal on one of them, but it didn't matter.
ReplyDeleteDepending on where you go, the notary service is either free or about $10 in Florida.
ReplyDeletelove that pear shot! beautiful! a few days ago it was so cold in the morning that i had to wear a hat and sweatshirt.. the last 2 days its been shorts. for heavens sakes. i think we are about 2 weeks late this year. i hope Walt had a fun time in Paris.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a very interesting way to spend $150! I hope you don't have any more expenses with that particular project.
ReplyDeleteWe paid $15 the last time we needed something notarized.
I'm wishing sun for you soon.
The last time I went to a notary (in Austin in March), they charged us $5--and three of us signed a paper. Here in California, I've been charged $10. Nothing like what Walt is experiencing, though. Wow!
ReplyDelete