Au Revoir Paris
Well, even though this newsletter is posting in July, it really is the June edition. I finished a draft on June 30th but when I was getting ready to post it, I accidentally deleted it. Oh boy. Note to self - jet lag and technology don’t always mix well.
I spent six weeks in France and didn’t post to Facebook or Instagram one time. At first I felt guilty about that. Wasn’t I supposed to share what I was doing? Wasn’t I supposed to let all my friends and family - and complete strangers - see all the wonderful places I visited and all the delicious food I ate? But as the days went on, I settled into - just experiencing my trip for myself.
carablack.com
What did I do instead of clicking on my phone? For one thing, I read books - twenty-five of them. All of those books were what you might call light reading, but who cares? I enjoy reading books about the places I’m visiting while I’m there. In Paris this time, I decided to re-read the mystery series by Cara Black starring her sleuth Aimee Leduc. I enjoyed reading about places very near my apartment - and even a mention of my very street! I kept looking at the map to see just where the action was taking place. These books are a great introduction to Paris - the real city which is beautiful but also big and gritty at the same time.
Now that 'I’m back in Portland, someone asked me what I miss most about Paris. I have to say - as cliché as it sounds- I miss the cafés. I didn’t go to a café every day (even though I thought I should) but sometimes just walking by them with their chairs full of people chatting and drinking made me just as hoppy.
And on a hot day there was nothing like sitting on the terrace under a big tree. You can’t see it, but I assure you the omelette I dug into after taking this photo was delicious.
My last few days in Paris were brutally hot and air conditioning non-existent in two-hundred-old buildings. In the apartment, we have portable air conditioners that have a tube that sticks out the window to blow the hot air. That worked fairly well - except on the day it was 94 degrees Fahrenheit.
So there are some things that are better here in a younger city.
A few years ago someone asked me why I’d been to Paris so many times. (This last trip was my twelfth time). All I could say was, “Because it’s Paris.” There’s really nothing else to say.
This makes me think of a song sung by Joséphine Baker and more recently by Madeleine Peyroux. Some of the lyrics:
J'ai deux amours
Mon pays et Paris
This translates to: I have two loves - my country and Paris. (I have to say, right now Paris is a lot easier to love. )
So Paris, au revoir for now, I’ll be going back soon.
How are you spending your summer? I’d love to hear from you.