Sunday I moved from my hotel in the Latin Quarter to La Marais. My new hotel is quite posh. There is a little light in the water faucet in the bathroom that is blue when the water is cold and purple when it gets hot. How cool is that. It has one of the best showers I have had the delight to experience in a long time. Any who...back to Sunday.
I have to mention first that I am blessed to have such amazing friends who then introduce me to their equally amazing friends in foreign countries! I walked to Amelia's flat and met her and Neil. We went to the Jeu de Paume and saw Société Réaliste : "Empire, State, Building" which is a cooperative work with Ferenc Gróf et Jean-Baptiste Naudy. It was a really interesting concept because the exhibit broke down what we know of time and location and remade it. I felt like I was missing something though. It was sort of like trying to read hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone. There was also a film installation Aernout Mik, Communitas. You really just have to see it.
The Jeu de Paume is right off the Place Concorde and you can see the obelisk and all the way down the Champs Elysees to the Arch de Triumph. We took a walk through the Jardin Tuileries and it seemed like all of Paris was out for a stroll. The garden is laid out in perfect harmony. Nothing is out of place. The trees are in perfect lines and even trimmed square. I just wanted to mess it up. We had worked up an appetite and so we stopped at a bistro for a late lunch. I forgot to mention that we walked through the Louvre on our way to lunch. Neil pointed out that everything all the way to the Arch de Triumph was in line. Very impressive Napoleon. Then we went to Gerard Mulot and I was introduced to macaroons. I kind of wish I had never taken that first bite. They are a bit crisp on the outside and then a wee bit soft with a creamy center. Certain foods taste good, but the texture is off. These taste sublime and the texture was perfect.
We continued walking along and wandered through the Jardin du Luxembourg. There the children can sail their sailboats across the pond. That is the only thing that can be a bit wild there, because once again the garden is laid out perfectly.It is kind of like when someone is wearing brand new white tennis shoes and you just want to muss them up a bit. We found a couple of chairs and did some people watching. There is some great people watching to be done on a Sunday afternoon in Paris. By then the sun was starting to go down and so we took the metro to a bistro close to my hotel in La Marais. There I had my first aperitif. I had a kir framboise and it was good. Then Amelia and Neil were kind enough to walk me to my hotel where I bid them au revoir.
I forgot to mention that when I met them at the metro stop the night before I immediately stepped in to give Amelia a kiss on each cheek. I've actually gotten used to the practice, but then Neil went to give me an air kiss on each cheek and I visibly recoiled. I have become so accustomed to not touching any man in Iraq that I did not know how to respond. I recovered and air kissed, but then I had to explain to him later why I had stepped away. Cora sent me an article called "Don't Touch Me, I'm British", which is quite interesting. Add to that the fact that I'm an American woman living in Iraq and travelling through France and I just don't know which way is up!
I have to mention first that I am blessed to have such amazing friends who then introduce me to their equally amazing friends in foreign countries! I walked to Amelia's flat and met her and Neil. We went to the Jeu de Paume and saw Société Réaliste : "Empire, State, Building" which is a cooperative work with Ferenc Gróf et Jean-Baptiste Naudy. It was a really interesting concept because the exhibit broke down what we know of time and location and remade it. I felt like I was missing something though. It was sort of like trying to read hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone. There was also a film installation Aernout Mik, Communitas. You really just have to see it.
The Jeu de Paume is right off the Place Concorde and you can see the obelisk and all the way down the Champs Elysees to the Arch de Triumph. We took a walk through the Jardin Tuileries and it seemed like all of Paris was out for a stroll. The garden is laid out in perfect harmony. Nothing is out of place. The trees are in perfect lines and even trimmed square. I just wanted to mess it up. We had worked up an appetite and so we stopped at a bistro for a late lunch. I forgot to mention that we walked through the Louvre on our way to lunch. Neil pointed out that everything all the way to the Arch de Triumph was in line. Very impressive Napoleon. Then we went to Gerard Mulot and I was introduced to macaroons. I kind of wish I had never taken that first bite. They are a bit crisp on the outside and then a wee bit soft with a creamy center. Certain foods taste good, but the texture is off. These taste sublime and the texture was perfect.
We continued walking along and wandered through the Jardin du Luxembourg. There the children can sail their sailboats across the pond. That is the only thing that can be a bit wild there, because once again the garden is laid out perfectly.It is kind of like when someone is wearing brand new white tennis shoes and you just want to muss them up a bit. We found a couple of chairs and did some people watching. There is some great people watching to be done on a Sunday afternoon in Paris. By then the sun was starting to go down and so we took the metro to a bistro close to my hotel in La Marais. There I had my first aperitif. I had a kir framboise and it was good. Then Amelia and Neil were kind enough to walk me to my hotel where I bid them au revoir.
I forgot to mention that when I met them at the metro stop the night before I immediately stepped in to give Amelia a kiss on each cheek. I've actually gotten used to the practice, but then Neil went to give me an air kiss on each cheek and I visibly recoiled. I have become so accustomed to not touching any man in Iraq that I did not know how to respond. I recovered and air kissed, but then I had to explain to him later why I had stepped away. Cora sent me an article called "Don't Touch Me, I'm British", which is quite interesting. Add to that the fact that I'm an American woman living in Iraq and travelling through France and I just don't know which way is up!
So jealous. Maybe you should stop writing about your wonderful trip! NOT! I love hearing about it. Certain things you say and did remind me of when I was there; many, many moons ago.
ReplyDelete