Words and Images

I'm currently signed up for some writing classes and am working on a couple of stories that are not quite ready for prime time. So as I smooth out the rough edges in my writing, I thought I'd share a few more photos from this week.

The weather last Sunday really was exceptional, and after Notre Dame in the morning, I went to the Louvre in the afternoon.


By the way, I've been in Paris for about 10 months now, but still haven't been inside the Louvre - yet.

This is the Arc du Carrousel which marks the entrance to the Tuileries Garden from the Louvre



The Tuileries Garden was packed on a sunny Sunday afternoon. You can see the Grande Roue (large ferris wheel) at the other end. There is an uninterrupted line between the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde with its Obélisque, then the Champs Élysées crowned by the Arc de Triomphe.


Place de la Concorde with Grande Roue and Obélisque


Finally, continuing the straight line from the Arc de Triomphe west to the modern skyscrapers which make up La Défense, you have La Grande Arche

Staying in touch

Surprise! Andrea popped up in Paris this week. We've stayed in touch, spending hours talking via Skype when he called my computer from Barcelona or from Milan over the holidays. I was surprised when my cell phone rang on Monday, showing Andrea as the caller. Where are you? I asked, surprised that he was calling my phone rather than my computer. "I'm at Châtelet, here in Paris. Are you busy?" I was just finishing an email response to Dominique and the gray day suddenly brightened. We agreed to meet at the Odeon metro station. By the way, here's a picture of Andrea:


No, it's not a romance - we really are at different stages in our lives - but we have a unique connection and I am happy to provide a sounding board as he sorts through a myriad of options in his personal and professional life. I enjoy our conversations and our rare meetings.

Back to the drawing board

I received an email from Dominique on Monday morning - effectively ending our nascent relationship. I think we both knew a few weeks ago that it wasn't going to work out - but neither of us had articulated this decision - until now. He finally had the courage to spell it out - gently, delicately, and beautifully written.

I wonder why I couldn't do it first? I've known it for a long time, but had a hard time acknowledging the fact, trying to hold on. Why? Is it my Taurus nature - stubborn, tenacious? Or my persistent optimism - things will work out? Or a reluctance to cause pain? Perhaps it's a cultural tendency - expecting the guy to take the first step to begin (or end) a relationship? Maybe it is the constant tug of war between my Libra South Node and my Aries North Node? Maybe it's all of these?

And so if I go back to the drawing board and list the things I am looking for in a partner or in a relationship - what would that list include?
1. He must be a healthy non-smoker.
2. I'd like him to be articulate and fluent in more than one language.
3. He would be well traveled, interesting, and open minded.
4. He must be reliable - always following through on his promises.
5. He must be unmarried - never married, widowed, or divorced is OK. Married or separated - not OK.
6. He would like some of the same things I do: travel, food, Paris, hiking in the mountains, reading, cinema, art, etc
7. He would be self sufficient. A good cook would be a great bonus.
8. A sense of humor would be appreciated
9. He would have a full life but plenty of free time for me
10. He would live in Paris but be ready and willing to spend time in the U.S.
11. He would find me beautiful and desirable and sexy - even with short gray hair and glasses
12. He would be devoted to me and respect my intelligence, my feelings, and my autonomy
13. He would be affectionate and we'd have terrific chemistry
14. He would be willing to commit to fidelity once we got to that stage

Hmmm, what else?

Or maybe I should just forget looking for a companion, and simply enjoy my freedom, my autonomy and my charmed life? After all, it's nice to have the time to write, to travel, and to look inward to rediscover myself.

But then again, it would be nice to have a dinner date or a hug once in a while . . .

Comments?

Another Sunny Sunday

With a promising weather report, I woke up early this morning determined to climb the 380 steps to the top of Notre Dame cathedral. It was worth it! All of the photos below were taken by yours truly with my pocket-sized camera.

This guy is called a stryga - he is one of the members of the Chimera Gallery.


Do you recognize the Centre Pompidou?

Here's another of the chimera

Taking a bite out of the Eglise St. Germain?


The visit also includes the south bell tower where you can see the cathedral's largest bell which weighs 13 tons. This bell is rung only on major Catholic feast days, whereas the four bells in the north tower ring out several times a day.


I was almost dizzy after winding down all those stairs


But still managed to capture a couple of other postcard images

Ice skaters

Friday morning started out sunny and I decided to climb to the top of Notre Dame to check out the gargoyles. However, there was a long queue, I had no book to read while waiting, and then the sky turned cloudy and a cold wind picked up. I decided to come back another day.

I walked past the Hôtel de Ville on my way to catch the bus home. Today there were far fewer skaters than the first time I passed this spot.



While watching the skaters, I thought of Elizabeth - a multitalented Boulder woman, gifted ice skater, and mother of two sons, both of whose births I attended. She could use a vacation. And I imagined her here in Paris, oblivious to the cold, gliding across the ice in a long, slow, arabesque.

To read about Elizabeth and her sons you can check out her blog.

Philippe's birthday

No, not my son Philippe, my friend Philippe Lefebvre. His birthday is very close to the Epiphany and his traditional birthday cake has always been the seasonal galette des rois. We sang Happy Birthday (in English) and Philippe blew out the candles


I mentioned in a previous post that each galette contains a "fève". Paolo and Melissa were the lucky winners this time. Here's a regal looking Melissa


And brother Paolo


I've known Philippe and his twin brother Bruno since they were ten years old and too young to join us for English-speaking dinners hosted by parents Odette and Pierre. Following our return to the U.S. we hosted visits from various members of the Lefebvre extended family. A couple of these visits included a trip to the Grand Canyon. Our French visitors have always been surprised to learn that 1. the Grand Canyon in NOT located in Colorado and 2. It takes a long time to drive there, but it is definitely worth the trip!

Now that I've returned to Paris, I've enjoyed becoming a part of the Lefebvre family again - watching the grandchildren grow up, enjoying family dinners and visits to the French countryside. It's through these touchstones of family tradition that I think of my own family and I feel less alone.

Soldes

Soldes is the French word for "sales" or clearance sales. I was surprised to see that there were no clearance sales starting the day after Christmas. I was even more surprised to learn that "Soldes" are regulated by a law that dictates that there can be only two clearance sales per year - once in the summer, starting on the third Wednesday of June, and the winter sale which starts on the second Wednesday of January. Not one day sooner! Soldes are also limited by law to last only five weeks - and not one day longer! This year that means January 12-February 15th. The law applies to every store in the country* - from the small neighborhood stores on my street


to the largest department stores.


Needless to say, the big department stores were packed - but I was amazed to see people standing in line in the Galeries Lafayette for hours for the privilege of buying Gucci shoes at a discount



Or nearby Prada shoes


More affluent shoppers hit the stores on the Avenue Montaigne where there were no garish posters, but sales nonetheless


No matter that today was gray and rainy - the shoppers were out en masse . . .


I could use a new pair of shoes. But I don't particularly like to shop and I hate fighting the crowds. So instead of trying on shoes, I just took a few more photos .


*Stores which are near France's borders can begin their Soldes a week sooner - in order to compete with neighboring countries. Can you imagine the U.S. government dictating sales dates to Macy's or Nordstrom??

p.s. These sales dates apply to online sales too!