Wandering Shakespeare and Co (amazing English bookshop across from Notre Dame) and hearing a woman genially harassing a poor Aussie student about what was wrong with his country. She sounded just like Francis McDormand in Fargo, and started with a rant about how “Obama is just ruining the economy. Next year we will all be huddled in our homes trying to figure out how to eat.” The young man was lovely, tolerant and patient.
Devouring a mushroom quiche and a small carafe of Chardonnay in an impossibly cute little place just around the corner from Notre Dame, but light years away from all the tourist oriented sandwich shops that crowd the area. Timbered ceiling, food arriving magically in a dumb waiter, tasty food and the New York Review of Books to browse. Life is good.
Sun worshipping Parisians crowded into a park near the Place de Vosges; lying on blankets, sitting in groups, munching on sandwiches or consuming glaces. Dosing, reading, chatting; couples, large gatherings of friends all out in the hot, muggy weather while children splash each other (and passersby) in the fountains and older people sit on benches in the shade of ancient trees that surround the place. There is an easy symmetry to the place.
Feeling competent enough to order “deaux boules a citron” at the ice cream (glace) stop just outside the park. Winning a smile and a “ma oui!” for the attempt.
Coming across a group of young people in a string octet (there were at least 8 of them) playing, appropriately enough, Flight of Bumble Bee at the hectic junction of 4 metro lines. Hordes of people stopping to listen and tossing coins in the open violin case.
Watching two dogs confidently board the metro with their people, politely sitting down for the ride and then trotting happily off at their stop.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment