
Missing Paris

Today is Wednesday our second day at home. Slowly the body adjusts to the mid-western time zone. France is seven time zones earlier than Chicago. (Tomorrow perhaps I will not be wake at 5AM)

A memory that lingers is our Bateaux Mouches cruise up the Seine at dusk in Paris. This is an ancient City. The Seine flows, as if a “goddess,” silently bearing witness to generations that have contributed to life here. Tour boats like ours, restaurant boats, smaller craft, all plying up and down the Seine, passing under bridges constructed at different times during the arc of time of this city.

We were delighted by the thousands of young adults (youthful by comparison to ourselves) relaxing, on both banks, taking enjoyment from the passing of river traffic, sometimes exchanging a friendly wave with us as we passed. Our guide mentioned that Paris apartments are not air conditioned, so the river offers relief from the summer heat. Public transportation is available until 1AM implying that this “city of lights” may be enjoyed by everyone…
The Eiffel tower, illumined is gorgeous, – the enduring symbol of Paris viewed from the Seine.

Missing Paris already…
2 thoughts on “Missing Paris”
The City of Light. The City of Love. The city where one can spend a day just strolling and never get tired. Where the sidewalk cafes beckon and the riverside booksellers wait for you to find a treasure. It is the city of my grandmother who was born during the age of the Belle Epoch. It is a magical city, one that I hope to visit again and perhaps again.
I too felt that I could live in France. The future is open, unforeseeable. Given the recent trajectory of our society, I wonder if someday I shall. “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” are ideals the French are passionate about.