Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Paris notes
It could be that in my mind, Paris is one thing and in reality (someone else’s reality) it is another. I move as a tourist, albeit a frequent one. I go from hotel to café to museum, park, or store, I take photos, I eat my evening meal and that is pretty much it. I don’t wrestle with anything. I just notice that the café, museum, park, store and restaurants are awfully good.
And once I have come to the conclusion that Paris treats me well when I am there, I load my cart with other striking images – of the city that has embraced the tiny Smart car (they are everywhere!) and slung mud at SUVs (pranks against big cars are not uncommon), of the superior baguette, the superior style of dress – the city that sleeps less than I do and eats more than I dare to and handles it all exceptionally well.
On our one full day in the city, Ed and I did the usual: ate croissants, walked great distances, visited the newly reopened Orangerie museum, shopped (I shopped, Ed, the anti-consumer, hid behind a book against the onslaught of beautiful things), ate well, drank well and there you have it. The day ended, the camera went back into its case and we travelled home.
Here it is, briefly, Paris from my lens:
on arrival: oysters
shopping, Au Bon Marche
fussying about kitchen gadgets
preparing for a "manifestation"
minding Monet
nibbling on a baguette
so many to choose from
it's the season
the last dessert
And once I have come to the conclusion that Paris treats me well when I am there, I load my cart with other striking images – of the city that has embraced the tiny Smart car (they are everywhere!) and slung mud at SUVs (pranks against big cars are not uncommon), of the superior baguette, the superior style of dress – the city that sleeps less than I do and eats more than I dare to and handles it all exceptionally well.
On our one full day in the city, Ed and I did the usual: ate croissants, walked great distances, visited the newly reopened Orangerie museum, shopped (I shopped, Ed, the anti-consumer, hid behind a book against the onslaught of beautiful things), ate well, drank well and there you have it. The day ended, the camera went back into its case and we travelled home.
Here it is, briefly, Paris from my lens:
on arrival: oysters
shopping, Au Bon Marche
fussying about kitchen gadgets
preparing for a "manifestation"
minding Monet
nibbling on a baguette
so many to choose from
it's the season
the last dessert
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"Pranks against big cars are not uncommon"
ReplyDeleteHearing that makes me feel like falling in love with Paris (from afar) all over again.
J'aime les chassures l'homme avec baguette is wearing. portait par l'homme avec Oh, whatever.
ReplyDeleteI like those thick soles. Je deteste thin-soled men's dress shoes.
I tried to make a bouche de Noel for extra-credit in high school French.
ReplyDeleteIt was a gayish nightmare. (one of many...)