Travel can be glamourous or exasperating. More and more, with all the cutbacks and nickel-and-diming of various carriers, most of the fun has been completely sucked out of what can and should be an exciting adventure, getting from one place to another. And airports are part of the equation. They should be places that exalt the process of a voyage, but often they too destroy all the life and fun of it with their ugly furniture, dark hallways, cramped lounges and musty corners. CDG in Paris is different, and even as they have added a multitude of terminals over the years, it has always kept its airy, open, futuristic feel. It makes one not only want to travel and dream of distant voyages, it also manages another equally important function: It calms and reassures one before a long trip. The collection of beautiful, soaring spaces and lounges is for me a welcome antidote to most airports which are crowded angry spaces that are overflowing with people in badly designed departure areas. While the airport is quite spread out, it is very easy to get from one terminal to another and one never feels rushed or pushed. As I sit here in my departure lounge, waiting to board a long flight back to NYC, I am at peace. (Except for the screaming child-monster 10 feet away from me whose mother seems to be completely deaf.)
At times, we are able to see very familiar things with fresh eyes and everything is filled with that newness and sense of wonder. The last couple of days in Paris have been like that, helped along by the absolutely stunning weather, which has seemed to put everyone is a wonderful mood (except waiters, that is). I have had a great time catching up with old friends (Sonia, Marc, Karin and Alyssa) and wandering around Paris by myself and with Josh. It is a good thing however that I am going home tomorrow, or I might well find myself in a diabetic coma brought on by one too many pan au chocolat aux amandes.
Satori, Paris — Stephen on September 19, 2010 @ 11:54 am — 2 comments
Paris is literally and figuratively a breathe of fresh air after 3 weeks in Spain. It is a lot cooler here, and so different from Spain but obviously so familiar to me at the same time. I am seeing old friends and walking through the streets in the beautiful weather, stopping at this or that bakery to sample something wonderful and bad for me. I kinda wish I had more time here, but this trip was not about Paris, so it will have to wait for another time. The nostalgic effects of Paris are heightened by the fact that I am actually staying alone in my old apartment since my friend Dominique is out of town and graciously left it for me to use. One of the really funny things as I look around this place that I lived for a couple of years, is how much has been changed. There is a new floor and paint job, the staircase I built is gone in favor of a crappy ladder, the arrangement of furniture is different. The apartment has an odd shape and that of course is still here and feels just like it did. And there is one thing that I built that is still here, and it surprises me. There is a small mezzanine that the ladder goes up to, and at the top is a small square of the mezzanine that I extended about 20 years ago. To my amazement, it still holds and is still walked on. I really had no idea what I was doing when I built it, but it has lasted all these years.
The French expression most used as the equivalent for the English “goodbye” is “au revoir”, which literally means “until we see each other again”. I prefer the optimistic tone this has over the “God be with you” which is at the origin of our word goodbye (and at the heart of the Spanish “Adios” as well. Though not so much the Mexican preferred “Hasta luego“). And after my quite lovely trip here, I suspect that I will be back in Paris with a slightly greater frequency than that of the past few years.
I love the way looking down Paris streets is often like looking at slices of things. Ever since Haussmann made Paris safe for modern traffic, there have been these criss-crossing shortcuts between points. Click on the pic to see the whole Paris album thus far…
- With only slightly more frequency than in New York, I hear people speaking English here all around me (vs hearing French in NYC)
- It was a beautiful day out, so I bought a sandwich poulet and headed to the amphitheater in front of St Eustache, where there were tons of people eating their lunch. I remember that I used to refer to this church as the “Valentine Cathedral” for the heart shaped windows on its second level.
- Walking in a crowd is different here than in New York, and I find that I bump into or cross people with much greater frequency. I have in the past said the same about New York and I realize that each culture finds its own “rhythm” for moving in crowded places.
- I love how language and culture mix around the world. I bought a made in Japan, French design inspired notebook with English writing on the cover that said “Note Book. Most advanced quality, Gives best writing features”. It sounds kinda lurid when you put it that way.
Like many previous hygiene mysteries in my past, the correct answer probably has to do with training and control. Yet still I wonder: Looking at the picture below of the bathtub with shower handle that is in the apartment I am staying in here in Paris, however does one prevent the water from going all over the place and still clean oneself? I have tried several things. Using the shower head to wet my body, then lathering, then rinsing. Using one hand to shower and the other to clean, then switching hands. Sitting down the entire time. But I feel clumsy and/or not fully clean with each of these. Is a shower curtain so visually unappealing? Any ideas?
Ah, Paris. Sometimes it feels like coming home. Everything just falls into place so easily. I met up with old and new friends all day today, sharing great food and wine, and walks and talks. Despite being majorly jet lagged and tired (as is the norm for me, there was a screaming infant in the seat next to me on the flight over), I had a wonderful time today getting reacquainted with Paris. I especially love how most of the best conversations and interaction are around the table, as it seems to bring out the friendship and connection in everyone. It didn’t hurt that the weather was gorgeous and everyone had a bit of spring fever.
Now if you will excuse me, I am going to pass out and hopefully get adjusted to the time difference. Bonne nuit!
