This little gem certainly knows she is special! She’s been the muse for countless artists, the scene for great triumphs and tribulations in the annals of history, and, while we all know Paris to be ‘the city of love,' she could also be described as ‘the backdrop to the theatre of life’. For in all its forms, life is played out here.
I’ve never quite known what gives special cities like Paris their energy, but if you could bottle it, you’d be rich! You only have to open the window of your apartment here, and the pulsing metropolis is immediately present… she hasn’t yet engulfed you, but her siren song of the sounds of life, tempts you out onto the street, where you will no longer be your own, but hers alone. I’ve only ever felt this in one other place- New York city. I was lucky enough to live there for a year and it was a feeling that was always present in some way, regardless of the season or time of day, or the way I was feeling. Indeed, Paris at present is relatively quiet and yet this feeling prevails. It is the first week of the holidays for many Parisians and they have left their city in large numbers. Driving into Paris from Saint Malo, I noted that just about every other vehicle on the westbound lanes was a camper van or car towing a caravan. Tourists also seem to be a little scarce at the moment, which is perhaps due to general unrest about safety.
For those remaining here, and those visiting, Paris, as always, has so much to offer. Yesterday, we brought brought lunch from a great bakery close to Gerard’s apartment. From there it was a short walk to the truly wonderful Buttes-Chaumont park, where we enjoyed our late lunch under the branches of a lovely old tree, before walking into the city centre to watch a friend take her tango dancing class by the Seine. It doesn’t get too much better than that, if you ask me!
We’re yet to ‘test the water’ with regards to busking, but we hope to go out tomorrow evening and play a few sets on one of the main pedestrian bridges to see how we go. It’s always a hustle here- you have to contend with other buskers (some of them scary!!) who all vie for the good spots, and if that’s not enough, the Gendarme are a little capricious when it comes to buskers… sometimes they’re cool, other times… !
