Friday, June 29, 2012

london to paris to london

DISPATCH Paris, sleeping on an early morning train, never ending up finding a bathroom to put makeup on or wash my hands, eating essentially only carbs (espresso/croissant/baguette breakfast, tartelette fraise, sushi, croissant, goat cheese croque monsieur/espresso dinner) and aching, aching feet from so much walking.

Saint Chapelle took my breath away, I had forgotten how beautiful it is and got chills standing beneath ceiling and walls of of all of that beautiful glass. Photo ops here, there and everywhere, but I ended up mostly leaving my camera in my bag and watching the people. Birkin bags everywhere, high heels everywhere, tourists everywhere, and it was hot.

I sat on the wall above the Seine, dangling my feet over the quai, and munched a Croissant with Charline (who just finished studying fashion in Paris) and we chatted in my very best French about design and cities and her favorite English word ("creepy") while we rolled our eyes at boats full of squawking tourists. I gave her a postcard from Penshurst, which promplty blew into the Seine, message and all. Still, my handwriting is floating along somewhere in France.

Dinner at Les Deux Magots, where our waiter was stereotypically demeaning and condescending, refusing to speak French with us, refusing to bring us the check, rolling his eyes at our request for tap water. Even the old Parisian man sitting next to us seemed disapproving of the waiter's behavior. I was so frustrated I considered leaving an enormous tip and a wee etiquette note, but then decided to buy some cheap French books along the Seine instead (La Petit Nicolas and a book by Colette I have been looking for - Dialogues des Betes). Frantically scurrying to make our Eurostar train out of the Gare du Nord, we were harassed by bored British Customs agents and almost missed the train.



Back in London. Please God, don't let me dream in French.

2 comments:

  1. Un jour bien accompli! My forehead would get very scrunched with lines of concentration after working on speaking French. I hope yours came more easily. Sounds like a good day! Love the pictures, well and you, too,ma petite taches de rousseur.
    maman

    ReplyDelete