umbrellas on a beach in nice and the mediterranean sea
May 5th marked my 2 year anniversary of washing up on these fair French shores, a milestone unimaginable at the outset. So now, more often than not, friends in the US are asking me, "So when are you coming home?" My first thought is "I am home, Paris is my home.", a concept that too was inconceivable 2 years ago. The follow up question is always, "Well what is it about Paris...?"
I fear that my words would fall far short of expressing the joy that a simple walk down my street, rue Monge, affords me. This stroll takes me by an arena, Arene de Lutece, that was built in 100 AD and a few blocks beyond that is the magnificent Notre Dame, complete with John the Baptist sans tete! Turning a corner, I am often unexpectedly greeted by the breathtaking Pantheon or the flickering Eiffel Tower that never fails to stop me in my tracks and put a smile on my face as I think to myself "I am living in Paris!"
A friend in the south of France just sent me this note this morning. I was bemoaning the cold, cloudy spring we've been having in Paris. Here is her response:
"Everything here is wonderful.....we have nothing but sunshine! People are going to the beach, getting tanned and everything is blooming. There are wild poppies growing alongside the autoroute, beautiful little yellow flowers and the bouganvilla is breathtaking. And you should see the market - I've been eating fresh asparagus, artichokes, avacados and green beans, plus cherries, strawberries, raspberries and kiwis...!
Today my husband took me to lunch at a little place overlooking the Mediterranean in the city of Sanary...then we went to a city called Cassis, and took a little cruise to check out the calanques(incredible cliffs)...today there was some wind so the white caps looked like diamonds sparkling on the sapphire sea - but when we got to the ancient white cliffs - it turned the color of Indian turquoise...the sun was hot, but the wind kept everything fresh and alive. After that, we explored some other beaches, had a picnic supper and watched the sun set the Med on fire as it set..."
This is why we live here.....
Oh I'm so jealous! It looks gorgeous there.
Posted by: Dianka | Friday, 26 May 2006 at 12:17 PM
Ciao Laura!
A beautiful post ... and I think we all understand why you live where you live!
Posted by: Ivonne | Friday, 26 May 2006 at 02:49 PM
hey laura, wherever you feel at home most, that's where you belong... i have yet to find a place to call my own, but i believe i'm a step closer by living in dublin... i just love europe so!
and if you ever get the chance, do go to cassis... it's wonderful, and just warm and welcoming... :) swing by castelet, which is also in the region, and you will not regret it. i promise!
Posted by: Lil | Monday, 12 June 2006 at 11:52 AM