I’ve Absolutely Missed Gobs of Paris

This morning began with an early ritual of packing because D will be heading back to Frankfurt for his flight this evening, and because I only need a room for one. So we started the day by requesting an Uber to yet one more new hotel. Because of a strike, there was little traffic occupying […]

They Reuse Everything Here

Throughout my morning walk, twisting and turning across central, Paris, I was I escorted by a bone-chilling fog. At ground level it was frigid but clear, but a few feet up, I could see where the mists lingered. I had been planning to visit the Eiffel Tower today, and as my steps progressed I maintained […]

Paris Is Built On A Superhuman Scale

I have a confession. Yesterday was an absolutely lovely day, which was reflected in a certain dreaminess and optimism of the post. That doesn’t reflect the reality of what I’ve experienced here, however, as the weather has been mostly inclement, ranging from blustery and cold to grey and drizzly. To put it bluntly, I’ve spent […]

The Word Of The Day Is …

There’s something luminous about France, and I don’t know that I’ve really understood it until now, and I’m still not entirely certain that I do. I’ve heard about it before, but didn’t quite have a grasp of it. Maybe it’s in the angle of the sun and the way it refracts through the lens of […]

There Really Is Food In Lyon

They say Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, whoever “they” are. And they might be right. For one, there are food vending machines everywhere. These were in the subway. Every station seems to have at least three or four of the contraptions. On some level, the ubiquity of the these devices with their industrial, […]

I Didn’t Expect to Find a Staircase There

The clouds hung low and baleful in the firmament as we crossed the river Saône to the Vieux Lyon, the old neighborhood that lies just to the west of the river. I looked up at the preternaturally luminous churches of St. Jean and Notre Dame, standing in stark contrast to those clouds, and wondered if […]