ODE TO THE EIFFEL

I have a thing for the Eiffel Tower.  I know I am one of thousands of people whose heart just skips a beat when they see this grand old lady.  But it is true ... my heart does flips.  And so, when I venture to my yearly sojourn to the City of Lights, my rental accommodation must be close to the Eiffel Tower.

This is the street where I lived for a month last year.  The tower was two blocks away.  I could see the nightly show of lights if I hung far enough out my window and hoped and prayed I didn't lose my balance.  I don't know what it is about the twinkling lights at night that makes my heart skip that beat or five.  I feel like a five year old on Christmas Eve.

This is la rue Saint-Dominique in the 7th arrondissement.  The two previous years, I stayed on one of the side streets off of Saint-Dominique.  This is the view you have each day as you do your shopping on Rue Cler or your laundry around the corner or heading off to have a wonderful dinner at one of Christian Constant's local restaurants.  This view of the Eiffel Tower was painted by Fabrice Moireau and is one of my favorite of Paris.

A number of my French series pillows have an Eiffel Tower in the background.  This is Anais from Les Femmes de Paris series.  She is loosely based on the famous Anais Nin, author of erotica literature like The Little Birds and The Venus of Delta.  Most French women probably have her books next to their beds.  "Ah sleep ... perchance to dream." 

 The quote on the back of the pillow is a quote from Anais Nin.  

"Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage."  How true is that?  I can remember how nervous I was to travel to Paris and stay on my own for an extended period but thank God, I did. Maybe that accounts for my skipping heart each time I visit Paris.  I am thrilled to be there and I am thrilled I had the courage to follow through with my dream. 

Find something that makes your heart skip a beat or two.  When we were young, it was that cute boy in high school, but that little thrill hasn't happened in decades.  Now, it's those little day dreams I pay attention to or a feeling I get when I see or hear something that stirs an emotion within that I can rarely explain.  The one thing I know for sure, at this age, is that I pay

attention to that wonderful feeling because I know I am on the right track to something I will love.   

And so, dear old Eiffel Tower, I will continue to find places to stay in Paris where I can see your beautiful twinkling lights and know that everyday in Paris is like Christmas.