Back From Paris........
I am back from my trip to Paris.
I spent two beautiful weeks in this most lovely
of cities on my own.
I hadn't traveled on my own in almost five years and
was a little nervous about all that "alone" time but
it turned out to be one of my best holidays ever.
It was like going to a retreat.
From my first lunch in Paris,
I was totally at ease and content.
I couldn't stop smiling to myself for hours.
My day usually started with a coffee from
my Nespresso machine in my Paris apartment.
I would sit at my dining room table and
do my morning pages each morning and
look out my window over the rooftops of Paris.
I would get dressed, take my tiny elevator down 7 floors
and only then would I decide in which direction I would head.
The only plan I had some days would be which
arrondissement I would discover. Some days, I
might hop a passing bus to see where it might go
and ride until I found something that looked
interesting along the way.
I always stopped for a nice lunch around 1:30
and usually at a better bistro or cafe where at night,
the prices would be a good deal higher.
One of my favorite lunch spots was in my neighborhood.
Bar Du Central was a casual gathering place and
at lunches, they served the best plats du jour.
That with a glass or two of lovely wine
kept me happily sitting for at least two hours
eating and watching the world walk by.
Because I had no agenda,
I would just stroll slowly down a street with my eyes
darting madly to take everything in. By not talking
the entire time to a traveling companion,
I didn't miss much.
Paris is known for their secret passages and gardens.
If you walk too quickly or don't pay attention,
you miss little doorways that hide a beautiful old
stairway from the 1600's.
This beauty was found on rue du Seine.
Every couple of hours, I wanted to stop again
and have a little rest.
I only enjoy a Coca in Paris.
Somehow it tastes better and doesn't feel so unhealthy.
I lucked out on one of the best tables at Les Deux Magots.
I not only got the best seat for people watching on the street,
but also eaves dropping on the customers and
waiters of this well-known establishment.
At night, I sometimes went back out
for dinner at a local restaurant or sometimes I would
cook in my little apartment. Within two blocks of my
apartment, I had some of the best little shops for all things
fresh food. I was that close to Rue Cler.
The sun didn't set until after 10:00 p.m. in
Paris and when it finally did, I was pretty tired
from a full day of doing what pleased me.
I would climb my ladder to my loft bed
and curl up with a book before I finally fell asleep.
As I looked out my window in one direction, I saw the Eiffel Tower
with a new moon just beside it and in another direction,
the Arc de Triomphe.
The one downside of traveling alone is taking selfies.
I am not Kim Kardashian so I haven't figured out how that
all works, so I had to use the big mirror in my apartment.
That silly grin on my face is how I felt on my trip.
Walking, writing and being mindful of my thoughts
helped me to sort out some important issues in my life.
I guess it's trusting that your heart will tell you
what you need if you just listen quietly to yourself.
