Friday, November 1, 2013

365 Inspirations—305: Paris

“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.”—Thomas Jefferson

I've never been to Paris, have you? I've heard so much about it, seen so many movies from there, met some lovely French people, but I can't say I know the place.

Tonight I went out with a friend. We started out at a Taiwanese restaurant called Fu Mandu and ended at a French Restaurant/Bar in the Greenwood area called Gainsbourg. There frites with aioli garlic sauce were to die for. My friend told me all about Paris and about several of her adventures there. We sat up at the bar and there were mini statues of the Eiffel Tower on the counter. The atmosphere was lively and homey at the same time. It was a perfect place to hang out on a cold fall evening.

In the background, they played avant garde, old French movies on a big screen. Every now and then an absolutely ridiculous scene would show up on the screen and I'd have to break our conversation to get my friend to look at the screen.

I think the best things about this evening were discovering a new place right in my neighborhood and spending time with my friend. That's the benefit of going out with a friend. Sometimes you get to see your very same stomping grounds through different eyes. Places you've never, ever ventured into or knew existed, become a whole new reality for you.

Today I saw the world through a Paris lens with my friend.

It makes me want to go there to visit, but I think I need to learn some French first!

Have you ever been to Paris, France? How was it?

3 comments:

  1. Paris is the most wonderful city in the world!! You would love it! Learn a few phrases...please, thank you, hello, goodbye, a glass of red wine...and you'll be set When I was in Paris in May, I actually heard more English spoken there than I had heard all year in my little village!

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  2. Your evening with a friend in the French bar/restaurant sounds like fun. I spent several months in Paris and happy hours in the Louvre and other museums, and heard organ recitals in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, etc. You would like it, and I think Thomas Jefferson was right, in his quote you give.

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  3. Paris was my first trip out of the country. My husband took me there on a belated honeymoon and we had a wonderful time. We visited all of the touristy areas and even took in a show at the Moulin Rouge. I intend to go back because I didn't see all that I wanted to see. It truly is a beautiful place. Sounds like you had a fun night! I would love that place!

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