I haven't posted anything for over a month due to a number of guests coming through. It was great to have Denise, Cathy, Helmut and Ingrid spend time with me here in Paris, but it left little time for reflection or writing. I somehow got out of the habit of blogging and slipped into posting pictures and one liner's on Face Book.
So…today is my last day in Paris…and I'm filled with mixed emotions. While I am ready to head home and reconnect with friends, family and work, I am genuinely sad to be leaving this magical place. I have been walking the Right and Left Banks every day for thirteen weeks and have become very much at home in this environment. I made a point of seeking out the less well-known spots in the city during my stay, but one cannot help pausing and gasping in awe as a well-known vista comes into view. The trip was a mixture of nostalgia and discovery, and I will treasure every minute of this extended time in the City of Light. (BTW: This reference to Paris has nothing to do with "light" per se. It goes back to the Enlightenment when Paris was the epicenter of education, political discourse, and social transformation.)
I feel grateful and very blessed to have been able to spend this time in Paris, and I hereby resolve to do it again on a regular basis. Living here is quite different from just visiting for a few days…even if one does it frequently. It has become my "other" home…the one where my heart and psyche (as well as all five senses) are totally engaged. Don't get me wrong...I love the US. I love Philly and the MidAtlantic region, San Francisco Bay Area, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest, too. Although I have seriously considered buying a flat in Paris and settling here indefinitely, such a move would deny the other half of my being…and the primary importance of being near family on a regular basis. So I'm destined to be always torn between two "homes" and I am beginning to view that as a good thing…something that will always motivate me to explore, try new things, develop new skills, and expand my horizons. As retirement looms, I am wary of slipping into familiar routine with an ever-shrinking world of experience. I fear I might actually die of boredom if I were to let that happen! ; >)
Last Christmas, as I was making plans to go to France, my daughter-in-law Angie asked me "What IS it about France that you love so much?" An honest, sincere question…worthy of a response. That question rings in my ears and I've spent several months trying to understand this city's hold on me. I'm not sure it can be put into mere words ( "un certain je ne sais quoi?"), but I'll try.
In no particular order….here are my thoughts on why France, and Paris in particular, is so special:
1. The language. I love the richness of the French language…the way it can express things that can only be experienced through the senses. Sometimes, there is just no way to say it in English. It has to be said in French because the very idea is French. Evocative words. Beautiful sounding words. The music of the French phrase. The gallic gestures. The facial expressions born of the very muscles one uses to produce French sounds. I can observe someone across a crowded room and know instinctively if they are speaking French or English without hearing a word. To tune into a nearby conversation is a veritable verbal symphony for me that can be appreciated on multiple levels. As I walk around the city, I find myself quietly reading signs aloud, just to hear the words and practice the sounds, feeling the rhythm, "singing the song" of French. Just listen for a minute…you don't have to understand French to hear the music of the spoken word: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxz7omg9pS8
2. L'art et l'architecture. In central Paris, great care has been taken to retain the essential character of the city as it has evolved through the centuries. Some historians would probably argue with that statement, but few European cities have survived turbulent times over hundreds of years more or less intact. The surviving medieval structures merge seamlessly with those of the Renaissance, the Empire Period, and later the Haussmann era buildings. The unifying factor is the ubiquitous stone color that I call "Paris beige". It comes in various tones of charcoal gray, taupe, beige and cream, depending on how recently the edifice was sand-blasted and relieved of its urban grime, but it is nonetheless the backdrop color of the city, regardless of the neighborhood or the season.
Although storefronts at ground level can be quite colorful, you won't find entire buildings in various colors in France's cities…and this phenomenon allows one to focus on the exquisite architecture and decorative arts that characterized centuries of urban development. Designs reflect the historical evolution of styles, and showcase the skills of artisans throughout the ages. The entire city is a veritable museum of western civilization. You just have to walk down any street or duck into any public park to find it before your eyes. You find yourself imagining the lives of people who walked these streets and paths decades and even centuries before you, and you can be transported back in time at the sound of a church bell or the clanking of an iron gate.
3. La genie. The French are renowned for their penchant for reason, rationality, and intellectualism. Indeed, a "good ole boy" could never be elected president of the French Republic. That is why the election and even more importantly, the re-election of George W remained such a mystery to them. In contrast, the US seems to be intimidated by (if not disdainful of) intellectual strength. Therefore, I shall refer to this section as the "genius" of France. Everywhere you look, you are reminded of the genius that characterizes French civilization throughout the ages. From the imposing statue of Charlemagne in the parvis de Notre Dame to Victor Hugo's home in nearby Place des Vosges; and just across the river Seine, the Pantheon (the final resting place of philosophers, writers, artists, scientists, political leaders, and other heroes of French civilization on whose shoulders modern civilization was built). The Curies, Louis Braille, Andre Malraux, Rousseau, Voltaire, Racine, Moliere, Soufflot, Jean Monnet, Sartre and de Beauvoir, the list of French genius goes on and on. Their influence on art, music, philosophy, politics, and science was profound and resonates throughout the world to this day. If you read David McCullough's The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/books/review/book-review-the-greater-journey-americans-in-paris-by-david-mccullough.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)
you will be amazed at the direct and pervasive influence of the French that reverberates throughout American life. Of course, we Americans like to take full credit for singlehandedly "inventing" things like the telegraph or powered flight, our legal system, the treasures of our rich American literary and artistic traditions, and stunning architectural feats without a glance back to the cultural, political, and scientific roots that made them all possible. It's as though these accomplishments leapt spontaneously from the soil in the US. I love finding these connections (and by extension acknowledging other networks of Germans, Brits, Russians, Italians, and others around the globe who took what was "known" just one step (or a giant leap) forward. It's the story of humankind…..and it is both fascinating and uplifting (for the most part). And the French arguably contributed more than their share.
5. L'art de vivre.
No one can deny that the French have a well developed sense of style.
Doing something well. Not faster. Not cheaper. Not bigger. This concept seems to pervade French culture in a hundred different ways. Take for instance "L'art de la table" (and the example at left is admittedly a bit "over the top" with the crystal candelabra!). It is a approach to entertaining that honors family and friends….those who might be invited to share a meal at one's table. The 3-7 course meal is an art unto itself. The setting of a beautiful table is as important as the food. The accompanying wine to complement the food is also an important element…as is the assemblage of guests around the table who are expected to contribute to a lively and interesting conversation that may well last for hours (with no television blaring in the background and competing for attention). If you have ever participated in such an event, you know how special and memorable it can be…whether it was an elegant dinner or a lovely picnic. Indeed, there is a gaping chasm between pretentiousness designed to impress and thoughtful hospitality, and the French know the difference.
5. La Patrie. I also love the French sense of national pride that allows them to thumb their collective noses at the world's most powerful nation if they don't happen to agree with the latest policy out of Washington. I'm not saying they are right; I'm just saying I admire their chutzpah and solid sense of identity in the face of such power. Such resistance provides a leavening effect on unrestrained power and requires a second thought on occasion before the US moves forward unilaterally with policies that affect people well beyond our borders who don't get to vote for those making the decisions. I love the way the French shake their heads and treat us like a younger sibling who is impetuous, naive, and perhaps a bit immature. They are so world-weary and wise from centuries of experience…and so tolerant of our shortcomings. They quietly bite their tongues. They marvel at our inconsistencies; but I think they also secretly envy our "can do" approach to innovation and change while they feel mired in bureaucracy and tradition. They love to visit the US; but most don't long to live among us. (And I can appreciate that, too!).
I love seeing the French flag that is anchored to public buildings with a plaque proclaiming "liberte, egalite, fraternite" even though such ideals are imperfectly implemented. And I loved the Bastille Day parade when the troops from Mali were invited to participate this year in recognition of the French commitment to resolving that crisis with little if any help from the other great powers. The pride of the French people was palpable. They may not be the world's greatest military power any longer, but they are a very important player and have much to offer in terms of collective efforts in the future. Although irritating and sometimes infuriating, the French penchant for reason and rationality serves as an important check to our national tendency toward wanting impetuous, definitive, and immediate response to literally everything. I think we complement and balance each other out quite nicely!
France is far from perfect. (Csn we name a country that is?) My affection for France is obviously weighted toward the positive since I am not directly affected by its economic and social policies, its taxes, and other issues that the citizens here complain about ad nauseam. I am an outsider who can appreciate the good, ignore the bad, and go home any time I choose. Guilty as charged.
If France were just like the US, I would have no reason to come here…this whole exercise would be rendered meaningless. But France is home to my alter-ego, and spending time here feeds an important part of my soul. I feel replenished and refreshed, happy to know that France will always be here…constant and timeless…as a counter weight to the high octane, at times superficial, often parochial, and occasionally myopic US culture.
After thirteen weeks of re-acquainting myself with this beautiful city and the French way of life, tomorrow I say "au revoir" and "a bientot" because I will be back again…and soon.
But now it's time to go for a walk around the neighborhood, to bid goodbye to the garrulous grocer on the corner who loves to practice his fractured English with me, and to have one last dinner Au Petit Fer a Cheval in the Marais.
A la prochaine fois….(until next time)…Thanks for joining me on this odyssey. I hope you enjoyed seeing it through my eyes, and that you will have the opportunity to do something similar someday.
