Tag: Paris
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Paris Inhabits Me, But Must Free Me To Wander The Dunes
[A Gargoyle contemplates Paris from Notre Dame Cathedral. Charles Laughton, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1939, says to the figure: “Why am I not made of stone like this statue?” Source: Google Search] “Paris…is loath to surrender itself to people who are in a hurry; it belongs to the dreamers…” ~~Julian Green “We’ll always…
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Of Time and Distance: A Departing
[Corfe Castle] Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I sat on unmowed grass leaning against a stone wall. I was on the grounds of Corfe Castle in south Dorset. The mason who built my backrest had fitted the stones into their places over 1,000 years ago. There was still a strong sun in the west and…
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People Watching: Our Final Night In Paris
If you are a frequent reader of my posts, you will probably have noticed that I like to make up stories about people and things I don’t know anything about. The pleasure, for me as a blogger, is that I’m not bound in by only what I read or hear. The type of posts I…
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The “Popcorn” Man
[The Street Vender. Photo is mine.] At first I thought he was selling a popcorn necklace. He would walk up and down the rows of diners, whose tables (here in Paris) always face the streets. And he would peddle his “popcorn” necklaces to those at the tables that were closest to the sidewalk. Yes, I…
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Street Scene In Paris
[Paris is a city of light and charm.] It was our first day in the City of Light. Getting there involved subjecting ourselves to a subtle form of modern torture. We were taking a “red-eye” from JFK to Paris. We flew American Airlines because we’re addicted to air miles. I won’t tell you how many…
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Mystery of the Paris Photograph
[Photo source: unknown.] I don’t know where it came from. It was leaning against our brass lamp…since I don’t know when. A year or two ago, I began to glean the Kodak slides and other photos that came into my possession after my father passed away in 2004. There was a collection of letters and…
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Kissing The Moon
[Source: Google search.] So, there is a story. It goes something like this: A certain Chinese poet, Li Po, was said to have tried to kiss the reflection of the moon from his boat. He leaned to plant the kiss…fell overboard and drowned. What is the moral of the story? I am fascinated by the…
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68 Steps Along The Nave Of Wells Cathedral
Three hundred and sixty-five days ago, I was climbing the endless steps of Sacre Coeur in Paris. My wife was at my side. We paused on the 67th step, and, in the warm Parisian sun, we turned and looked back at the City of Lights. We kissed on that 67th step. It was my 67th…
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Forever and a Day
Absolutely nothing lasts forever. Nothing lasts forever. There may be some things that last forever. One thing lasts forever. You’re waiting for me in the cafe. The place beside the old church and next to the cemetery. The only place in the city where I can sit next to the fire and feel warm…on…
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Passports 7: Last Thoughts on Listening to “Bohemian Rhapsody” in Pere La Chaise Cemetery
I find Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody to be a sad song of life, mistakes, loss and death. Freddie Mercury was a beautiful man who died too young. His vocals are pure and haunting: Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? When you wander Paris and take time to look, really look around, you find…
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