Feeling Right at Home

My self is happy. I feel at peace, content, proud, filled up, excited, renewed, smart, clever, loved and cared for.

Today I felt like I lived in Paris and it was a perfectly lovely day.

Getting better with the map and the metro and easily found my way across the river to Le Marais without walking, The merchants mostly rest on Sundays but if you wander enough, there is always plenty of things to see and do.

I left my beautiful black cashmere scarf in the cab last night. Interestingly enough, two little shops had two different kinds of what I wanted for around my neck. I walked towards a general area versus looking for a certain street and happened upon a place full of people having brunch.

Yummy. Even though it was cold and rainy, they always have outside covered areas with heaters. My French brunch included my café crème, jus d’orange and a big plate with four little bowls and 3 breads. Cherry tomatoes (halved with dressing), scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, fromage frais avec herbs (not sure what it was, means fresh cheese, tasted like tziki), fruit salad that had been soaking in spices. Two breads were like toast and the other bread was pain perdu. I know it is not ‘lost bread’ but then it was, similar to French toast but no egg, lost in the spices and sugary flavor.

I felt settled with being on my own and enjoyed knowing how far I had come to feel the way I did in that moment.

Already knowing that Georges Pompidou Centre IS open on Sundays, I felt that was a possibility. Modern Art is not my thing but part of my art knowledge includes Matisse, Picasso & Chagal and I had no previous knowledge of Kadinsky, which was the special exhibit, and of course the center itself is an amazing structure. Kadinsky, I tried to feel his passion, see his flow and understand his pov, but I really thought Arthur & Becca could have come up with some stuff like that. But the point was that it was a point of view and very much different from what had come before. Like Pollack, don’t we all think we could make one of those pictures.

Following my nose in the late afternoon, the sun was out and tout monde etait dehors. All kinds of little stores were opened and I frolicked in & out, picking up some goodies and gifts. Cruised towards the river and enjoyed watching and listening and wandering home. Stopped for all kinds of yummy fruit, cheese, water and staples. I found myself getting home from pretty far away, by foot – not directly on the river, without ever looking at my map.

Happy to be home, munching on some yummies and I am really happy about my relaxed Parisian style.

Last night was interesting. I felt pretty nerdy taking my own picture before I went out so I could have a dress up picture. Calling a cab as Catherine directed did not work and finally got one on the street. He crashed into a bus upon our approach to Moulin Rouge, so my entrance did not go unnoticed.

Moulin Rouge is very much like a fancy Vegas show, except French and small boobies. The cattle call to get in and eat dinner was not an exquisite event but I made fabulous friends with the table next door.

No cameras allowed last night or at Kadinsky. I found out at the end of the exhibit that cameras were allowed on the other floors, so grabbed ya’ll a few Picassos.

Tomorrow I need to clean my house and do some business from home. Tony turned me on to a friend – girl, who lives mostly in Oregon and travels to Paris once a month for a week. Too much flying for me. Anyway, we are getting together tomorrow. She lives on a barge and I am meeting her there. Tuesday I am going to Giverny to visit Monet’s home. I am going to reserve something cool again for this weekend, dinner on the Seine and Illumination Tour, I think.

I have calmed my pace but there is so much to do. Pretty sure I am going to stay longer so I can do all the things I want to do. I still have to go to Versailles, Champagne Tour, London and am thinking probably Normandy since everyone says it is a cool tour.

I really don’t want to rush through this. My goal was to immerse myself so I could calmly live it, be it, breath it and become Parisian.

Sorry to be long winded. I don’t expect anyone to read it all, except maybe my girl and my mom, but am grateful that everyone is enjoying.