Monet's Garden

Today I am feeling stimulated and exhilarated, like my cup runneth over on the inside.

There’s even some peace and knowing in all that razz mataz.

There is no needy, no sad, no longing, some missing. I am not the same girl I was almost 5 years ago, July 11, 2004. I am more and better, and while the lessons have been tough, I have learned and grown. I have taken my lemons and made some lemonade. I love how I feel and it’s been a long time. I have so much spirit and spunk spilling out of me right now. At least today!

I feel so strong and so whole, like nothing is missing, like I am complete package unto myself. Everything I need is right here, in my heart and in my head.

Yeah, I love this place. Even a month is not enough so I guess I will have to stay longer.

I have things to do, places to go and people to see. Sorry, staying longer.

Yesterday after coffee and croissant on my terrace, I worked, did wash and a few mandatory things. Very relaxing.

Even though I had a half a page of directions and was a little nervous, I went to meet Tony’s friend Lisa. After the Batobus, the one bridge, walking under the other bridge, past the big black boats, I found the 2nd one in and called her, as I really was not sure how to get into her barge. Well you just walk on the other boat and climb over the rails and jump aboard.

I met Lisa and Jillie and their two water policeman friends, Philippe & ??. After some tea and talk, the water police took us out on their huge rubber ‘boat’ to show us some speed. He told me in no uncertain terms to hold on here and hold on there and do not let go. OMG, talk about exciting, and no, if I had let go, I would be in the Seine. If going fast enough to take my sweater off my body wasn’t enough, they dodged in between the Seine wall and the Batobus and the Batomouche until I was screaming and squealing and laughing myself silly. So fun, so cool.

Lisa lives in Oregon and travels back and forth to Paris constantly every month. She rents a room on this boat on the Seine,. It’s a fabulous location and what a way to live. I feel like we made a nice connection and am looking forward to time I can spend with her. I think Jillie is English, not sure though, older, wiser, interesting and has been living on this boat for 35 years. The guys were so nice and we all hit it off and it was a great adventure.

The girls were going shopping so I left there as I had a plan to meet someone I met but never got to spend time with. He called to tell me he would be late. I said what about another day. He said he was leaving the next day for Romania for 2 months. I said bye bye, don’t have time.

Walking towards a metro, I saw H&M, H&M in Paris with a 50% off sale. What else could a girl want since I needed some cooler tops? I brought too many sweater things and not enough COTTON so 6 tops, cotton pants and a dress, a $115 euros, I am so happy. Salad rolls and chicken satay to go.. yummy.

Woke up and did some more work. Got an email from the girls that Philippe called twice last night to find out how to get in touch with me. He asked them to give me his number.

Lisa invited me to go to Chartres next week. It is one of the oldest Cathedrals in Paris. We will travel by train and stay overnight in a B&B. Then we will walk the labyrinth, which apparently is not always available to do. A meditative maze… How exquisite is that? They are also talking about going Saturday to get thai massage and hamam.. wow.

Today was my tour to Giverny and it was everything I wanted it to be. Monet's house was a house and it seemed that everyone was enthralled by it but for me, the gardens were just so magnificent. Knowing all his art and then seeing where he was inspired made the flowers even more special to me. And it was a perfectly beautiful day.

At Giverny, I went off on my own, in my own direction, at my own pace, ‘cause I am a girl who really doesn’t like to hang with the pack.

I met the nicest gal, Joann from Long island. What a kick, we were like two peas in a pod. We gabbed all the way there and all the way back and really enjoyed the heck out of each other. She is full of life, a big family Jewish/Italian, smart and evolved. She had her first daughter the same year I had Becca, and that’s sort of how it started.

I think we will stay connected for the rest of our lives. At least it felt that way today.. whatcha think Joann?

Not sure about tomorrow. I don’t even need to figure it out now. I am great at the metro. I easily use two at a time and figure out how to get most anywhere I want to go.

Jillie’s boat is near Tuileries Gardens, the gardens that attach to the Louvre. Yesterday I wandered in to eat my chocolate crepe, after dumping Jean Francois, and got a few pictures. Then today, I was to meet my tour near the same location. I brought my lunch and wandered through again and took some more. The suits were out, the old people, the whole world, eating their sandwiches and enjoying the day. They have so many lovely places to hang out and eat in the middle of the day, AND they make it a priority to do it.

After the tour, I walked a bit and found a nice café for a salad nicoise before I took my two metros home. Did I mention the home made pistachio ice cream I had at Monets Garden.

While I haven’t tried it or even sure I want to, the bicycle program is very cool. They have stops all over Paris with maybe 15 bicycles. You start a card with a deposit and then you can pick up a bike anywhere for like 2 euros and drop it anywhere there is another block of bikes. So you can pick up and drop off different bikes from different areas at any time day or night. Bicyclists have huge rights here and all main roads, that I have seen, have specifically bike baths.

Did you know in most bathrooms, all cafes & restaurants, the men and women share the same common area of a bathroom? Two stalls, one – sometimes two sinks, so you are waiting with men & women to get into your stall and then ya’ll wash your hands ensemble.

I remember in NY, it seems in the older apartment buildings, you smell everything your neighbors are cooking at every meal. That is the only memory I can compare to living in an old apartment building in Paris. In the beginning, it bothered me some, but now it makes me smile and then I feel like I am home.

Living in an apt. saves a lot on money. With my breakfasts in, lunch on the run $3.10 (today my baguette had cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and goat cheese – thought of you Martha), and usually dinner out, along with transportation costs, I think I am spending about $35 a day.

I have decided to go to Bruges (Belgium). I think I am going Sunday and then London next Wednesday. And there are so many things in between. I want to go to the newly renovated Orangerie which houses the rest of my impressionists along with many more Monets