Paris is beautiful as always. I had butterflies in my stomach just driving to the centre Sunday evening. Our flat is small but gorgeous, and our little street in Marais is to die for.
Nathan and I are enjoying life with food, wine, walks, looking and talking. Our first night, we found our feet in the new city with a lovely glass of Ricard, but still starting every sentence with “Grazi… merci”, “per favo… s’il vous plaît”, “buongior…. bonjour”. Still adjusting.
Paris is a never-ending book of street art and when I first walked out this morning, I saw this:
I think it’s my tenth time in Paris, so I take in the city in another way than Nathan who has never been here before. But with a bit of patience and my desire to find out what all the monuments actually are, it’s working very well. Having been so absorbed in Roman architecture, I had almost forgot all about Gothic churches. But how my eyes enjoy looking at something else than Baroque grandiosity! The construction of Notre Dame began in 1163, and the cathedral is widely mentioned in Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris, which I just bought. When a book costs under 5€ – rule of thumb: buy it.
Paris streets are just cute à mourir
Girls passing their time browsing books outside the legendary Shakespeare & Co. bookshop.
The original owner of the bookshop, George Whitman, just passed away last week. Apparently he is an icon, and I guess this is something he wrote. I like it – and might relate a bit too much to it sometimes.
One of my favourite buildings in Paris is Grand Palais. Constructed with steel and glass, it was inspired by Crystal Palace in London and meant for the Universal Exposition of 1900. I’m crazy about the Art Nouveau of this building; hard staircase made in steel but looking organic and soft. Despite its monumentality, I find a special peace in this place.
Consequently, when we walked in, we were surprised to discover – a whole new world of an amusement park inside!
It was very interesting to see. It was too much of a good thing, so kitsch, so much steel, to me charged with so many meanings and connotations of modernity. You might think I should get out of my ivory tower… But I’m having fun in here!
Today we had a lovely evening walk to Montmarte. It’s certainly too cute, but they really know how to get Christmassy, a thing Rome did not manage.
The happy travellers say goodbye
I hope I haven’t let too many Danes down writing in English… It will probably be a good mix of languages futher on.
Oh, and by the way… Finished that paper I never really talked about, but that was the reason for all this sweet globetrotting.
Il dolce far niente 