Legends and folklore abound. The ritual upon returning from
an overseas visits, the last act before boarding the airplane we usually buy a
book of an interesting country, which will become our next exploration
destination. It started coming back from London when we bought a book about
Italy and in Rome we bought a book about France. And in Paris we bought books
about…France. I am not sure if that means we will be back or whether we enjoyed
France so much we wanted more and took a little back with us. And then if you
ask M why France she will tell you that I asked her what she wanted for our 30th
anniversary, that she said France and I, seeing that I asked, had no option but
to oblige. Whichever way you look at it…
France is a series of contrasts. Like a recommended good
wine you can sniff it, breath it, twirl it, hold it up against the light, look
at its legs, its color and brightness, but you cannot say whether it is a dud,
a diamond or the entire collection of crown jewels until you taste it. France
is a collection of crown jewels. I’ve tasted France with all my senses and I
loved it. My best and most varied travel destination to date.
History oozes from every nook and cranny in France. The
range of architectural delights varied from Roman and Medieval to Baroque and Neoclassical
and they were all breathtaking. In Paris M and I were two kids in an architectural
candy store. No matter which corner you turn in central Paris there will be
something to please the eye. It could be a cozy spot for people-watching or a
beautiful water fountain or statue. Sometimes on a “relatively dull” street you
will find one or two buildings with exceptional balcony treatments or corner
pieces and at other times just crossing one of the 37 bridges in Paris will
provide a photogenic opportunity of the Seine and its surroundings. There were
no dull moments for the eye and the senses in Paris.
The
Hotel de Ville at dusk, which isn’t a hotel but the offices of Paris’s city
government.
And if you do not have a particular interest in architecture
or history, do window shopping. Aah, the good eats! The wares in the windows of
boulangeries (bakeries), pastry shops
and chocolatiers are like art pieces. Every morning in Paris and Avignon I
would go and buy fresh croissants at a boulangerie
for breakfast. The croissants in France are simply to die for. They are
crispier and flakier than here in the States and the consistency in quality
across all of France is amazing. On two or three occasions M had a Pain au Chocolat instead of a croissant,
but I am just not that much of a chocoholic to have it for breakfast.
The gilded
Fame at Pond Alexander III is very much expressing our sentiments with the
weather too, angrily pointing its sword to the heavens and the clouds in
defiance of the on-then-off-again rain while barely controlling the mythical
winged horse, Pegasus.
Chateau
de Chambord, the monstrosity of a castle built by Francois I (1494-1547).
It’s
huge, intriguing, artistic, and fascinating.
In the Loire valley it didn’t rain but poured most of the time, but again, it didn’t prevent us from cruising the country roads in our tiny Renault Modus, which actually provides a very nice ride, and visiting the chateaus. Only once we arrived in Avignon did we experience the famous Provençal bienvenue of sunshine, warmth and color other than grey and black.
Scenes
from Provence
If I had to summarize France into a single point of
remembrance then it is the sheer audacity, and I use this word with great
respect, of the French people, especially in Paris, to build such extravagantly
beautiful and detailed decorated buildings from the 18th to the 21st
century. The monstrous and imposing but beautiful Arc de Triomphe or the richly
gilded and artistically decorated Opera House is classic examples of this love
of the French for all things beautiful and attractive.
The
Paris Opera House
Paris is not just another city and neither is France just another
vacation destination. It is an experience to behold, like a start of a
dangerous affair, a love you always want to have and feel around you, but not
able to have or contain in any way. My two weeks has left no mark or footsteps
on the ancient streets of France, but its streets, people, culture, food and history
has been tattooed in my mind.
Old,
new, elegant, innovative, all boldly mixed together. A 3,300 year old Luxor obelisk mingles
easily with elegant street lights and while a delicately crafted water fountain
provides sparkle, the Eiffel Tower provides the iconism.
