J'Arrive

I arrived in Paris this morning, a bit ahead of schedule. My partner for the flight over was a quiet man who looked a bit like a 18th Century writer. It turns out, that he is an architect, quite renowned for his work – and fresh from consulting on a project in Chile. He teaches in the states as well at such notable universities as Georgia Tech, Harvard and Princeton to name a few. He lives in Paris and is widowed now for 25 years. He has a daughter that attends Vanderbilt in the States and he misses her terribly. As we left the plane, he wished me a wonderful stay in his city and a safe journey back home.

The weather was overcast and it was early, as we arrived around 6:00 a.m. – much too early for the standing in the long line at immigration. I was so pleased to see my friend and collected a hug from him as we made our way along to the parking area and the short ride to have a coffee in the 16th, my favorite of all the Arrondissements. Café crème and a croissant were on order as we caught up with what we had done since we saw each other last in Barcelona. The rain began to fall in a soft pattern along the street as we sat in an open doorway and took in the fragrance. “I am in Paris again”, I thought to myself as I looked into the eyes of my wonderful company.

A five minute drive later brought us to Steve’s apartment in Neuilly Sur Seine and I look up as we passed my friend Frederique’s apartment on the corner of the Port Maillot and I wondered if he was home or traveling again. I thought of his cousin and the last time I was in Paris as a part of this band of family…so funny how a year changes things.

The apartment is beautiful, awash in white with a fireplace in the dining room and a wonderful kitchen, so large for Paris standards. I love it here, especially the large windows that cover the front, affording views of rooftops and trees.

I am off to take a nap and then scoot off for lunch before preparing for the World Cup Final match tonight……I am hoping for a win for France.

Travel Journal - Paris
July 10th