I have always been curious about this modern version of a medieval town, filled with yachts and terraced cafes, appealing to those desiring to enter a scene of wealth and glamour. When we arrived the town was sleeping. But undeniably charming with its pastel colored facades and cobbled streets leading to a night of over-priced cocktails with the locals who keep asking where have all the jet-setters gone, and a morning of fresh pastries and fruit markets. My regard for Saint Tropez is quite high in the low season. Perhaps one day I shall experience the other side.
The French Riviera was enticing us with its blue calm, and in our slow cruising rental car we set out for a drive along the coast, enroute to Saint Tropez!
Bartosz and I decided to head south, as it was one of my most loved scenes in all of France and there was more to discover. And Paris was getting cold! In merely 5 hours we found ourselves in Cannes via the most efficient TGV train. (Now is not the time I will mention the endless train strikes I encountered in my brief time in France !!) Needless to say we did not meet any movie stars or attend any film premieres. There is something to be said about experiencing a city that has resigned for the season. There we found the little bit of sun that we were in search of. And another adventure began!
Upon returning to Paris I met Bartosz who had come from London for a brief encounter with this city and the places that had become so familiar to me in this, the French chapter of my journey. We spent the weekend walking from the Louvre and it’s collections to Montmartre with it’s views…
A Sunday stroll in the Marais, a last glass of wine with friends and it was time to part with Paris.
I am living on Rue Saint Saveur, near to Rue Montorgueil, a lovely pedestrian street in the 2nd Arrondissement. These streets speak of a deep history, an experience much like living within the walls of a museum. Often I do not understand these whispers in the air as French remains a language I struggle to decipher, mostly with eager optimism, though there are moments when I feel a bit lost amidst the many French peculiarities, both cultural and verbal.
I have indeed found a beautiful life here, having met many people such as Alexandre and Stephanie, friends of Delphine’s with whom I spend many moments wrapped in conversation (somewhere in the middle of English and French), Beatriz who lives next door, Gaia and Caroline with whom I am sharing a flat, two artists filled with a unique passion for life. And I cannot forget to mention Minka the cat, a most pleasant companion. Paris has become my school, as I spend many hours bicycling along the Seine, willingly lost in the streets of the Marais and St-Germain, studying French, speaking with anyone who will have the patience to listen…most of all this experience has become a lesson in life, as I continue to discover the inner workings of my mind and heart.
