Tag: Paris

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Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris. Who do you remember and how do you keep their spirits alive?

Some believe that the only truth is our bodies. And others see the truth in our souls.

One place where the possibilities of those truths connect is in a cemetery. Is it macabre, gothic, or just plain creepy to visit a cemetery in another culture, where you don’t have loved ones buried? Perhaps. Risking all those judgements, I present: Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Continue reading “Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris. Who do you remember and how do you keep their spirits alive?”

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Meal, Drinks and a Movie: Le Salon du Cinéma du Panthéon, Paris

It is the kind of place that I hate to tell others about but are too good not to share: Le Salon du Cinéma du Panthéon in Paris. Merci mille fois, Roger, for showing me this little gem! Continue reading “Meal, Drinks and a Movie: Le Salon du Cinéma du Panthéon, Paris”

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Relevant Right Now Art: Pussy Riot at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, Extended Indefinitely

The best cultural institutions are those whose visitors walk away with new insights, but with more questions than answers.

Leaving the Alertes! exhibit at the Palais de Tokyo, big questions loomed: Why protect free speech? What is hate speech and what is blasphemy? Why is keeping church and state important? Continue reading “Relevant Right Now Art: Pussy Riot at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, Extended Indefinitely”

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When You’re Tired of Speaking French, Go to Jim’s

Swirl, swirl, swig. My head hung down, I looked deep into my merlot. The late summer sun gave way to the lovely, lonely yellowish cast of street lamps. I sat hunched over, with my elbows on my knees, my fluted glass resting in my fingertips. I was still at the terrasse, and still drinking wine. Most people who noticed me, if anyone, surely thought I’d had one goblet too many. But I wasn’t drunk, I was tired.

I’m so fricking tired of not understanding anything! At best I vaguely get the gist of what’s being said. Especially if spoken at the usual Paris speed, which is to say, reallyfastyouthinktheyweren’tbreathing fast. And if it’s past 8 at night – whew, forget about it. It takes so much energy. I’m so frustrated by not being able to say simple things to strangers without great effort, or to tell my friends a story, or tell them a joke without having to explain why it’s funny. Gr. Sigh.  Continue reading “When You’re Tired of Speaking French, Go to Jim’s”