~aventures du louchette flâneurse: 5ème~

November 20th, 2009

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Spent time in Marais and Île de la Cité today, loafing about among the fromage and canard.

For lunch: galette complète (sans oeuf) at Breizh Café, with cider. Noted for next time, falafel at Chez Marianne.

Chez Julien, where my honey and I had old-school French dinner (I spose means lots of butter and duck? Who can remember…) many moons ago. Not on the top of anyones list but tourists I’m sure, but it’s sentimental to have the the ghosts of Parises past join me, now that the city is coming into focus in a different way. I am no doubt a different visitor than I was before living in Europe.

Then to face my claustrophobia chimère and climb the towers of Notre-Dame. After stamping down a panic attack in the 387 step ever-shrinking tower stairwell (did it!), I lit a candle for a dying friend and accepted the comfort of strangers as they posed earnestly, or sang overwrought covers of Hotel California. They stab it with their steely knives but they just can’t kill the beast. so true, so true…

I’m becoming bolder in photographing people, tho sly is hard with the new (much larger) camera. Usually I am too respectful to just point my lens at someone, but acutely feeling the honor of being part of the human clan as I do these days, the way we all trundle along and try to make the best of an odd, if amazing proposition, gives it a feeling less of intrusion, on my side of the camera anyway. Of course the under four feet high set are the only ones who catch me out!