A Sunday in Paris

Contrary to the popular belief that Sundays are resting days for all of Western Europe, today was a great example of the amazing diversity of cultural experiences that Paris has to offer...even on a Sunday. I began the day by meeting a Chinese friend for brunch at La Duree; famous luxurious bakery on Rue Bonaparte, in the neighborhood known as St. Germaine. After 3 hours spent sipping cafe and consuming pastries, we strolled along Boulevard St. Germaine, wandering in and out of the few clothing stores that are open on a Sunday afternoon.

Next, we walked through the Latin Quarter (St. Michel) to the canal beside Notre Dame. We boarded a boat where my friend was donating an original painting for a silent auction event to support poor families in Africa. On the boat, everyone was setting up for a lively evening of live music, dancing and festivities. It was cozy and warm with overhead gas heaters and a smell of incense in the air. I was tempted to stay and have a drink as the floor gently rocked us on a cold, drizzly day...but I had to rush off to meet a French friend for a free concert at Gymnase Marie Bell...an old theater resembling a Victorian Opera house. It was beautiful, with 3 or 4 golden, ornate balconies and a painted mural ceiling. We kept anticipating the heckling muppets, Waldorf and Statler to pop out of one of the side balconies!

The concert was called Songs of the Soul and was being performed by a large group of singers and musicians somehow connected with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Southern India. It was beautiful, soothing and inspiring. We left part way through the second half to go to a club near Parmentier that was offering live Latin music. Crowded and buzzing, with Latin, African, and Indian men winking at the women from every corner...this place was very culturally diverse, but it was hard to dance cause everyone was packed in so tight!

After half an hour, I had to skip the free meal-with-entry of Moroccan couscous and say goodbye to rush off to the Monet exhibit at Grand Palais, where I had 2 tickets for a 9pm viewing. There, I was planning to meet a woman from Lebanon (thank you, couch surfing) to give her the other ticket. The exhibit was awe inspiring, an international collection from museums all of over the world, here in Paris only for a few months. I was especially struck by Monet's self-portrait, his snowy landscapes that felt so soothing to gaze at, and the paintings of his wife...especially the one of her lying on her death bed. From far away, she appears to be wrapped in a gauze veil and up close, she appears to be covered in waves of the painter's tears.

Finally, I met back up with my French friend again for a late (11pm) dinner in Le Marais near Hotel de Ville. The temperature had dropped and I was cold and exhausted from the day...and desperate for some nourishment! We walked up Rue des Archives, looking for a place that would be open on a Sun. night and not too noisy. After walking in and then out of several dodgy French cafes, a brightly lit, pastel sign down a side street caught my eye. We followed it and to our surprise, stumbled into a full-on '50's style, American Diner!

So, the day started with one of Paris's most celebrated pastry shops, and ended with chicken fingers and nachos!