Paris On My Mind
It took us about an hour from Knokke, Belgium where we vacationed for about a week (I wrote about this experience last week) to drive to Antwerp. From there, we took a train and two hours later arrived in Paris. It seems that you can cross Europe in about two hours in any direction. Stepping out of the train into the busy Parisian street, was like entering into a different world. In Belgium, the weather was cold. Paris greeted us with the warmth of the setting sun. Though we’ve been to Paris many times, every experience is new. The environment looks familiar, but each time, we need to get reacquainted.
There is a story told about a man who kept saying that he “wants to go to Paris again”. A friend asked him when last time he had been there. “Never”, the man answered, “but I’ve wanted to go there many times.” Our daughter Alona has lived there for 10 years. She has a beautiful apartment in the center of Paris. She travels the world for her art advisory business, but recently she decided she wants to come back to the Bay Area, where she grew up.
Whenever we travel, I continue my daily routine; an hour walk in the morning. One day at 7.30am, I stepped out for my walk. The tourists were still in bed. The air was cold, about 40°F, but I walked briskly, encountering only those Parisians, who were rushing to work. I knew the direction well, and in about half an hour I was in front of the famous Parisian landmark – the Eifel Tower. It is named after Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. It served as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most visited paid monument in the World. There are other known symbols in Paris, like the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees, the Louvre museum, the Notre Dame de Paris. But aside from these famous monuments, what makes Paris really unique is its outdoor Cafés which all serve their famous baguette. They are copied all over the world, but nothing comes close to the original, since it is a part of the Parisian lifestyle. Some years ago, I had my first photo exhibit called “French Baguette” with images of people with baguettes. I am planning to publish “42 Encounters in Paris with Couples” in a few years. Meanwhile, soon you will be able to enjoy “42 Encounters in San Francisco”.
P.S. French Cafés are not only places to have a drink or a meal, or meet a friend. They are also an excellent place to photograph people.
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