I made an impromptu trip to Paris this weekend, mainly to go to a reception for celebrating the publication of the 2nd volume of Samuel Beckett's letters. When I arrived in the city, it was about 10 a.m., and the light was magnificent. I couldn't resist taking some terribly touristic photos of the Ile de la Cité, where the famous Notre Dame cathedral is, among many other recognizable sites. The city was brilliant in the morning sunlight, sparkling and glamourous. I stayed at M's again; as usual, it was wonderful to spend time with her. We went for lunch on Saturday to one of her favourite restaurants (have I mentioned how great it is to know an insider in Paris?), and of course I had to have a taste of the delicious pavé de boeuf (a beef filet) that she chose, served on a slate board with some pan-fried potatoes and a little green salad. I, having a particular weakness for goat cheese, chose a croustillant au chèvre: it's a slice of goat cheese wrapped in thin, honeyed pastry, then lightly fried. It's served over a salad of green lettuce and vinaigrette. Heaven. We both took a "café gourmand" for dessert, which M introduced me to: you get a coffee and a small sampling of several desserts (a tiny financier, a small brownie, a little cup with fromage blanc/raspberry coulis...). Eating in France is such an event.
After lunch, we went to a street sale (brocante, in French), which was happening right outside of the restaurant, all along the street, for miles and miles. We followed it for what seemed like an hour, at least, perusing the vast array of all sorts of items: antique furniture, rugs, old postcards and coins, assortments of porcelain, china, glassware, and silver, toys, vintage clothing (including some beautiful silk scarves and wonderful shoes), etc. etc. Perhaps one of the stranger things we found was a cross between a stuffed animal and a lamp. If you don't believe it's possible to achieve such a hybrid, see my photo album below. And of course, I made a couple of purchases, but I tried to stick to things I needed: a salad bowl (hand-painted porcelain, from Hammamet, for a mere 5 euros), and a lithography (entitled "Adam et Eve"; too sublime to pass up, despite the fact that M was convinced the price was too high: 23 euros after a bit of coaxing... "tu te fais arnaquer") to cover my bare, white walls. M managed to resist the call of consumerism, although she did particularly admire a vintage hat. Later, she bought a lovely pair of suede boots in the mall.
Too many wonderful pictures to post, so check out the album here:
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| Paris |
In the evening, M accompanied me to the reception. We met a wonderful woman there who is working on the publications of Beckett's letters. When I asked her how she became affiliated with the project, she said, "Well, he asked me to do it", and went on to explain that he had been a friend of hers. It was a golden moment, speaking to her about how she came to know Samuel Beckett, her friendship with him, and how the years had passed leading up to this day. Her eyes twinkled as she urged me to "seize every moment", assuring me not to ever take anything in life for granted, that everything leads you to where you are. It was a surreal encounter: I could feel the passing of each second; I wished I could memorize her words, or record them, bury them deep inside my heart so as to never forget. It gave me a renewed sense of the mystery and energy that the upcoming year holds. I intend to live it to the fullest.
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