Reflections on Things at Hand: A Rainy Day in Paris

Yes, still awash in memories, which I guess means I'm either in a comfortable place in my life and thinking about how lucky I've been or depressed and not seeing much hope in the future (grin). Or maybe it's just a delayed reaction to the enormity of turning fifty. Or maybe like Billy Pilgrim I'm just unstuck in time. No matter the cause, my mind has been sliding back more and more frequently into my own past, which is normally something that I try and avoid like the plague. On the way back from India in August 2004 I carved off several days in Paris as a treat. On one particular morning I had spent several hours walking through the Paris Catacombs, which I loved and have blogged about before. After leaving the Catacombs, and sitting in a little out of the way restaurant and downing a latte, I ventured out into a soft rain. It was one of those days when the rain was not bad enough to keep you inside, and the light was perfect for taking pictures. In the end I walked around the Jardin du Luxembourg and took in the scenery. It was a very quiet, uneventful and utterly unforgettable day. I remember telling my good friend David Kelley before his first trip to Paris that if he could truthfully tell me that he didn't love Paris I didn't think we'd be able to be friends anymore. We're still friends.

Favorite Moments: Paris Catacombs

OK, where to being with Paris? I know we're supposed to not like the French, but I love them. For all the reputation of them not being friendly (which is actually OK with me because, to paraphrase the Smiths, my entire life is in ruins because of people who are nice) I've actually found them to be very warm and helpful and, yes, friendly. Now getting through Charles de Gaulle airport will drive anyone to drink, but that's another story - and even that is a worthy trade-off if it means you get to go to Paris. I could fill up pages on Paris, and I've just scratched the surface there. Today, however, for some reason, I've been thinking about the Paris catacombs. Paris, being a very old city, was both running out of cemetary room and also in need of an overhaul. So, beginning in the late 18th century many of the older cemetaries were moved with the bones going into the catacombs. Of course, you can visit the catacombs and it's a great way to spend a cloudy day, which seems to add to the mood. You end up with miles of bone-lined pathways, which would be creepy enough but it's pushed over the edge because of the creative/sardonic use of the bones to create patterns. A definite must-see when in Paris.