It's Spring!
Bonjour mes amis,
With the advent of spring, so come dreams of distant lands.
Many of us immediately hear the words of Chaucer’s Prologue to The Canterbury Tales:
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licóur
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye,
So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages,
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages…
Or
When April with his showers sweet with fruit
The drought of March has pierced unto the root
And bathed each vein with liquor that has power
To generate therein and sire the flower;
When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath,
Quickened again, in every holt and heath,
The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun
Into the Ram one half his course has run,
And many little birds make melody
That sleep through all the night with open eye
(So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)—
Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage…
And let me remind you Chaucer wrote in what we now call Middle English. You have to travel back to your readings of Beowulf for Old English. Shakespeare ‘s language is now labeled Early Modern English (when I was in college, it was still referred to as Modern English and I’m not THAT old!
So, being very distractable, I found this creative student project – you may have heard it, but I had not!
Mike Taylor YouTube
So back to my original thought (I ask your indulgence)
With the advent of spring, so come dreams of distant lands.
When April arrives with sweet rain showers
And the rainless days of March are over
Each new plant is bathed in spring dew
Creating a plentiful bloom.
The west winds breathe across the open land, quickening new growth,
The Ram, the sign of Aries, floats across the sky
And the birds begin to tweet and sing. Then those who are encouraged
By spring, fill their heads with fantasies of traveling.
And today dreams of my next travels fill my head – I’ve been doing research. I’ve written emails, tracked down contacts, continued to read. I am working on my French - but my English Literature background will always be with me!
I share a few photos to tempt your travel inclination and sharpen your senses.
I know it is not ALL about France – but I have fallen in love with what I rediscovered for seven years ago, and there is soooo much more to learn about the City of Light and the French countryside!
Truly, half the fun of travel (at least for me) is planning. The internet has made it much more accessible, but more confusing. The number of blogs, Instagrams, Substacks, podcasts and websites has increased vastly. Find a few that you enjoy and trust. Do not forget about books! I still consult my childhood set of The World Book Encyclopedia – because it takes me to where I was when I began to study the world around me. From that point, I can move forward.
Move forward with me!
Today I am sharing the first few photos from each 1st day of a Paris trip. I have been truly blessed.
In 2018, I was totally disoriented upon arrival. I got locked out of my flat – only to discover I was just not forcefully turning my key in the old lock! You arrive jetlagged, exhausted, keyed up, and in need of sleep – and groceries! A shower and sleep IS ALWAYS a good idea! Then a brief excursion for a meal, a bit of air, beauty and milk and fruit! Maybe a bottle of wine. I share because these also show a progression in my ability to navigate my way.
In 2018, I had not been to Paris in decades. I found my fabulous flat on Sabbaticalhomes.com and have rented from the same owner on all 4 trips. She sold one, and I had to move with her in 2023.
2018 rue de Sevres: I arrived in July the day Les Bleus had won the World Cup!
2019 rue de Sevres: I knew the neighborhood and bravely took the train from Charles de Gaulle Airport and the Metro to my arrondissement and neighborhood. Ok - I also met someone on the plane who was taking the same train and promised to show me the way and how to purchase tickets as I went! In my flat, I napped and headed out for a meal and groceries. Another note, I arrive three days after Notre Dame Cathedral had burned. Memorable!
2023 Saint-Germain-des-Pres: Because my flat was in a new neighborhood, I took a taxi from CDG Airport that first day. My driver was silent - but during the last miles, I knew I must begin a conversation. He was then quite chatty, and I learned it was Rugby World Cup Season! And my flat was near many sports bars - which turned out to be fun! - but once one goes to upstairs, the centuries old buildings are truly sound proof! Below are my first glimpses of Notre Dame, and I visited Saint Sulpice Church which was yards away. It is enormous! You may remember scenes of it from the film, The Da Vinci Code. I met the two ladies in the alcove below admiring the Delacroix painting. I was very quiet, thinking they were French. The someone said something, and I learned they thought I was French!
2024 Saint-Germain-des-Pres
In November of 2024, I arrived on Armistice Day. After navigating to my flat (with the MOST talkative taxi driver - I just let him ramble) and a nap, I set out - and without a map I knew where I was going! It was 4p.m. and an Armistice service was being held at Saint Sulpice. It was in French and I admit I slipped out after about 20 minutes as I wanted to visit Jardin du Luxembourg before it closed at 5. The French love parks! The park was teeming with families! An interesting note, one can walk right up to the Palais du Luxembourg or Senat building! (Which I visited in 2023 for free on the one weekend each year many official buildings are open to the public during Journées du Patrimoine.
I conclude with a few words from my journal at the end of my 2018 trip:
I am very grateful I was able to travel this summer, and in sharing, I hope to encourage others. Sometimes – it’s not how grand the trip is, but in pursuing a dream or short vision. The planning and studying are almost – almost - as fun. I learned so much: confirmation that people are people everywhere and most I met were wonderful! I’m letting go more - I did not take a hairdryer and let my curly hair do its thing in the humidity! Respect/embrace the customs of your destination. I had read that in France the average wait time for your server to come to your table is 17 minutes, but I found once you were there, you had a wonderful place to relax, sketch, journal, chat, and of course enjoy a meal or beverage without being hurried!
My trip occurred because of a planned art/travel workshop, which unfortunately did not get farther than the planning stage. However, it planted a seed. I am thankful to those who gave travel advice and for travel mercies. As my 94 year old aunt encouraged, do it now! My travel study was enormously fun; one of the books I enjoyed immensely is My Life in France by Julia Child. And if you really are not able to make a trip-even the smallest, I hope you enjoy my adventures!
Inspired by all of you!
It is always a joy to see your photos!