I was just in Texas doing the Thanksgiving thing with family. I remember the first time  I saw Texas after living in Arizona and feeling like something was missing when it struck me that there was nothing on the horizon–it just sort of went on forever unless you count the downtown area of Dallas which springs up into your sight if you are looking the right way. Again, on this visit, I was struck by how flat Texas is. Driving into Paris from the airport there is the same feeling of flatness but it is green and filled with farming. There just seems to me to be much more a feeling of closeness when you finally get into Paris. It has so much all in one area, it is unusual to see the horizon without anything in it but sky.

 A typical scene on a Paris street looking up. I never feel closed in or crowded but rather comfortable.

 Don’t feel like this. It is a pleasure to be back in Paris. I guess France is home now which always surprises me.

I think I’ll look for a bouquet like this to put in our apartment to welcome us home.

There is quite a collection of beautiful architecture in Paris in the style called Art Nouveau. It is one of my favorites as I find it always lovely and appealing to the senses. It is seen on some of the older metro entrances and can be found in many restaurants. Here is a quote to exactly what describes art nouveau: “The essence of Art Nouveau is described by sensuous lines and subtle light, feminine figures and curly hair, fluent dresses and attitudes, vegetal curves and willow leaves, twisting waves and evanescent smoke, but also by controlled lines, geometric details, colorful new shapes.” Most of it was done at the end of the 1800’s before WWI. I recently ate in a restaurant which has preserved the fabulous architecture. It was a pleasure to eat in those delicate, restful surroundings.

The front of the restaurant with its name above.

One of the light fixtures

I want a lamp like this one

I loved this stained glass window

Some exquisite glass on the front of the bar

Remember that scene in the movie by Barbra Streisand, The Face in the Mirror, where she is at a restaurant and very carefully makes a little pile on her fork of food from her plate make the perfect combo? It’s not the best movie I’ve ever seen but I liked it and what it had to say about beauty. Anyway, I have had the perfect bite a couple of times. The first time was in Paris when I ordered a Salade Chevre Chaud-a salad with warm goat cheese. So, onto my fork I pushed some lettuce covered with tangy vinagarette, a piece of tomato, a walnut, and the warm cheese on top of a piece of crunchy toast. It was such a great explosion of flavors in my mouth-the acid tang of tomato, the warm soft cheese with the crunch of toast and snap of the slightly bitter walnut, the warm cheese binding it all together-it was all a little piece of heaven. I also like salty and sweet together as in dates with bacon or a cheese with a sweet jam. And, then there is Thanksgiving, where into one bite are the flavors of turkey, stuffing, mashed potato and gravy topped with a small amount of cranberry sauce. Eating can be such a fun adventure.

The French aren’t the most demonstrative people I’ve ever been around. I don’t include my husband in that statement. I don’t know if he is “Americanized” by living in the States for ten years or not, but he is very sweet and he does show me that he cares about me. Even with all of that double kissing on each cheek that is exchanged whenever you meet a French person, it doesn’t seem much to have to do with warmth as much as just tradition, in my opinion.

When we first moved into our house in Provence we had several French couples over and after showing them around got sort of luke warm reactions which made me feel that our house wasn’t that great. Maybe we just thought it was but it really wasn’t. It wasn’t until we had some American guests over and they raved about it that my confidence in what we had created returned. Of course, the French think Americans rave about everything and that we aren’t often sincere when we do. Anyway, I don’t expect to get enthusiasm from the French anymore–and therefore don’t get my feelings hurt.

One day Maurice and I were having dinner at one of his relative’s. We were all sitting there having a drink and chatting. At some point everyone left the room except for one man and I. While we were there he starting asking me things about myself-how I liked Paris, how my French was coming, what I thought about certain things. He actually seemed to care. It was later, after we had left, that I realized that, while Maurice’s friends and relatives, all seem to like me and are friendly to me, not one of them had ever really tried to truly get to know me or engage me in conversation on more than a surface way. I think it was then I started to realize the difference between Americans and French. I may be wrong, but that is my take on things here. I save sharing my life and personal thoughts to when I am with other Americans, usually women.

One of my few negative comments on living in France. I really love it here in France, on the whole.

One of my favorite churches in Paris is the St Etienne du Mont which is right next to the Pantheon. It has a very rare rood screen which goes across the middle of the church, very delicate and lace like and the remains of Genevive, the patron Saint of Paris.

Part of the rood screen with curving stairs on each side

A statue of St Genevive. She became the patron saint of Paris because her prayers, and those who she encouraged to pray with her, kept Atilla the Hun from invading Paris.

I especially liked this unusual stained glass window

Such a lovely church

The Sorbonne University is universally famous. Everyone I’ve ever talked to who has visited France has heard of it. It has been around for centuries and, in fact, was started by Robert of Sorbonne in the mid 13th century. Richelieu, in the 1600’s, had it rebuilt along with a chapel where his tomb now lies. On the spur of the moment I took a short tour through the Sorbonne. You aren’t able to get inside the Sorbonne unless you are a student and I’ve long wanted to see the interior. Parts of it that we got to see aren’t even accessible by students.

This is an observatory that is a land mark of the Latin Quarter where the Sorbonne is located. It was called the Latin Quarter because all of the classes were taught in Latin and Latin was heard all over the area.

This lovely window was up overhead as we entered the building. There are staircases on either side and then the balcony making the oval.

A view of the famous staircase. This area is going to be closed for renovation so we felt lucky to see it. The building was last renovated in 1889 to celebrate the 100th year of the French Revolution.

A closeup of the corner of a room showing the tile work on the floor. I love details like this. It seems like they don’t do work like this anymore.

A lovely, little used room lined with famous paintings

An S standing for Sorbonne painted on a wall

A lovely huge courtyard in the interior of the Sorbonne that students could hang out in. I wonder if they know how lucky they are to attend school there?

There is a chapel in the Sorbonne where Richelieu is buried. He is a very famous, very influential minister to Louis XIII. The tomb was almost destroyed during the French Revolution but was saved at the last minute by a man who threw himself on top of the tomb to keep the Revolutionists from destroying it and was injured with a bayonet for his trouble. He also preserved the tombs at St Dennis. Richelieu’s tomb is placed rather strangely in front of the alter and only the priest can see it, while the congregation gets to look at the back of the sculpture. It shows Richelieu being held by “Religion” while “Science” grieves at his feet. The chapel was in a very bad state and was undergoing renovation.

This is the hat of Richelieu suspended over his tomb. I have looked in vain for the reason for this. I know Richelieu had it suspended there . I think I read, some time ago, that when it finally fell, Sorbonne would no longer exist. I have been googling like crazy but can’t find the information. Since I read that, I have been wanting to get into the chapel and see it, and I finally did. Now I can check off one of the things on my growing list of all there is to see in Paris, not to mention France. I don’t think I will live long enough to see it all.