Joyeux Pacques, Happy Easter, everyone. Normally Easter brings to mind images of bluebonnets and wild flowers; butterflies and sunshine. The day that everything lives again.
But here, he snows. He has snowed, sleeted and rained for the last 5 days. (In French, they use the pronoun 'he' to describe the weather, not it.) This is fine for a few days, but I'm not an enamoured with being in the snow anymore-- it makes everything cold. It's better to watch the large, floaty flakes from inside. So, we're back to fireplace weather. This is a picture of our roof covered in snow.
Sarah and I spent Easter in Paris! The city was decorated with winged bells, chickens, bunnies and eggs. According to French tradition, Easter eggs are delivered by flying golden bells. [Not for us though--Monsieur Bleuse, our landlord brought us some freshly-gathered eggs from his farm with a Happy Easter note.] Saturday we walked and shopped and went to L'Orangerie. Historically, the King alone could have orange trees, and this museum stands where his grove used to be. Monet's waterlily rooms are inside! Huge, oval rooms covered in his paintings of the Japanese pond in his garden. They look so impressive.
To get there, we walked all the way down Rue du Rivoli, past the Louvre into the Tuileries garden. The Louvre, seen from the outside amazes almost as much as the paintings that live inside. The architecture is so grandiose, it couldn't be anything else. It takes 10 minutes on foot to get to the other side. I'd never seen the whole facade before. They built it in sections, and each one has a different style. If you look closely, you can see white marble statues and paintings inside!
For Easter the next morning, we went to the American Church in Paris. For over 100 years, it has been a famous English-speaking church and community center. Everything was wonderful. It seemed so familiar. Light came pouring through the stained glass windows. Hundreds of white daisies covered the wooden cross. Everyone sang together... in English.
Many special little things marked the day as Easter. The cafe we stopped in afterwards attached a colorful daisy to each cup that they served. One bakery had free pieces of a layered custard cake outside. (A specialty of St. Tropez, she said.) I hate to be ungrateful for living in Valenciennes, but I wish I could live in Paris instead. Walking around there helps me understand why people adore living in France.
But here, he snows. He has snowed, sleeted and rained for the last 5 days. (In French, they use the pronoun 'he' to describe the weather, not it.) This is fine for a few days, but I'm not an enamoured with being in the snow anymore-- it makes everything cold. It's better to watch the large, floaty flakes from inside. So, we're back to fireplace weather. This is a picture of our roof covered in snow.
Sarah and I spent Easter in Paris! The city was decorated with winged bells, chickens, bunnies and eggs. According to French tradition, Easter eggs are delivered by flying golden bells. [Not for us though--Monsieur Bleuse, our landlord brought us some freshly-gathered eggs from his farm with a Happy Easter note.] Saturday we walked and shopped and went to L'Orangerie. Historically, the King alone could have orange trees, and this museum stands where his grove used to be. Monet's waterlily rooms are inside! Huge, oval rooms covered in his paintings of the Japanese pond in his garden. They look so impressive.
To get there, we walked all the way down Rue du Rivoli, past the Louvre into the Tuileries garden. The Louvre, seen from the outside amazes almost as much as the paintings that live inside. The architecture is so grandiose, it couldn't be anything else. It takes 10 minutes on foot to get to the other side. I'd never seen the whole facade before. They built it in sections, and each one has a different style. If you look closely, you can see white marble statues and paintings inside!
For Easter the next morning, we went to the American Church in Paris. For over 100 years, it has been a famous English-speaking church and community center. Everything was wonderful. It seemed so familiar. Light came pouring through the stained glass windows. Hundreds of white daisies covered the wooden cross. Everyone sang together... in English.
Many special little things marked the day as Easter. The cafe we stopped in afterwards attached a colorful daisy to each cup that they served. One bakery had free pieces of a layered custard cake outside. (A specialty of St. Tropez, she said.) I hate to be ungrateful for living in Valenciennes, but I wish I could live in Paris instead. Walking around there helps me understand why people adore living in France.
1 comment:
How Loverly. It is hot here- I'm in shorts and sleeveless shirt today. when do you anticipate spring will officially start in France? It will be So lovely when it does! Worth the wait I'm sure.
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