When we started talking about this trip, Hazel agreed to join if we went to Paris. So here we are :) Hazel has class, taste and an appreciation of finer things that the rest of us pretty much lack entirely. She channels a lot of her belated great-grandmother Gigi, a fun, flirty, fashionable family icon. So here’s to Hazel, Gigi and the one and only Paris!!! All so classy!!!
Our Parisian adventures started with my cousin Eric. Our paths crossed for less than 24 hours. Despite the many ills of social media, it is cool when it actually connects people :) We both grew up in Toronto, as did our mothers (sisters), and their Mum too. Professionally he inhabits a cool world totally foreign to me. He’s a TV commercial Director and creates lots of high-end food-related content. He shared stories, creative ideas, and projects from a different neat-o universe. It was great to be “en famille” in Paris.
Our first morning started with coffee and croissants. Any other start I would deem criminal. Sitting at a street side cafe, an older man on a moped rolled up with a scruffy dog riding side saddle. The dog had an orange scarf around its neck and was wearing goggles and a cap. I mean, come on. It was perfect. I live for little moments in big cities. The random and unexpected. Moments of singular urban beauty. Like driving by a tutu store at night full of 100+ pink and red tutus against a backdrop of infinite pointe ballet shoes. Or a man with the most marvelous flowy flowery silk scarf. So many men with scarves in Paris. So glorious.
Hazel literally gasped when we unexpectedly caught sight of the Eiffel Tower while walking near the Jardin du Luxembourg. I did too. Mr. Eiffel does good work.
We walked our feet off as one does in big cities. Lots of subway too. Kids loved the subway. We stayed on a hip road in the Latin Quarter where 20-and-30-something Parisiens live their best life. With double paned windows in our apartment we got to experience it deeply and escape instantly. Of course we did tourist stuff, but also lots of random wandering which is truly my favorite big city activity. Witnessing classy Parisiens in their natural habitat is fun ;) We went swimming, did our nails, went to playgrounds and sat on patios. The pool was a stunning art deco masterpiece that I discovered watching “L’Agence”, a reality show about a lovely real estate family business in Paris. In one episode the eldest son Valentin takes his sweet grandmother Majo for a swim. The family is so delightful and full of love for each other. Remarkably the pool was a 10 min walk from our apartment. We found beauty and light in so many places except ironically the Louvre. Holy Batman that was not my jam. A billion people on a weekday in October. Will, an avid artist, once again displayed wisdom beyond their years, and opted to skip the Louvre entirely.
Morning runs allowed me to witness quiet Paris. And one stunning sunrise. I communed with all the other urban runners. Runs allowed me to visit popular places at quieter times, like the square where Emily lives in “Emily in Paris” and the nearby restaurant that Gabriel names “Esprit of Gigi” after his grandmother!! In the last few weeks I watched the whole Netflix series ;) I’d had a false start years ago, but being in Europe with this trip pending there was more motivation. I found it sweet. It reminded me of that magical time in your 20’s and maybe 30’s when you’re busy living, figuring out who you are, in relationships, out of relationships, and so on. A time of freedom before bigger life commitments arrive, when your brain has just finished developing ;) and you have fewer “life miles” under your belt so work, love, and communication can all get messy fast. A lot happens in your 20’s that gives your life direction. I bought a book years ago about the 20’s called “The Defining Decade” that our CEO at the time raved about. It’s still unread on my shelf but the title speaks to me. I nearly went to business school just outside of Paris. No regrets, just an example of how one decision in my 20’s created direction.
Prior visits to Paris inhabited my mind like flashbacks. First trip at age 15 with my Belgian exchange partner Sophie, still one of my greatest friends, and her grandparents. Then shortly after with my family. Paris in the 80’s!! Then visiting friends who lived here 20+ years ago, and doing a mega-city-wide rollerblade. Then a few work trips. Passed through once with Justin. Visits time-stamped by different ages and eras of my life. Each time I felt lucky to be here, as I do now sharing it with my kids. Au Revoir Paris!!
P.s. Justin is in Bruges, Belgium racing bikes as I do this mini tour with the kids. He has been loving that soulful city, with their heartfelt war memorials and cycling-centric culture. Now onwards to Geneva!! Kids let me take a selfie on the way to the train station.
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