Home, Sweet Home
How appropriate that the last blog entry title I made before going on vacation were lyrics to a Motley Crue song…and now the first one upon my return is yet another 80’s power ballad from the same group? Who knew they’d be the soundtrack to my life (aside from “Girls, Girls, Girls”, of course).
Anyway, I flew back from Paris on Sunday afternoon and it was apparently right on time. According to my friend, Mark (who I stayed with in Paris), there was very heavy rains yesterday.
The remaining days in Paris were great. Although their pitiful meteorologist predicted rain every single day, none fell. There were some clouds, but the sign shined every day. Since my last blog post, I REALLY took it easy in Paris. On Friday, I helped Mark prepare for a big dinner he hosted that night. For the first time ever, I believe, he actually allowed another person in the kitchen to help him cook. In fact, we spent 5 hours preparing (using his fancy Kitchen Aid mixer and attachments, we made spinach and ricotta ravilo from scratch, shrimp scampi, and an apricot mousse (also from scratch). We started cooking aroung 3PM and finished at 8PM – just as the first guest arrived.
The next day (my last full day) I ran some errands with Mark in the morning, then took a walk in the Marais to Place des Vosges and then to the Musee Carnavalet – a museum devoted to Paris history. It was really interesting, actually (and I’m NOT a museum person). There were various wings of the building devoted to specific kings, and each wing was decorated in that time period. The artwork consisted mostly of models and/or paintings of what Paris looked like at that time.
Later in the day, I hopped on the Metro and went to Pere Lachaise. I’d wanted to visit this cemetery since my first visit nearly two years ago but only finally made it on Saturday. I got to see the final resting places of Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Modigliani, Sarah Bernhard, and Oscar Wilde (his memorial was covered in lipstick kisses).
That night, for my final dinner, Mark and I went to his favorite creperie then walked along the Siene taking in the city sights and watching people take dancing lessons (one group was doing ballroom, another salsa, etc…). Still, my favorite part of walking in Paris is hearing the guys playing the accordion on various bridges…it just looks and sounds so “Paris.”
Sunday morning, Mark and I watched one final episode of Will & Grace (a series that always reminds me of Paris) before I hopped on the RER train to the airport. At Gare du Nord, this dreadful little boy and his Svengali-like father boarded the train. The kid removed a cover from a microphone and amplifier and proceeding to karaoke to “Those Were the Days My Friend” in French. Unfortunately, the kid didn’t know the words (in any language) so aside from the chorus, all he did was go “Laaaa, laaa, laaa, la la la, laa, laa, laa, laaaa la la”. Oh, and he was off key. Needless to say, nobody paid him…and his father ranted to him in some undecipherable language (not French, though).
The flight was fine…we arrived an hour early and Randy greeted me at the airport with flowers (the day before was our 9 month anniversary….awwwww).
And now I’m back to work. Last night I began sorting through the photos. I should have them posted in my photo gallery sometime this week (I hope).
It’s good to be home!
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Welcome back, cheri! I feel bad for that kid – no don’t abuse of more than one kind going on there, sounds very Dickensian….
Glad it was terrific. I’m very glad you got to visit the Carnavalet (one of my favs) — did you see Marie Antoinette’s stuff? They were over in a corner under a cover. It makes you cry to realize that these are the only things we have left of hers and they were almost robbed for her in her last hours. Also, I’m glad you got to Pere Lachaise. It’s a real “city of the dead” . . . but you have the distinct honor of going to see Morrison’s grave which I avoided like the plague because there were too many Americans. 🙂 In any case, glad it was a wonderful trip.
Karl,
It sounds like Mark cooks very elaborate meals. My mouth is watering.
I visited Pere Lachaise in ’98 and one of my favorite moments was visiting Chopin’s grave. It was still decorated with flowers after all those years. Anyway, I love his music.
I’m curious why Will & Grace reminds you of Paris. Now that I think about it, I remember two episodes where Paris is mentioned. One in which Will takes a vacation and sends Jack a belly-shirt. The belly-shirt was actually meant for Jack’s biological son Elliot and “would have fit him.”
The other episode I remember is when Will’s old girlfriend Claire visits from Paris and asks for Will’s sperm so she can have his baby. Jack pretends to know French and when he responds to Claire in French gibberish, “Nescafe”, Claire responds with “Sanka.”
Still, my favorite part of walking in Paris is hearing the guys playing the accordion on various bridges…it just looks and sounds so “Paris.”
God, I want to go to Paris.
Glad you’re home safely.