First day in Paris coming to a close. It’s just after midnight here, which means 6 PM Montreal time. Arriving here at about nine this morning Paris time, 3 AM, my time, and I’ve proudly managed to stay up and active most of the day, save a couple of cat naps.
Lovely, lovely first day. First, I saw my brother again, his smiling face greeting me at the airport. It’s been about 2 years so it’s sweet to see him and reconnect with his ironic humour and gentleness. Then, I was awoken from my first nap by a smiling little boy. My nephew, Arthur! This is our first live meeting after a year of conversations via webcam. He is a year and a half. I hadn’t managed – due to scheduling and budget constraints — to meet him earlier in his young life but I’m glad to meet him now when he can actually interact with and recognize me. He is incredibly cute and smiley and has an infectious, wicked laugh. He is already a charmer and a fun guy, full of jokes and energy. My sister-in-law and her sweet, thoughtfulness made me a bed in their tiny apartment living room and served me a delicious lunch as we reconnected. Good to see the fam again.
This is the last time I will visit them in their apartment in the 20e arrondissement. They’ve just bought a house and will soon be moving to a village, about a half-an-hour’s train ride away from the big city. This is what a lot of people do once they start making babies. Suddenly, tranquility and a backyard take precedence over proximity to urban delights. My brother will finally be able to fulfill his lifelong dream of constantly feeding family and friends a variety of barbecued food. I brought him a big book of over 200 recipes of said specialty and a collection of spices. He is excited.
I am thrilled to be here. It is always heart-opening to visit this city. Impregnated as it is with centuries of history, old world charm, grandiose architecture and an incredible diversity of people, it feels so alive. It is also the city my mother and her family spent many years living in, after leaving Tunisia after its independence from the French. So when I come, somehow, it feels a little like home too, albeit a home I never truly inhabited. Yet, somehow, the familiarity and feeling of belonging is there.
When I come, I always ask myself, why is it that I have never lived here for more than a month at a time? But visiting, and being hosted and fed by family is a very different thing than living and making a living in this hyper-expensive, polluted, fast-paced and stressful city. I have to remind myself that the daily grind here would get me down, despite the glamour.
We spent a quiet day, going to the park with Arthur, where he could blissfully crawl around and we could sit in the grass, relax and people watch, while occasionally bringing back to the safe confines of the lawn and pulling random objects from his hands before he popped them in his mouth. Then drinks on a cafe terrace, some food shopping and home for a second nap followed by supper on the balcony. The view of the light blue sky and cream coloured buildings blended together into a kind of seascape of light.
After dinner walk with my bro, to wander the neighbourhood. African ladies in festive garb, coming home from a wedding. One woman’s dress caught the night lights and reflected them back like disco or christmas lights. Sparkly, shimmery beauty. We stopped in front a a newish jazz bar my brother had been meaning to check out and the owner beckoned us inside. There was this jazz quintet playing: Pianist, double bass, trumpet, sax and drums. A really tight ensemble playing free and soulful jazz. All five of them, handsome young French men and their musical instruments. Wow. What a delight to accidentally stumble upon. We ordered drinks and sat back and enjoyed the music and the eye candy and I forgot all about my jet lag for a while. When it was over, I thanked them for making my first night in town so memorable and then, we went home for that badly needed sleep.
Truth be told, I could have hung out a lot longer, inspired as I was by the music and the company but I could tell my bro was spent. I may still be wide awake, but it’s the energy of the city — and my confused body time clock — that is keeping me going. I’m sure to crash any minute now.
How blessed I am to have had such a beautiful day, the first of a badly needed escape and vacay.
