Paris Dans La Pluie
Yesterday at the Sacre Coeur--lots of stairs--I lost a few pounds--regained later with crepes.
Today it rains in Paris.Vance was very earnest about getting to church this morning. Last time he was here the Paris branch didn't meet because of a regional conference. Today we knocked on the ancient blue street doors to no answer. We missed church.
It was still early so we followed the Centre Pompidou around to a little cafe serving warm croissants and hot chocolate under a white awning. We watched people looking like soldiers with umbrellas brave the rain--dogs too.
The chocolate was bitter. Parfait.
If you can't have L'eglise de Jesus Christ in Paris then at least you can have Notre Dame de Paris. So there we went and participated in mass--standing up--sitting down--singing in French. The same religious language I used to proselyte in Montreal, although no mention of
l' homme qui s'appel Joseph Smith.
Afterwards we stopped by Shakespeare & Co my personal favorite spot in Paris. Up steep red stairs we saw a chat on a desk fast asleep. Water dripped next to the window. I picked up a book that claimed Shakespeare was a imposter, more of a businessman than an artist.
Could it be true?
In the rain we crossed the Seine to the Louvre where tourists gathered in a mosaic of umbrellas. I recounted the histoire of the Louvre, Place de Concorde, Le Grande Palais, L'arch de Triumph--all in view--to Layton, who took a look around and said,
"Let's go back to the hotel. I want to read my book."
So Louis XIV, your rain soaked romantic city is no match for adolescent fantasy fiction.
Not even presque.
Click here to my new glasses...and what I look like wearing them while eating at the original London fish and chips shop.