Romantic Notions

I went to Paris with this grand, romantic idea of writing in my journal along the banks of the Seine. I know, it's so original. For some reason, I had this very bucolic image of the river banks. I imagined painters and jugglers, maybe even a mime or two. I'm kidding about the mime and jugglers, but I did expect green grass and lots of wistful academic/artist people. Apparently I've seen An American in Paris too many times. What I got was concrete and grime, and some street people. Oh, and there were also some lovers who couldn't help themselves despite the polluted river below and the polluted boardwalk where they declared themselves to each other. Alas, no writing occurred there. Still, Paris was enchanting.

I spent an entire morning on my third day there at the Pompidou Center, checking out the modern and contemporary art. There were some interesting and thought-provoking pieces. Plus, it was sort of raining on and off so I figured why not hole up in a museum. Have you seen the Pompidou Center? It's this weird building with it's guts on the outside, at least that's what it looks like to me, in the middle of one of the oldest areas in Paris. Lots of pipes of varying colors and a strange but cool escalator encased in a clear tube so you can see the plaza as you go up. That evening I had a wonderful time with a friend from Chicago who is in Paris for a few weeks before school starts again. After dinner we wandered a bit around the St. Michel area (I believe it's part of the Latin Quarter), and stumbled upon this ordinary-seeming bar. We sat down. Ordered a couple of beers (a Maredsous for me! - delicious belgian beer for those of you who aren't beer snobs). And then, suddenly, this excellent jazz band began to play. We were thrilled, and a bit proud I think for having accidentally fallen into a wildly cool experience. So, while I didn't get to write in my journal about my deep thoughts on the banks of the Seine, I did get to listen to some very talented French jazz musicians who played with as much verve as any Chicago cats I've heard.