When I started my new blog a year ago, I pictured my new life a little differently. I thought that I would live in Paris and not in the banlieu (suburbs) and I thought that I’d spend two weeks in Florence and two weeks in Paris. Instead I only spend about one week in Florence per month and the rest of my time in a Parisian banlieu with my beau. It has taken me at least a year to adjust to the choices I’ve made. I am happy and grateful, but there are a few adjustments I’d still like to make.
Me, My Heart, and I
Enjoying summer in Paris
Since the end of May, I’ve been traveling around quite a bit. I visited my family in the US, went on a cruise through the Greek islands, returned to Florence for a few days, went to Corsica for the weekend and then spent a few days on the coast in Brittany. Now, while many of my colleagues are off on vacation, I’m happy to be staying put for a while. To celebrate my time home, my beau and I spent some time in Paris so we could walk around and take in the city while it’s calm.
Longing for summer in Florence
It’s the beginning of summer and I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the window and the thunder growling in the distant. I looked at my phone and saw that it will be rainy all day. In Florence, however, it is hot and sunny. This year, the weather has been odd. Maybe not just in Paris, but also in other parts of Europe When I was in Florence in May, it was a little cooler than it normally is in spring.
Dinner downtown
Instead of getting in the car after work and driving home, my beau and I walked a couple of blocks to the métro station and went into Paris. I don’t go to Paris as much as I’d like to even though it is not even that far away. My office where I work is in Clichy, just two stops outside of the city. When I was working in Paris initially, I rented apartments usually in the 7th arrondissement and commuted to work on the métro. Now that I live a little west of the city, I either take the train alone or the car with my beau.
Life without Paris and Florence?
I was supposed to fly back to Florence for a few days yesterday, but instead I decided to stay in Paris. After all the trips I’ve taken these last few months, I felt the need to just relax and enjoy where I am. Even though I love to travel, I do enjoy just staying put.
Arriving in Florence for spring
This evening as my plane flew over Tuscany with its plots of land divided into puzzle pieces of varying shades of green, I already felt the effect my beloved city has on me. I could almost smell the lush and fertile countryside surrounding Florence with its grass and cypress trees. After the hilly valley was a sea of light-colored buildings with terracotta rooftops. The sky was a little hazy, but the Duomo stood out and dominated the city.
Fête du travail
To celebrate the Fête du Travail (Labor Day) in France, I went to the Bastille. Not to protest like thousands of people, but to visit the annual Grand Marché d’Art Contemporain (Contemporary Art Fair). Last Saturday when my beau and I were walking through the Bastille metro station, we saw the poster advertising it. Unfortunately, my beau couldn’t join me on my trip to Paris, but I didn’t want to miss taking advantage of my day off from work to peruse the artwork at the marché.
Back to running
The best part about where I live on the outskirts of Paris is that there’s a park along the Seine where I can run. This past winter, it was too dark for me to go running in the morning so I rarely went. I definitely felt the effect of not having my running schedule: not only did I feel lethargic, but also less inspired to write. It was almost as if my writing wasn’t flowing unless my body was moving. For the past few months, I barely running once a week, but now I’m going a few times a week like I used to. I definitely feel like a new person now that I’m back to running again.
Enjoying Paris on a Sunday afternoon
After lunch today, my beau and I headed to Paris. Normally we would’ve taken the metro, but instead we drove into town. It was a perfect day to stroll the city streets and enjoy the afternoon. We drove along the quai (quay) where I used to run on the weekends. I looked out of the car window and could almost remember what it was like running on that same sidewalk. We drown toward Notre Dame, which is where I used to go to on my runs and then turn back around to return to the Eiffel Tower.