Paris, July 4-7, 2000
In case anyone is wondering where I disappeared to, I’m in the center of France in the Auvergne. I went to visit a friend in Paris for 3 days and got stranded at Charles de Gaulle airport by bad weather. It must have been fate because I had seen a brochure in a music store for a 2 week choral course starting the day after I was supposed to depart. The airline couldn’t get me out that day, so it seemed to make sense to just hop on a train for Claremont-Ferrand and join the course. I had no idea where Claremont-Ferrand is, but 3.5 hours train ride later, I arrived with 4 days worth of clothing and some shopping from Paris which consisted mainly of lovely French mustard, olive oil and walnut infused vinegar – all very nice but not quite what one usually packs for a 2 week singing course!
I think Paris must be the most elegant city in the world. My friend Janet invited me to stay in her stunning apartment (with high ceilings, mouldings, wood paneling etc. that took 8 months to remodel) near the exclusive shopping street of Rue de Faubourg St. Honore and easy walking distance to Place de la Concorde. In the early morning, the light over the Seine and Tour Eiffel and Musee D’Orsay was breathtakingly beautiful. The buildings are grandiose but perfectly proportioned and the Parisians have such style. I even found them friendly – perhaps it’s because I recently returned from China! The metro is convenient and easy to use although a bit too crowded. I walked through all my favorite neighborhoods like Le Marais, St. Germain des Pres and around the Louvre and Tuilleries. I popped into Fauchon the exclusive delicatessen and Maille, the specialty mustard and vinegar shop where a photographer was shooting photos for an article on boutique shops for Elle Decoration. Tr