“Maman, what are we doing this weekend” asked Nathalie, with an extremely bored sounding monotone voice.
“What would you like to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well let’s find something to do. We are in Paris, there is always something to do! You cannot be bored in Paris!”
And we did find something to do, a very different kind of activity. We went to see Viktor Vincent in a show called Synapses. Yes, it has to do with the brain. He is a mentalist. Apparently he influences and controls your thoughts. Nathalie, her friend Marine and Gabrielle sat there staring for an hour wondering how all of this was done (I was too) and then would smile and laugh in amazement after each “trick.” Don’t think she was bored any more. At least not for this one hour.
The girls also discovered Monet’s Nympheas (Waterlillies) at the Orangerie last week. These are described as “the haven of peaceful meditation” and they certainly are. Both girls were quite taken with them. After sitting in the middle of the rooms, surrounded by these serene masterpieces, Gabrielle slowly rediscovered them through the lense of my camera, carefully taking many photos from all different angles. The result is some lovely pictures of the Nympheas. We will definitely have to make a trip to Giverny in the spring and see Monet's inspiration, his garden and pond, in person.
The week was finished off with attending a Women’s Professional Handball game! What is there not to like!? Talented, muscular, strong women playing an amazing sport at a high level. All the things I attempted to be and do 20 years ago. We will definitely be back to watch more games. Nathalie liked it and Elle, well she watched Toy Story 3 on her iPod, so maybe not so much.
Between amazing art, performances that scramble your brain and professional sports, I assume that it was a good non boring week for my children. It certainly was for me. Nathalie now tells me that she would like try oysters, which we will definitely do soon. After enjoying escargot, I am sure she will savour oysters just as much. Planned for this weekend, a classical Mozart concert for children at the Chatelet Theatre. Yes I am working on having well rounded children who appreciate the arts and the finer things in life! And really, what better place to do this than in Paris!?
And finally, you can’t be living in Paris and not comment on the small creatures we share the sidewalks with (as well as their many droppings.) When we first arrived we laughed at many of the little “rat dogs” we saw, as we like to call them. Now six months later, as with small cars, we seem to have developed a taste for small dogs too (but not quite the rat like ones.) We coo when we see little cute dogs now, even the fluffy ones. This week the cooing has temporarily slowed down as we had to say goodbye to our beloved dog back home, Hershey. At 15 ½ years old she lived a good long happy life, was well loved and a big part of our family. She would have fit right in here and would have been a wonderful fluffy barky Parisian dog. Like many Parisian canines, Hershey thought she was human and she would have loved the Parisian restaurant scene, being allowed inside and not having to be tied up outside as in Canada. We will certainly always coo and smile when thinking of our beloved Hershey.
Have you been to the Museum of Magic yet? The boys enjoyed it and it felt like time travel back to the days of Victorian freak shows. Only without the freaks. Just the fat showman with his patter and the wacky decor, in a catacomb used by the Romans and Napoleon. There was a yummy crepe stand not far away, as I recall.
ReplyDeleteAh, Paris and the dogs. Hershey would have done well as a Parisian.