Europe is for lovers and dreamers
We are part of the community of Europe, and we must do our duty as such.
- Anonymous, 1888
- Anonymous, 1888
Having spent nearly two weeks revisiting Europe at the end of October/beginning of November, and having spent several days in Paris, one of my favorite cities on the planet after more than a dozen séjours there, the events of last week strike me particularly hard. This post is for Europe, but primarily for Paris. Enjoy:
Paris, France
If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. - Ernest Hemingway
My visit to Paris was just what I wanted. Catching up with good friends, wandering through the city, discovering new neighborhoods, eating amazing food and drinking brilliant French wines to my heart's content, trying out new bars and restaurants, hearing French all around me, reading French everywhere, and doing nothing touristy. And, for the first time, I traveled as a professional, as an adult, as a confident, single young woman, and as more of a parisienne than I have ever previously hoped to have been: understated but fashionable (and spacious) black purse, charcoal grey cashmere sweater, silk blouses, red lipstick, ankle boots, camel coat, the ever-present scarf, and the strong stride of walking through a city that I know. Blame this new-found fashionable version of my globetrotting self on my pre-departure reading. Regardless, even for just a few days, I felt that I fit into Paris as I've always felt that she (and France more generally) fits into me. It was a lovely diversion and the perfect start to my week of vacation.
“It is in Paris that the beating of Europe’s heart is felt. Paris is the city of cities." - Victor Hugo
 |
 |
My wonderful friend, Hélène, was amazing and made the trek to Paris from Nantes to spend my first day back in France with me!! It was such a treat to see her, laugh at jokes old and new, walk through Paris, and add good memories to our friendship. I'm very much looking forward to showing her around some new parts of the USA the next time she visits the States! Merci, Hélène, pour une si bonne journée ensemble à Paris!!
More from my wanderings, meals, and explorations in the Marais, Montmartre, near the Canal Saint Martin, in the neighborhoods of the 10e and 19e arrondissements:
“Ah! To wander over Paris! What an adorable and delectable existence is that! Flânerie is a form of science, it is the gastronomy of the eye.” - Honoré de Balzac
 |
| A happy girl on a happy picnic on a sunny day in a beautiful park in Paris :) |
 |
| Paris, ma belle, je t'aimerai toujours. |
Chartres, France - day trip to the Cathédrale de Chartres
The one 'touristy' activity that I permitted myself during my trip to Paris was a quick day trip to Chartres to see the famous cathedral. It was a half-day well spent, especially since it was the off season and very quiet in town. Chartres is beautiful and the cathedral is a stunning piece of history and a fascinating architectural monument. I arrived just in time in the morning to get in on a 90-minute guided tour of the cathedral in French, which made the visit all the more special.
I also wandered through the 17th century, fully painted interior of the nearby Église St-Aignan, and then had the pleasure of enjoying a dram of cider from Brittany and a fabulously delicious buckwheet crêpe filled with reblochon cheese, boiled potatoes, and prosciutto - ahhh, my dream combination of flavors!! It was a lovely, albeit grey, day in Chartres.
 |
| The also stunning Église St-Aignan, just down the street from the grand cathedral |
Geneva, Switzerland
After bidding a fond farewell to Paris and France, the second destination of my trip was my old home in Switzerland, the ever-gorgeous Geneva. Returning to Geneva felt just like I was returning home; nothing had changed and my heart was full of love for this city. Beautiful sunsets, swans on the lake, the skyline of Old Town with the cathedral on the hill, the sounds of the train station, the fondue, the Wine & Cheese Market, Swiss Francs in my wallet, the exorbitant cost of everything, the views of the Salève and the Mont Blanc, the Jet d'Eau, the grumpy-but-exasperatingly-loveable Swiss people: it was all there, just as I'd left it, just as I'd loved it for six months in 2014.
Switzerland is a beautiful place, and Geneva is a gem. I had a fabulous time catching up with a couple of my former fellow interns at the UN, with friends and classmates from Korbel who are currently experiencing the joy of living and working in Geneva, and with all of my favorite places and foods. The weather was perfect to boot. I couldn't have asked for a better visit, but only a longer one! Next time...
 |
| Bird flying, Mont Blanc highlighted by the sunset in the background |
 |
| Sunset and fondue at Bain des Pâquis. Scrumptious. |
 |
| My favorite... |
 |
| With most of the current Korbel in Geneva cohort, and my former fellow UN intern, Birte, for a fondue feast at Bains des Pâquis. |
 |
| Delicious raclette burger at Inglewood Burgers! Om nom nom |
À la prochaine fois, Gèneve. xx
My lovely friend from Zürich, Andrea, was hoping to see me during my visit to Switz, and although our schedules were both all over the place, we were able to make it happen! Andy very graciously extended an invitation to join her and some of her family on a personal, private tour of the construction of the Nant de Drance hydroelectric dam, located not too far from the Switzerland-France border. One of her cousins is an engineering leader at the site and was taking the day to show them the construction and surrounding areas.
 |
| The entrance to the tunnels and the dam and (empty, for now) upper lake. |
The scale and intricacy of the construction was mind-boggling. Tiny humans drilling every which way through massive mountains and creating incredible subterranean structures to provide renewable electric power to the western half of Switzerland- incredible and admirable! I had so much fun learning about the dam, the engineering design and feats behind it, the complexity of the whole project, and the benefits of the ultimate end product. Here are some interior shots, from deep inside the mountains:
 |
| This tunnel was huge. This was the entry. The hole went down several hundred meters. DEEP. |
And exterior shots of the upper and lower lake areas:
 |
| That's a big damn dam. |
 |
| The lower lake of the dam |
 |
| Construction-ready! |
 |
| Beautiful views of the Alps (Le Mont Blanc is the furthest snow-covered mountain on the right side) |
 |
| Reunited with Andy! |
It was so great to catch up with Andrea and meet some of her family and be able to tour the site and enjoy a wonderful raclette lunch with them all! I'm grateful to Andy for inviting me to join in for such a memorable and fun day!
---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Annnnnnnnnd then I went to Berlin for a work conference (my first time to Berlin) and all I saw was the hotel and conference center... Blast. But, I'll be back in Europe next year (in Berlin, at least; for work, again. Hopefully also to France at a minimum!), so I'll be smarter about planning a few spare days in that city on one end of that trip.
It was a wonderful, yet brief, return to my homeland and first love, though, and each city was basking in the lovely light of late autumn. As always, my heart longs for Europe and for France. Living amidst her history, or at a minimum, traveling there often to further nourish and plumb the depths of her place in my soul, remains my ultimate goal. Until the next time, la France va gambader parmi mes pensées et flâner dans mon coeur.
Comments
Post a Comment