Petite Promenade

During orientation our program leader asked us what our goals were and what our fears were. Goals: learn french. Fears: going to school. Sure I had, and still do have, the same goal--it's been my goal for about 13 years now; I'm just hoping the program will be a catalyst for improvement. I didn't really have the same fear, though. I've never been scared of academics. I either get it or I don't. If I don't, I'm usually the one to ask the question, possibly raising my hand a third, fourth, or fifth time until I do get it. So, what was my fear? It was the same as one of my other goals: getting lost. This is not an unreasonable fear for me, nor would it be a difficult goal to accomplish. However, I know that losing yourself in a city may just be the best way of learning about it. Yesterday I lost myself. Then, miraculously, I found myself.

Here's how the story started:
You see, Once Upon A Time there was a party invitation. All the lovely young maidens and strapping young lads were invited to go to have a ball (at a bar, that is). So, when the clock chimed 5:30 I gathered my things and dashed to the metro, leaving my directions behind.

I arrived at the proper metro--Les Halles, which was overwhelming in itself as it appears to be a metro stop/shopping mall--and was stuck. Where should I go? It's nearly 6! So I texted two friends, one of whom was the party organizer. Apparently I missed one of the emails with a time-change. The gathering wasn't at 6 but rather 8, so I had some time to kill. Oh, and the tiny street I'm supposed to find that's not on the map (because at least I had my map, thank goodness) is "off Rue du Louvre".

Some directionless wandering led me to Rue du Rivoli. "Wait," I though with glee, "I've been here before!" Rue du Rivoli is long boulevard on which Angelina's is located. Since I had some time, I wasn't nervous; I was relieved, enlighted, even excited. I wandered in and out of stores, and even found a blow-out sale at Zara, where I tried a few things on. Picking a direction based on nothing but gut I started walking. At this point, I took out my camera.





As it turns out, this was the perfect part of Paris to get lost. I had ended up at Pont Neuf where I marvled at the lights of the city reflecting on the Seine. A rather old, well lit building caught my eye as I kept strolling, so I headed towards it. As it turns out, Paris is...pretty much anything you want it to be. It can be very quiet and calming--given that the social "don't talk to strangers" rule is followed at all ages--and yet, it can be confortably noisy and active. The rumble of engines as they pass by, the sound of people talking to eachother in the distance, the flickering lights on bycicles, and the clip-clop of heals as a woman passes by all make this city alive at almost any hour. Paris is filled with enough history to satisfy an intellect, enough modernity, high fashion, and representations of other countries to lure citizens of the world. At any given point you can change your mind on what you want and what you're looking for.

The building that I was heading for was none other than The Louvre. (See, I told you I was bad with directions. You would think I would at least know where the Louvre is, or maybe even recognize it more quickly since I've been there twice before.) Not looking to go inside and see the painted treasures beneath, I simply stood outside dumstruck at the building itself. I started in a courtyard, surrounded on all sides by this:




This entrance way was surreal. It was some kind of entrance into a different world where modernity and antiquity collide in a strange time clash. The lights were like torches guiding the way. There was a moment where I felt like I was in The NeverEnding Story (which I haven't seen for ages).


My host-mother likes to go to the Louvre once in a while. She said to me that she thinks the pyramids are an architectural success and that every time she sees them she's overcome with awe at the beauty. I'd seen the pyramids before, and I even liked them. For some reason the other night I got it. Perhaps it was the nighttime setting, perhaps it was the fact that I was alone, perhaps it was that I was in no hurry nor had any real agenda, but whatever it was I had a dawning moment where suddenly all was clear. This is a work of genius. It's really a you-gotta-be-there kind of thing, but I'll do my best at a description. Like a lot of Paris the Louvre is symmetrical. The Pyramids are, too. If you stand just right you have an image to the left of a large tower of the old stone glowing yellow from all the lights. To the right you see the same. Then, in front, there's an overwhelming pyramid that's also aglow. Everything--the lights of the louvre, of the large pyramid and the other smaller ones--is then reflected in the triangular pools of water, which are also set up symmetrically. I could only attempt to capture one portion of this grand scheme, so you'll have to imagine the rest.


I stood there for a long time snapping photos and just staring around. When I finally convinced myself that it was time to go I started up again in a random direction, hoping to eventually find the meeting spot. In the end, I was the first of the American's to arrive, aside from the person who organized the event. When I saw a similar church I finally consulted my map, and I discovered that I had just made a huge circle. I had a great time at the party. My entire evening was excellent, particularly the part where I lost myself amidst some of Paris's most impressive night scenes.