There is an oft-remembered scene from the movie The Dead Poet Society in which Robin Williams is standing on his desk in front of the boys in his class, lecturing them. He challenges them saying, “Carpe Diem”, seize the day. With the thought in mind that my life is in the fourth quarter and that any day, everything could change, carpe diem becomes a mantra for daily living. When an email arrived early last fall from my friends Michael and Timothy in Nice saying that they are going on a trip in April and their apartment could be available for a couple of weeks while they were away, I immediately responded, “I’m on my way.” I equivocated for several months about whether to add Paris to the itinerary, but decided “OK, you are buying a ticket to France. Do it.”

In early May I’ll take the TGV (fast train) up to Paris for a couple more weeks, returning to the neighborhood near the Luxembourg Gardens where I nested in 2015…familiar surroundings, good restaurants very close by, a favorite tea room around the corner, grocery store next door and an easy walk from the apartment I’ve rented to that iconic park behind the French Sénat. Spring flowers will be blooming, the apiary in the Luxembourg Gardens buzzing, children will be sailing their little toy boats in the pond.

And  way of introducing a new menu item for this trip blog, here is the name of a tender little novel describing that Luxembourg Garden scene so well.  There is a new drop down on the menu bar that contains a library list of some of my favorite books about France, Paris, Nice and also about France during WWII.

The book pictured to the left is about the American artist Mary Cassatt, her ailing sister Lydia who had Bright’s disease, and Mademoiselle Cassatt’s paramour who possibly was Dégas. They were living in Paris during the period in time this story takes place.  A sweet read if you enjoy the impressionist artists.

As planning for this trip unfolded my long-time friend and former work colleague from years back in Sacramento, Janet Hake, decided to join me for the time in  Nice. We’ve had several adventures in France during our younger, less cautious years, (and Jan is considerably younger than moi) so we have no doubt there will be some spontaneous moments that will cause great laughter and unexpected surprises. It’s always been that way when we travel together. And in our minds, we’ll still be our younger selves traveling, although this time we will show RESPECT for our ages and the times in which we live. That last sentence is said both in all seriousness and especially for some who have expressed concerns about our safely on foreign soil.

  Fear is not a travel partner.   Mindfulness is. 

Jan Hake currently resides in Redondo Beach, California. In the fall of 2016 she retired from work in the California Community College system in Northern California.

I am so happy you want to follow Brightly She Goes to see parts of France through the eyes of she who loves most all things French and her spirited and adventuresome friend Jan.  Meantime friends from college days at Willamette University were planning their own sojourn to Paris. When we discovered we’d all be there at the same time, we too made plans to meet up ensemble. I thought 2015 would be the final trip to France…but that old carpe diem surprisingly opened the door again for this upcoming adventure.

The new banner at the top of the blog is taken from this small painting purchased at the Cours Salyea Market in 2015. The artist is pictured at his market stall the day I made the purchase.

Here’s the artist!