About Paris...

Dear S.,

back in Antwerp- and missing Paris already. No other city I know has so much of its own character, is so recognisable and consistent, no other houses have that same dusty-sweet smell, in no other place croissants with confiture de griottes taste so sweet. It is so nice to go back there again and again, without feeling the pressure to do and see as much as possible, but just stroll around, look at the swarming people and find nice new places.

But first things first: Hitchhiking was really not as scary or difficult as I thought. After some 10 minutes of waiting in Antwerp (with a "Ghent- Kortrijk- Paris" sign and an "aub-svp-please" sign), two young guys took us to Kalken gasstation near Ghent. There we saw a quite angry/tired looking guy with a french license plate and we whispered to each other "NO"... and two minutes later we found ourselves sitting in his car on the way to Paris. Tja, so it goes! He turned out to be a really nice guy, a well-traveled and caring family father from Westmalle. Usually he never stops at that particular gasstation, and we were the first hikers he ever took. I think it was quite a pleasant experience for all of us, and I guess it was a nice change for him not to travel all the way to Paris on his own.

When we stepped out of the metro station, Paris greeted us with such a clichè thing: an old car with open windows playing Edith's "Je ne regrette rien".. hihi

Our hotel was situated at the backside of Montmartre, which is now, next to Le Marais, my favourite area in Paris. just look at that:

(ok, the pictures don't quite mirror the feeling you get when you climb the stairs of Rue Mont Cenis all the way up to Sacre Coeur, passing these beautiful, typical Parisian houses, and then, completely out of breath, reach my favourite Cafè/Bistro in Paris, "Francis Labutte")

It was so nice to live in a non-touristic part of Paris.

I could go on rhapsodising about Paris, but instead I'll write down some places you should definitely go to at your next visit to the french capital:

-Centre Pompidou- always great.

-climb Montmartre up to Sacre Coeur but then on the other side of the hill to see Paris from the view of a Parisian(metro Simplon might be a good starting point), take a rest at "Francis Labutte", where drinks are still affordable and tourists are rare (it's so funny to look at and listen to the young parisian in-scene ("bonjour bitcheeeees")

- Palais de Tokyo and the museum of modern art. Be sure to check out the old photoboot to take black and white pictures (metro Iena)

- Mariages Freres for the finest tea in Paris, mmmh! Thé Earl Grey Impérial is tea-extasy.

- In the evening, visit buzzing and rainbow-touched Le Marais (metro Saint Paul). Bistro "Pic-Clops" in 16 Rue Vielle du temple

-a new discovery: book-and-wine bar/bistro "La Belle Hortense" in the same street, très sympa!

- a nice and affordable shop (yes) for cute underwear and nightwear: "Oysho" in 74, Rue de Rivoli.

My dear S., that was it for now. Arriving in devilishly warm Antwerp, a kind of Ernüchterung/sobering struck me: all of you are gone for the summer, and I am still here, not quite knowing what to do with myself. I have some plans for creative work, reading and learning, but all the rest seems to me quite blury and a bit lonely. well, I will try to remember that now I have the time and freedom to do all things I've been wanting to do during the year, and just be a bit. Charlie is biting my arm, telling me to stop and play with her...

I hope you are fine and blij in MG!

Love,

M.

PS:

("aimer c'est du désordre... alors aimons!" - love is chaos.... so let's love)