Page 27 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #3

Day Six Day Seven

Yesterday, we went to Reims with Deborah The aroma of the last of the San Marco coffee
Gallin and her daughter to see the old city. It drifts across the stillness of the apartment. The
was the first time JD had been outside Paris. thought of packing and leaving is rather daunt-
From coffee in an old café to a walk through the ing. Clothes and camera gear are everywhere.
cemetery that dates back about three hundred It is just after 7:00 AM. I have been awake,
years, it was a good day. In the cemetery, which more or less, since about 6:30. There is a lot on
suffered much disrepair, it was clear that when my mind I suppose. And it has been unusually
a grave becomes “abandoned”, whatever that noisy this morning. Mostly trucks. The clack-
means, it is sold again. It had been an intense ing and banging diesel engines disrupting the
week. Deborah drove so there was little for JD quiet of the morning. And now, the streets are
or me to stress about – other than getting up, alive. Scooters. Cars. Voices.
dressed and out the door. JD was, of course,
late. So, we departed later than expected. We have one more appointment. 10:00 AM.
We will meet our old friend from DxO, Cyrille.
The weather was cooler than it had been in Paris JD wants to visit the cemetery across from the
the previous several days. And until late in the apartment, but that depends on how quickly he
day, the sky was almost cloudless. We spent a gets up and gets packed. Our flight is at 5:30
considerable amount of time in and around the but getting to the airport is never easy. I would
cathedral, and of course, I neglected to remove be comfortable leaving as close to 1:30 or 2:00
my hat, and that, of course, prompted a lecture PM as possible. Theoretically, that would place
on the behalf of a little man in a blue sports us at the airport by 2:30 at the latest. Well, de-
jacket. I didn’t understand a word he said, but pending upon traffic, of course.
it didn’t matter. I got the message.
It is almost 7:30 AM now. I have to start get-
While we were in Reims, we looked the ad- ting JD up and I need another cup of coffee. My
vertisements for apartments that are for sale. thoughts are terribly scattered and as much as
Three rooms, perhaps 1,000 square feet, I want to write more – writing often helps me
250,000 Euros. I was shocked. In fact, the cost gather a sense of order to what I am feeling and
of living here is substantial but it doesn’t seem thinking – I cannot.
to bother anyone. Sunday, when we met Jean,
I was thinking about ordering a Coke. When I
saw it was 6.8 Euros – about $9 USD – I de-
cided to have tap water. Even yesterday, with There’s a butterfly on the railing
much lower prices in Reims, a lemon soda, an outside the window. It is quite beau-
apple juice, and sparkling water and a small tiful. So, I shall end these notes
bottle of ice tea, came to just over 10 Euros or here. The last cup of coffee remains
about $13.00. Fuel might be cheaper in the for me to drink, and the beauty of
States, but I would doubt the claim that the the butterfly as my last memory of
standard of living back home is higher than it Paris.
is here…

Summer 2013 | 27