Page 29 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #3

spare JD as much as I can. I decide to wash the pleased that we looked “French” enough for
sink one more time. I want the apartment to that to happen.
be as perfect as possible. I am hypersensitive,
perhaps, to being an American and to further Coffee with Cyrille was great. We learned much
diminishing what the world thinks of us. The about the history of Reims. I enjoyed Cyrille’s
other nyght, at the Eiffel Tower, as we wait- passion for French history. I can’t say the same
ed for sunset, six American young women…. for American history.
Yeah, I know how and why the world sees us
as they do. I want none of that. My camera bag being checked not withstand-
ing, JD and I continue to be amazed by the ex-
9:57. The water has stopped. tent to which everything here is organized. If
you have ever been to the airport in Vegas and
I stood on the landing as JD photographed have waited hours to get through security, you
the apartment with his phone-camera. Yeah, know what I mean. Here everything seems to
I did too. Neither one of us wants to leave. Ei- be designed to move large numbers of people
ther Paris has changed since we first visited in quickly. I wouldn’t want to push that too far,
1996, or, we have. I suspect a bit of both. After but for the most part, function seems to be a
all, even the Metro is bi-lingual now. greater consideration in design than in the
States. Even the “moving sidewalk” graceful-
2:10 PM. We are late for the cab and when we ly moves like a steel ribbon into the distance.
get in the fare is already 23+ Euros. I am not Ironic since in the US we tend to pride our-
pleased about this. By the time we arrive at the selves on simplicity and “no frills.” Yeah.
airport the fare is 88 Euros. Well more than
$100 USD. Ouch. JD is sound asleep. His body My laptop battery is currently working so I will
moves forward and back, forward and back, to write as long as I can.
the rhythm of the tires against the roadway.
For a few minutes I am too but I don’t want JD and I finished our trip by having lunch
to miss anything – I can’t be sure when I will with Olivier Revon and Frederick. Of course,
return so I want to take every moment in. we had the penne in a chicken cheese-cream
sauce, and, of course, pana cotta for desert. It
3:35 PM. I am going through withdrawal. They was a tough walk from the apartment to DxO
made me check my camera bag. I would rather with all our bags. The cool of the day quickly
check a leg or an arm. I am especially unhappy gave way to a sticky-hot almost North Carolina
because there are people with bags that large atmosphere. I don’t perspire much, but even I
everywhere. Why I was singled out, I do not began to.
know, save perhaps for the fact that she made
me weigh the bag and perhaps in her opinion Fifteen minutes till we board. Forty-five more
it was too heavy. Hell, even JD has his bag with sitting in a very small space. Eight hours in the
him…… At least I have my memory card holder air. I am sitting behind JD. Neither of us likes
– I usually leave it in the camera bag. that but there is little we can do. So, I guess
it will do. I am tired. Perhaps this is just the
As we walked from the apartment to Porte de effect of our last lunch in Paris. Perhaps it is
St Cloud in search of the café Aux Tois Obus, because I was up at 6:30. Anxious. Much on
a man on a scooter stopped and asked us for my mind. Not looking forward to returning
directions. He spoke too quickly and we didn’t “home.” ■
speak French nearly well enough but we were

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