Autumn light in the Luxembourg Gardens on an October evening. © Erin Zaleski 2012
I finally made it back to Paris after nearly four years of being away.
If I had forgotten how bleak October in Paris can be, the past two weeks have reminded me.
The morning sky is dark until 8 am and a thick canopy of clouds can linger for days, obscuring the sun and imparting a romantic, melancholy quality to the city the gradually becomes less romantic and more melancholy with each successive gray day. Fortunately, I was so caught up in the intensity of re-immersing myself in the city and reconnecting with old friends that the gloom became an afterthought.
On my last evening, still tipsy from a long, wine-soaked lunch, I stumbled (quite literally) into the Luxembourg Gardens, where the last moments of the day had given way to a blaze of light that was almost jarring.
It was a fitting conclusion to a trip during which dreary moments mingled side by side with florid, intense ones. It was also a reminder that more than two decades since my first trip and after nearly four years away, the city still has the ability to tantalize, seduce and surprise me.
I’ve booked a return trip for the spring. See you there?
2 Comments
I lived in Paris one winter and recently moved back for school after being gone 18 months. I was so excited to return to all of my favorite places and discover new ones. One of my favorite spots in Paris is in Jardin Luxembourg; a southern quadrant lawn with a sculpture of a regal buck staring west into the setting sun with his family beneath him; the older inhabitants of rive gauche in their sweaters and scarves lining the edge soaking up the sunset on their faces. It’s a lovely spot. We’ll welcome you in spring.
Hi, Jacob, and thanks for stopping by. I know the spot you speak of quite well! How fantastic that you are back in Paris–it’s a hard place to leave and a wonderful one to return to. Enjoy every minute! 🙂