packing and pondering

It's 9:30 in the morning, and I am packing for my 10 visit in Canada. I leave tomorrow morning....at 6am. Barf. (not barf at Canada, barf at 6am). I am in my little room folding clothes, wrapping fragile gifts in socks and sweaters. I haven't turned i-tunes on yet. I like the silence right now, it is relaxing. But without music of course I start thinking.

I'm thinking of things I haven't done yet, that I had wanted to do before I left....and now I have no time. I wanted to get more Christmas gifts to bring back, but other than scarves and tacky tour d'eiffel replicas, there is not a lot for inexpensive gifts, other than food, but I don't want to risk that being confiscated at customs.

I was thinking the other day, while walking down a little side street, about Paris. This is a city with rhythm. It is so full of culture and life. Each Parisian is truly synchronized with the city. They don't just know the streets of the city, they know the hum, the beat, the breathing of the city. And by real Parisian, I don't just mean the people that were born and raised, and live here, I mean, the "real Parisian". The ones who love their city more than anything, they have such a strong connection with the city that neither could live without the other. Maybe they own a flower shop, or a boulangerie, or repair vacuum cleaners, or serve in a tea house, or even the homeless man who sits on the same corner everyday to say good morning. But they will never leave Paris, never permanently of course; it is clear this is where their heart is.

Paris is also dripping with art, and history, and inspirations. You can't turn a corner without seeing something historical. Even if it is just a little cobblestone path you find hidden in a little side street. That path was built a couple hundred years ago, and has seen more about the city than anyone could tell. It is impossible to not be inspired in this city. But its not always the hugely touristic places that are the most beautiful. That is one of the reasons I love it here, I have time for endless exploring.