Saturday, May 10, 2014

Gesundheit



Did I say Paris was still in my nose? Yes, I did. Yesterday I came down with a minor cold, just a head cold, at least so far. I am blowing Paris out of my nose. How funny.

I didn't exactly say I wanted to get Paris out of my nose, but the body never lies. It was time, hence the cold. The worst of it passed last night. Today I have no plans so I can lie on the couch, watch movies or continue reading David Lebovitz's excellent cookbook, My Paris Kitchen.

An excuse to do nothing is rather nice. I'll drink tea, nap, avoid the ongoing exploding pollen bomb of spring.



It's another day of settling in, coming closer to normal, whatever that is.

I asked the Voice in the Shower this morning if I regret the trip to Paris. I dreaded it beforehand, rightfully so, I think. In hindsight I wish I had spent a couple of days there, the rest of the time in England. The best day in Paris by far was the day I spent with a friend who lives in London. My new travel mantra: I will travel to see people, not places.

So, do I regret it? The Voice in the Shower said, "Almost." That's on one level, though, the did I have a good time level, the level of what you expect when you go on vacation. But for me, vacation involves mountains, a lake, stars, people I love. Paris was not a vacation, and no, I did not have a lot of fun. I felt terribly lonely most of the time, I wept gallons of tears, most of them in my hotel room, thank god. When I went out, I was confused. I got turned around. I didn't eat enough, or drink enough. Sometimes I would sit down at a restaurant, stare at the menu for awhile, then leave abruptly. It was an ordeal.

Quite apart from the did I have fun level, I think something happened to me there. A healing on some level took place. I think. A friend who is not at all oriented to noticing such things told me the other day I look "glow-y." Even she could see that I took in some kind of light. I guess it was a soul retrieval.

Was it? My head is congested and my forehead numb today. Must go blow my nose.



4 comments:

  1. First of all, I'm happy to have been part of your best day. Come to London, by all means! I had a fantastic day, too.

    I think it was important for you to go, and I think you would regret NOT going far more than you might second-guess taking the trip. So overall, it was a good thing. Traveling alone is always hard. I always feel a little lonely when I go places by myself for extended periods.

    I thought it was funny when you mentioned somewhere (either here or on Facebook) that you felt like your French got worse as your trip wore on. I had that same feeling when I went to France with Dave. I wonder if over a period of days we become more attentive to our own linguistic shortcomings, or if we just get lazier, realizing that others will usually understand our bad Franglish?

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  2. wept gallons of tears? perhaps your glow-y look is because you are glad to be back home. I have to say I really don't understand this whole Paris thing...traveling not for pleasure and fun but for other reasons that do not make you happy.

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  3. OK, I have been catching up on your posts. Maybe I do get it. Hadn't realized I was so far behind on reading.

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  4. My friend in Paris says it's travel fatigue. After days of trying to understand what was going on around me, my French faltered. Now that I'm back in the U.S. it's coming up strongly. Ironic!

    You're right Steve - I had to go. I'm feeling better about it today. Thanks.

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