lost

Leaving. (Gare de Lyon Paris), a photo by cocopuff1212 on Flickr.

I lost the pendant I bought in February in Paris.

I was subconsciously aware during our dinner that the chain was caught in the scarf I was wearing, but it didn't really register. It wasn't until the scarf got twisted on my neck and I tried to adjust it that I realizeed the pendant top was gone. By then we were halfway home from the restaurant, walking on a dimly-lit street.

We looked around, on the sidewalk and in the grass surrounding it. A young couple pushing a stroller and a gentlemna with a dog stopped and helped us look. I walked back to the restaurant, looking down as I took every step, and even went inside to look and ask. No luck.



I have often thought about where lost things go. I wonder if there is a space in the universe where lost things congregate and share the stories of how they ended up there. Do they know that they're missed? Are they lost if we don't know that we've lost them?

I hope someone finds my pendant top, and cares enough to wear it or give it to someone who might enjoy it. Then it isn't really lost; it may be lost to me, but not to the world.

When we decided it was time to stop looking, the young mom who helped us look said, "Well, you just have to go back to Paris." If only it was so easy.

Paris is no longer a two-hour train ride away.

last call

No.8 rue Godefroy, 6eme., a photo by cocopuff1212 on Flickr.

We have visitors until Friday morning and we move to a hotel Sunday afternoon. The movers are coming on Monday. In the meantime, my son has two birthday parties to attend over the weekend.

I'm not sure how busy I will be during the next nine days, but I'm pretty sure I won't be spending much time on my laptop, so I decided to go ahead and post something quick in case this becomes my last update from Lyon, France. It probably will.


I took this photo this morning while walking toward Parc de la Tête d'Or. The building, No.8 rue Godefroy, 6eme arrond., has always stirred my imagination.

It's a rather grand building, standing all on its own on a tiny block with no neighbors. There is a big gate separating its courtyard from the street, and on the northern side, there is another small garden area, gated and fenced off from public.

All I can see of the inside is the ceilling lights on the second floor, and from the look of them, I know that the space is currently being used as a business office.


I fancy this building to be a mansion that once belonged to a very wealthy family but had to be sold off due to unfortunate circumstances. The harsh fluorescent lights I see through the windows are like cheap, ugly lipstick on an elegant lady -- they're incongruent, they don't belong with this beautiful building, and they make me sad.

I wonder who built, owned, and lived in this building. I wonder what happened to them. I wonder how many servants they had, what food they ate, what they wore. I wonder how many babies were born here, and how many deaths had to be mourned.

I am, of course, romanticizing. Now, if I was fluent in French, I could go to the Archives de municipales de Lyon and try to find out the history behind the building.

Alas, my French is too limited for that kind of project. It's too ambitious an endeavor anyway, because I have only nine days left in Lyon.

luisenpark -- mannheim, germany

Some photos from Luisenpark in Mannheim.

We walked around...

 

 

Sat in the chairs that are available everywhere in the park...

 

Played giant chess...

 

 

Watched the birds, and watched someone taking photos of the birds...

Walked around some more...

And got a piggy-back ride.

We had lunch at one of the restaurants in the park, and sadly had to leave around 2 p.m. as we had a long drive back home.

Otherwise, we would have stayed all day. What a beautiful, fun park.

memories to take home with me

My last purchase at Les Puces., a photo by cocopuff1212 on Flickr.

I went to Les Puces du Canal for the last time yesterday.

I wasn't looking to buy anything -- my niece was visiting for the weekend and wanted to go to the fea market; I thought it would give me an opportunity to say good-bye to the lovely people I've bought some wonderful things from during the last three years.


I used my very limited French to explain that I was returning to the U.S. permanently, and that I was grateful for the opportunity I had to get to know them. I wanted to tell them that I would take care of the things I purchased from them, but my French failed me there.

I don't think it mattered. They seem genuinely touched that I would come and say hello for the last time. They all wished me luck with the move and with my new life back in the States (I'm pretty sure that's what they said).


Until yesterday, I'd been a little worried that some of my fragile Puces finds wouldn't survive the transatlantic voyage. I thought I'd be heartbroken if something broke in transit. But I realized yesterday that what I treasure about these things are not the things themselves but the memories and stories that come with them -- memories and stories of these wonderful people and the absolutely delightful place that is Les Puces du Canal. Even if something broke, I'd still have the memories to carry and stories to tell.

And there's no price tags on memories and stories. That makes this painted box, for which I paid only 5€, a truly remarkable bargain of the century.

castle in the sky

 This is where we were this past weekend.

We drove six hours to see the schloß, then to stop in Mannheim on the way home. A quick report to follow -- hopefully soon.

little

A full lunch with dessert under 10€., a photo by cocopuff1212 on Flickr.

Little is a sweet, actually-not-so-little cupcake shop that also serves lunch.

I had a plate of tasty crab & asparagus tarte salè (served with baby greens) and a bottle of Badoit, a cupcake for dessert of course (apple caramel), and a generous cup of coffee (brewed with a Nespresso machine!).

All of that was 9.80€. Pas mal.

Little
30 rue des remparts d’Ainay 69002 LYON

I discovered Little through this wonderful blog. Thank you for the information, Argone!

a week in london, in 25 photos

London. What can I say?

I love the city.

I did not want to leave. I've been to many wonderful places during our three years in Europe, but no other city made me feel that way before. It's been more than a month since we were there, and I still think about it often.

London has my heart.

I shall be back. Yes, one day.

science museum, london

We expected the Science Museum in London to be primarily a place for children. We went there because we thought our 10-year old son would enjoy it.

We were very pleasantly surprised. Of course, he loved the hands-on exhibits and enjoyed the children's lecture and overall had a terrific time. But my husband and I were also delighted to find so many -- so many! -- fabulously interesting and beautiful things to look at.

I love old scientific instruments. Their beauty lies in their function and utility, and their ability to answer and ask questions at the same time. What were people trying to find out back then? Did they find the answers they were looking for?

We could have visited the Museum two days in a row and still not have enough time to see everything. I eventually stopped taking photos because it was taking too much time, and just enjoyed looking at the exhibits.

It was a good call.