Sunday afternoon on Île de la Cité, men roasted chustnuts over barrels. I ate them warm from newspaper while eyeing orange trees, clucking at poulets, petting fluffity lapins between the eyes and wishing beyond wishing for a little bird of my own. "I will name him Henri," I thought. "He will perch on my shoulder and sing to me as I sweep the cold, cold floor. He will cock his little head, and we will take presents to feverish match girls, keeping nothing for ourselves. And one day, when his heart stops beating in its little breast, I will weep."* And then I tore myself away from the animal market and mourned Henri's death with great piety under the watchful eyes of Notre Dame. I walked north, through the Marais. I bought a warm, oozy Nutella crepe and thought of virtue no more.
*My Granny used to read Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince to me in her front parlor when I was small. Love for Grannies and Oscar Wilde notwithstanding, it may or may not be wise to read The Happy Prince to small children. Then again, I credit Wilde (and Anderson, of course) for my strong literary affection for consumptive match girls and tiny, good-hearted birds.
10 maids a-milking:
I love your photos. And I read that entire book of stories as a child and was scarred forever. The pearl diver had blood that gushed from his ears, if I remember...
Oh the trauma of The Happy Prince.
And the love of the paris pet market. Was it the one with a pack of gigantic, very scary, very huge bear like dogs?
I never got into those tales, but I am very excited about chestnuts. I've never had them, but I'm lobbying hard for Thanksgiving chestnuts with our duckie.
a good friend of mine has a bird who likes to sit on her shoulder when she's taking a shower. she has to nudge him every now and again, for he opens his beak with happiness and she's afraid he'll drown while blissing out.
(i'm loving the photos as well - hooray for flickr!)
Have you kissed Oscar Wildes grave yet? You must. Bring lipstick.
I wish I could express the things that fill my heart half as well as you do.
I so envy your little adventure in Paris. I had one myself several years back in Montmatre for 10 days. Best trip of my life. *sigh* I am homesick for Paris.
Thank you for taking us with you!
i love nutella crepes more than anything. had ice cream on ile st louis yet? ridden a bike? where are you staying? le marais?
xox
mmm, nutella is my favorite.
A perfect paragraph about being in Paris. Hot chestnuts wrapped in paper, little caged birds and the wanting of one so that you can have in your own petite apartment that cheerful singing, the Nutella crepe, the memory of your grandmother and the fondness for all the little match girls of all those stories....
Just delightful. Happy thanksgiving!
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