of paris, i will probably always remember
the simplest of things, I couldn’t say why. A lunch at a sidewalk restaurant on the Champs Elysses (cliche), of which I remember most strongly the green bottle of Perrier, glowing bright as an emerald in the warm spring sun against a crisp white tablecloth. I remember a simple lunch: baguette with jambon de pays and a little butter; finished off with an exquisite cafe noisette (espresso with just enough milk to be hazelnut-colored, or so we interpreted anyway). I think my mother had a salade nicoise.
No, this was certainly not the most fantastic or remarkable experience we had on that trip to Paris, or even the best meal. But it is what sticks in my mind most clearly, most readily. It felt like freedom, and luxury, at the same time. Everything you could possibly need in a given moment, being met.
I told you I couldn’t possibly explain.
