The Great Adventure: Day 6
Tuesday May 26, 2009
Versailles today! Ooh! F. gave me her chocolate croissant!
A's eyeshadow is spectacular. Metallic blues and purples. I think I slept better last night...don't really remember...which indicates that I was asleep. Either that or I'm going selectively delirious.
The train to Versailles is amazing! Two floors and packed to the brim w/people spilling out into the aisles or sitting cheek by jowl. I'm beginning to get used to the causal touching. If the motion of the train makes you bump into someone, tant pis. I'm also quite glad that I did not bring my wrap. It's much warmer in the train.
Domingo's portrayal of Cyrano was powerful, ringing to the rafters and bringing the audience to its feet for three curtain calls. The final scene, the denial, brought tears to my eyes.
I can't believe there are people not sharing seats here. It just doesn't seem right.
Every time the teachers go off to have a small conference, I get nervous, not because there's any reason to...I guess it's just in my nature. I don't like being discussed, even if it's good.
There is a replica Statue of Liberty on the Seine! How wonderful is that? I mean, they gave it to us, but still...I wouldn't have thought they would want such a reminder of our very close association.
The woman three seats in front of me has not quite covered a black eye with makeup. That kind of bruise is called a "mouse" and looks to be a violent purple. Violent being the word. There's only one way to get a bruise like that.
I think the closeness is enforced by the tiny spaces and the immense amount of people. In some American cities this produces intense rudeness, such as in Chicago and New York. Here everyone is v. polite, but there is no personal space. People will walk up right behind you and lean into you. Or knock against you and not say pardon or excusez-moi. It just seems expected.
R. seemed to think that I'll be coming back. I would really love to...I am in love w/ this city. I've always loved big cities, and this one has little green spaces, even on the buildings, between the cracks of the bricks, but especially in the courtyards. R.'s courtyard was almost like a jungle, w/ a walnut tree, a trumpet vine, several lianas, pigeons and a cat. Also in the apartment below her's there is an immense bulldog! She was truly scornful about keeping such a huge dog in such a tiny apartment.
12:30 I did not see the gardens, so no dropped flowers from Versailles.* However, I did pick up a Marie Antoinette purse for E. thus discharging my daughter in law duties. It is raining and my feet and the bottom of my skirt are soaking. I would like to go to Pere Lachaise but I want to add a skirt and change my socks first. It's desperately chilly.
Prof. D. said that I am very like R. and I do see that. We're both intelligent, confident, fiesty, opinionated, etc.
He stirs all the old temptations. I am trying not to flirt to overtly, but I couldn't help enjoying it and lingering a bit when he leaned into me when giving me directions to the metro. I figure I'm going to see him twice and then never again, so as long as I don't offend anyone, (especially him, my god) or make a fool fo myself, I'm fine.
The girls have been making a big thing of this whole "don't make eye contact" thing. Prof D. said well yes, if a woman did look him full in the eyes he would take it as a very clear signal...while making very strong eye contact w/me.
The cemetary was larger than one could walk in two days! Each tomb was ornate in its own way, from neoclassical to high gothic, flying buttresses and all! The tomb of Honore de Balzac and the palais of Abelard and Heloise were both under restorative scaffolding. Pleh. However, Oscar Wilde's was, I mean...*gasp* Not one to break from tradition, I kissed his tomb, at the foot of the R in Oscar. I left small notes at all three of the graves and took flowers and petals from each.
*I picked up dropped flowers to press in my diary.
