Aug 2014
La gare Saint-Lazare
I have seen the modernity of nineteenth century Paris,
Preserved, iconic;
The vantage points of the new artists of that day,
Monet, Manet, Caillebotte, Beraud;
Documenting progress and industry onto their canvases.
Their future, opened by railway lines
Leading to worlds unknown.
Today, the modernity, noisy, crowded,
Dirty rusting fences enclosing these railway lines,
Transporting commuters to la vie quotidienne.
[In September, David and I returned to Paris for a week of vacation. For this particular trip, we agreed to see Paris in a new way. As the English novelist, Lawrence Durrell said, one must “travel with the eyes of the spirit wide open, sit quietly and observe and smell and listen for the spirit of the place which is the most important determinant in culture…one should tune in, idly, but with real inward attention”. Therefore, in the style of Hemingway’s vignettes (1922 Paris), we have shared our reflections and “quiet, inward” observations of this enigmatic city. ]
Copyright 2015 by Robyn Lowrie. May be quoted in part or full only with attribution to Robyn Lowrie (www.frenchquest.com)
My French Quest 