A Love Affair With Paris

 I'd gotten pretty discouraged and down-in-the-dumps over all this dental work and was in a pretty low place the other day. As she always does, Shirley was attempting to pull me up outta that hole.

She says 'now, you can't say you're too old, you can't or you aren't able.' Okay I answer.

'Where would you love to go if you want to?' 

Well, that's a no-brainer!

I  said. 

You see, my love affair with Paris started back in 1985 when Susan (who had started modeling in New York) needed to go to Paris to get work for her portfolio. It's the dead of winter, there's one way air tickets to Brussels for $99. Remember those days!!! So, we took off. We'd never been to Europe before so this was quite an adventure.

We land at the Brussels airport after having flown what seemed like all night. People milling about the plane cabin, no sleep ... besides we were filled with excitement and anticipation. Had a couple hours wait 'til the train took off for Paris. 

It's nearly nightime by the time we got to our hotel (by their time zone). We walked into the door, no reservations (boy, were we naive) but he did have a room. We lugged our baggage up a black wrought iron staircase, down a long, dark hall and was shown into a room which I would describe as a cabin in the woods kind of establishment. Wooden single beds covered in those old scratchy woolen like blankets, (sort of like what you'd throw over a horse), We had a large wardrobe, a chair, a phone on the wall and that was about it.

I'd been so proud of myself for having bought a Frommer book 'See Europe on $5 a day' or some such thing. Picked a hotel out of it's pages 'cause it advertised that the staff spoke English (a definate requirement). And, here we are stuck in a place that is like a hostel. The one bathroom for the entire floor was down the hall. 

We are so exhausted we didn't care! We lay down on the hard beds, pulled that scratchy blanket over us and realize that these French people don't heat these places very well. So, I pile our coats and anything else I could find over us and we fell asleep.

Well, nature called in the middle of the night so I get up and head down that long hallway to find the bathroom. I feel around for the light switch.... it's a knob that you turn but it gave me a bit of light. I'm sitting there taking care of business shivering... the dang window is up near the ceiling and it's open. Did I say it was January? About that time the room turns pitch-dark. That 'knob' was a timer for the lights. The French are cheapskates, too. I do make it back to the room safely.

And, Susan is sitting up in her bed so I said 'Susan?'. No answer. I call her again. Nothing. I shake her shoulder, no response. She is sound asleep. So, I just pushed her back on the pillow and she slept right on. 

I guess you are scratching your head about now... how was this part of a love affair with Paris. Doesn't sound like it to me, does it you? But, it was.... We had just gotten there and there was so much more to come. 

By then I was busy thinking about Paris and what I'd do if I could go back. Yes, I am too old! At least I think I am. But, it pulled me partway outta that hole i'd dug for myself.