SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11
With buckets full of water that had leaked into the glassed veranda, more dripping onto my bedroom floor, and a strong wind throwing the rain against the windows, we decided it might just be a good day to cancel our plans for a walking tour.
ARMISTICE DAY IN PARIS
Though the rain was heavy all day, the sound of military planes flying overhead was distinguishable. It was the centenary celebration of World War One Armistice…in Paris. Too miserable to go out to see it, YouTube delivered a live show to our apartment. Tanks, military personnel and world dignitaries marched or rode along the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe where more than sixty heads of state gathered in remembrance. President Macron, dignified and elegant, gave a powerful speech, warning of the dangers of authoritarianism, the rise of the right. President Trump scowled. Young and old gave short speeches. YoYo Ma performed on his cello, rain pouring off the sides of the Arc. Trump boorishly man-spread into Merkle’s space. Overall, it was a touching event. We felt lucky to be so near.
We wandered the neighborhood, but the rain, my stomachache and Chloe’s cramps drove us back to our, seventh-floor, water-spattered view of Montmartre.
