THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15
There is just too much to do, too much beauty and art, too many churches and streets and architecture to see, too many parks and places to go. Who has time to write? And forget selfcare. We haven’t even looked for a nearby gym, or talked about it. I barely found a bank before running out of cash yesterday. Every day I think – oh, I’ll do this or that – the laundry, my hair, whatever – and then the day comes to a close with nothing done. I’m betting we walked nearly 20 km yesterday, gaging by my aching body and the time it took to walk the seven flights – 156 stairs – to the apartment last night.
Chloe did all the many things she has to do to get ready to visit an agency. It’s a lot of work. A fog settled over the city during the night, but it is still warm.
Two agencies.
Modelling is the hardest business. The first agency Chloe visited (I waited on the stairs while she went up), the women was cold and rude. She told Chloe she shouldn’t wear her hair straight, that she looked better with the curls and then just said, “no.” Brutal.
The next stop was in another part of the city, and I went around the corner to a café during Chloe’s meeting. The man she met was nice enough but she said he didn’t take any snaps and that means he’s not interested.
Yeah, Chloe is totally a trooper but I can see her heart is sinking.
EIFFEL TOWER FROM A BOAT
At 4:45 we arrived at the boat launch below the Eiffel Tower, baguettes and snacks in hand. The hour-long cruise on the Seine was perfectly timed so we would leave the Eiffel Tower at dusk and return at dark when it was lit.
Huddle together for warmth, we sat at back of the boat, outside below a row of benches serving as a wind breaker from teh cold air off the water. Sitting backwards, our back to the wind, we watched Paris pass by from the back of the boat and ate our picnic dinner. Most everyone else was inside, but we stayed out the entire trip.
The cruise passed the ile Saint-Louis and ile de la Cite and under 22 bridges. Fog hid the top of the Eiffel Tower when we left. As we passed the Ile Saint-Louis we picked out the apartment we wanted to live in, imagining what that would be like. When we returned to the Eiffel Tower it was alit with gold lights. I.M. Pei’s pyramid in the Louvre made perfect sense as I looked up at the tower, but I did wonder why he hadn’t used gold.
We walked most of the way home…along broad boulevards and for us, as yet unexplored neighborhoods.
