Though I did not go to the market with her, it was interesting to see the rather spacious Parisian apartment where Émilie grew up. 
We got a taste, literally, of daily life where people go to markets and get fresh produce to make their meals. The focus on taste, quality, and care is evident even for a lunch categorized as “simple.” Danielle, the youngest in our group, took part in the traditional ceremony for the galette des rois, wherein lies a hidden treasure that determines who is queen (Laurie took that honor).
We got a taste, literally, of daily life where people go to markets and get fresh produce to make their meals. The focus on taste, quality, and care is evident even for a lunch categorized as “simple.” Danielle, the youngest in our group, took part in the traditional ceremony for the galette des rois, wherein lies a hidden treasure that determines who is queen (Laurie took that honor). On a different note, I felt today I was more aware of the sense of space in Paris. As Émilie spoke of before, the 17th arrondissement where she lives has wide streets and was designed in the Haussman style. While in the galleries and covered passage of Paris there were different degrees of decoration and popularity ranging from the ornate Galerie Vivienne to the more functional Passage des Panoramas. Had Émilie not pointed these secrets out, I would have surely never seen them.
The Opéra Garnier also reflects an aspect of French architecture; I was able to buy last-minute tickets to see the Trisha Brown Dance Company, but also the well-known interior. Since the Garnier is one of the oldest and most ornate theatres in Paris, I thought of all the history that the building must have lived through and the famous artists and works that were performed there. Yet the performance I saw was modern in both choreography and lighting effects, reminiscent of the monochromatic artwork seen at the Pompidou in the exhibition Big Bang.
The richness of French culture truly comes from its interest in pleasure and attention to detail. When the general culture I am in respects and esteems presentation, I find myself more able to appreciate it as well.
January 7, 2006
Paris—big and small spaces
