Parler Paris Nouvellettre®
Your taste of life in Paris and France
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Monday, March 21, 2011 • Paris, France
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It's become an annual ritual, in time with the Jewish festival of Purim, that I set out to plant geraniums in the "jardinières" (planters) adorning the window railings. Just about mid March, the nurseries along the quai de la Mégisserie (between Pont au Change and Pont Neuf) begin to display their spring flowers for sale and that's when you know the timing is right to replant last year's dead or sorry flowers.
This past winter was particularly harsh and even though they were covered with a sort of protective fiber wrapping, the bright fuchsia geraniums on the terrace of "Le Saint-Tropez" sadly 'bit the dust' under the layers of snow and frost. At my home apartment, one out of four planters once filled with bright red geraniums, was not at all resurrect -able, while the others were showing bits of new green leaves sprouting from what looked like dead roots. How they survived the winter is a mystery to me, considering the weeks on end of snow and ice.
At "Le Provençal," the hearty rosemary survived, but the lovely lavender sadly didn't. It will be replaced with ivy which should weather the storms a bit better.
Out came the marketing cart Saturday and a plan with my neighbor of "Mon Petit Château" was made to shop for flowers and spend the afternoon planting them...just as I do every year at this time and have for all the years I've lived in this apartment.
It's stupid, I know, but there is something so exhilarating about marking the onset of spring with the re-introduction of the colorful blossoms that adorn the windows and punctuate the views between the interior space and the neighbors across the street. Once planted, they become like 'babies' that need TLC (and fertilizer) to grow up big and strong and gorgeous. (Yes, this is a grown woman behaving like a child with a new doll!)
The neighbors have a great view looking directly onto the beautiful flowers and wished they would be so industrious as to do the same, but unfortunately they are not. In fact, very few make any effort at all. One neighbor hangs out old towels, instead (I think they are not French and don't realize it's illegal [since 1972] to hang your laundry outside your apartment!).
A few years ago there was a city-wide contest for the finest blooming windows and balconies. To my great fortune, the two guys across the street put on a beautiful display -- it was absolute 'eye candy.' Now that they are long gone and their windows are pathetically neglected, their colorful display is sadly missed while my neighbors have the benefit of my own endeavors. Am I jealous? Yes, and a bit disappointed.
With all the seriously terrible things going on in the world, from the earthquake in Japan to the air strikes in Libya, life in the City of Light goes on. Spring in Paris is springing -- the sun has been bright, the skies blue, the air cool, the leaves on the trees are sprouting a bright green and flowers are coming up to provide that very message -- that life still goes on.
Sunday afternoon a sea of religious Jews in their traditional garb paraded down the streets of Le Marais carrying a "Chuppah" (canopy) and a Torah On the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar in the year 5771 -- Purim. They were full of life singing songs of freedom, in celebration of the deliverance from the ancient Persian Empire saving them from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, an advisor to the king. Much like Moammar Gadhafi (CNN's spelling), Haman was stopped by the king (hanged, actually, or so the story goes), as we ( U.S., British and French forces) will stop Gadhafi from the destruction of his own people.
A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
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P.S. My daughter turns up "nue" in the strangest of places! Erica Simone bares it all in New York City -- from the streets to the subway, and from the Bowery to the Bronx. (And Mom is proud!) Scroll down to learn more about her first one-woman show coming this April 14th to the Dash Gallery on Duane Street, New York City.
P.P.S. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 12 when Kristin Shannon and Antonio Meza teach us "How to design your own Body-Language Business Card." Visit parlerparis/apresmidi for more information.
