La fleur du bonheur

...c'est la beauté. Anonyme
- The flower of happiness ...is beauty -

Tomorrow is La fête des mères, Mothers Day, in France, celebrated the last Sunday in May.

Above: florist at a covered market on the Left Bank

Cobbled steps

An enchanting stairway off rue des Abbesses.

A sunny terrace

 

A relaxing afternoon in the Marais district.

Back to normal

But not quite.

Above: a cold beer, a terrace table, a warm sunny afternoon

Chairs in...

And today, chairs (and tables) out. Terraces only. No interior dining until further notice.

***

Phase 2 déconfinement: New rules

Weekend out

Parks and gardens re-open as Parisians venture out.

Above: at the Jardin du Luxembourg

A face on the street

Graffiti on a wall where two streets meet in Montmartre.

***

Every time I'm on the rue Gabrielle I can't help but think of a lovely young American, a writer, who settled in Paris and we became co-writers/editors on an online franco-zine. We met when she'd had a close call with the infamous administration française and contacted me, but in no time at all she was off and running and didn't need me at all. The next time I saw her she'd gotten herself ensconced on the rue Gabrielle with two fluffy cats in the most charming sort of atelier with sweeping romantic rooftop views. She made a mean cup of tea and we'd swap great laughs and great stories. Her self-effacing enthusiasm and bottomless creativity was refreshing to be around and as contagious as the coronavirus, and made me (almost) consider taking a break from Paris to re-discover the land of frozen margaritas.

Gabrielle, if you're reading this, wherever you are, thank you for those unforgettable moments and equally unforgettable cups of tea. - BPJ