As well as I know my native city, it still surprises me when I return to it. I think that I forget just how spectacular and beautiful it is. Why go in November? Very simply it’s “in season” (en saison) as Parisians call it. And what is the “season”? Any time when theatres and museums are in full swing and when restaurants are at their most creative, usually between late October-early November and late April-early May. If, it addition to that the weather is pleasant, the way it can be in November and in March-April, a Parisian jaunt can be perfect.
This time, with a temperature in the high 40’s and low 50’s, walking and gawking is at its very best. For instance, one day, as we were just walking towards our favorite Oh! Poivrier restaurant, at the intersection of Boulevard Haussman and Rue Lafitte, I caught a marvelous glimpse of the Sacred Heart Basilica in the distance: it was a breathtaking view, and totally unexpected. On another occasion, as we were at the restaurant of the Théâtre de Chaillot -- we were about to attend a performance of Sombreros, by the famed French choreographer Philippe Decouflé : our table had an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower; and all of a sudden, the tower turned a magnificent bright blue, and, literally, the whole restaurant gasped out loud, in awe.
In my first blog ever, I had said that to me Paris is not the Eiffel Tower or the Eiffel Tower, Paris. Yet on this visit, I took dozens of photographs of it, from every angle at which I had not noticed it before; not only is it an engineering feat, but it is truly handsome, I might even say “statuesque”.
Other surprises awaited us in Italy. I know Florence almost by heart, having first discovered it in Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy which describes, through the eyes of Michelangelo, every street , every building, every stone of 16th century Florence. As Florence was very rainy, we looked at it from under our umbrellas, thus revisiting the Renaissance city at eye level; I started noticing all its tiny details, from the sculpted door-knockers, to carved wood doors, the sculpted stones identifying various buildings and residences, I also explored the street markets where I found many bargains… it was so entertaining as well as amazing!
Milan, or Milano, had its great surprises too. I had been there before, but thought of it as just another large city with interesting sites, but no particular sentimental or artistic appeal. For the first time, I went inside the Duomo to enjoy the stained-glass windows; I visited the Il Museo Teatrale alla Scala with its memorabilia and collection of fine instruments. We unexpectedly sneaked a peak at a rehearsal of Aida; the opera season was a couple of weeks away so we did not get a chance to attend an actual performance, much to our disappointment. Much to our thrill, we discovered excellent small restaurants, where mostly Milanese eat… but more about that later.
