July 8, 2017 -- What I like about walking in the early morning in our
neighborhood in Paris:
The cool air
The relative quiet
The “green men” cleaning the sidewalk and gutters, sweeping
away trash with their brooms, the swish-swish sound of their brooms
The babbling-brook sound of the water that the “green men”
have diverted into the gutters
The sight and sound of little tables and chairs being set up
in front of the brasseries
The shop windows displaying colorful clothing, all on sale at this time of year
The disciplined joggers and young runners on the Champ de Mars
The old man out walking with two poles, for balance, on the
Champ de Mars
Noticing more that more fences and barriers have been
removed from the Champ
The Eiffel Tower, crisp against a backdrop of blue, blue sky
Deliveries being made to the underground tunnel in the Champ
de Mars; these are food and drink destined for consumption in the Eiffel Tower’s
restaurants
Seeing a dog, so proud of retrieving the stick thrown by his
master in the Champ de Mars
The occasional fuzzy, pink-blooming mimosa trees on the
Champ
The plethora of bright blooming flowers in well-tended beds
A homeless person sleeping peacefully, with lots of colorful
pillows and blankets, on a bench in the fenced-off playground in the Champ,
with a mother and child nearby, not the least bit concerned
The signs announcing that 38 gardeners take care of the
Champ every day
The newsstands newly opened, freshly stocked with the new
day’s publications, post cards, and tourist guides
Hungry people grouped around the bakery entrance, waiting
for it to open at 7AM
Saying “bonjour, Monsieur” to the beggar I recognize from
years of walking along the rue du Commerce
 |
| Me, photographing an art gallery window |
Hearing him say “bonjour, Madame” back to me
Giving coins to Monsieur when he’s seated on a stoop near the bakery
entrance
The young woman behind the counter recognizing me at the
bakery
Feeling the warmth emanating from the freshly baked
baguettes that I’m taking back to feed brunch to the family
Smelling those freshly baked baguettes
At home, seeing two baguettes consumed in no time at all
Thinking about doing the same thing tomorrow morning
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