Mon repère

I arrived in Paris this morning. My routine is always the same…unpack my bags, stock the refrigerator, and head to the Café de Flore.

Whenever I travel to Paris, I celebrate my arrival with a glass of Champagne at this famous café on the Boulevard St. Germain. It is here, not during the flight, that I am transported to Paris. The banquet of Flore provides the perfect vantage to nearly everything I love about this city: the pedestrian traffic, cobblestone streets, beaux-arts architecture, stylish women, distinguished men, and the exchange of ideas in a flurry of conversations at the surrounding tables.

As I explained this phenomenon to a friend, she replied, “C’est ton repère.” That is to say, my marker or the thing that puts me where I am at that very moment.

Since my first visit to Flore, more than 20 years ago, I’ve felt privileged to be here. For me, Paris offers cultural, intellectual and spiritual renewal that no other city can provide. I am certain this adventure will be no different.