Article dedicated to all Paris lovers and first of all to my father, Claude Rouleau, because he taught me to love the magic of Paris.
This morning, as they open their eyes, they remember that as of today, they are no longer assigned to walk within a limited radius of 1km around their place of residence, due to confinement. The weather, capricious, has reserved for them, as for the many Parisians who have to go back to work, a surprise: outside, the wind is roaring and it’s a storm, like a time to go back to school, like a sign that it may not yet be time to get out of the confinement?
They are determined, however, that tonight, after their day’s work, they will go for a walk and walk on the asphalt for hours on end, as they like to do so much. Discover hidden courtyards nestled in small old streets, unusual facades, small places with unsuspected charm. They simply want to resume their eternal strolls. They both have an imperious need to make sure that Paris is still Paris, to see with their own eyes that the Seine still flows under the bridges, to take the Pont du Change or the Pont Neuf to marvel at the perspective, to walk on the Ile de la Cité. They want to rediscover the atmosphere they love so much, to make sure that the majestic facades, signs of a bygone era, are still in their place, well aligned along the Seine. They also need to know if the Parisian atmosphere has changed after two months of confinement.
It is now 6 pm, the sun has reached Paris, as a wink offered to all those who have just left work and want to enjoy a little of this first evening, while respecting the protective gestures of course. It’s time to go down to the quays of the Seine by taking the Boulevard Saint-Michel. They don’t forget to stop at Chez Gibert Jeune’s stationery store to stock up on supplies. It’s time for them to stock up after these two months of confinement. What a joy it will be to find the softness of the Clairefontaine notebooks under the pen. Clairefontaine, a company still based in Paris, on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin.
They have fun along the way, noting that the two signs with the longest queues are hairdressers and bicycle shops.
They are surprised to discover that the Rue de Rivoli is closed to traffic and that new giant bicycle paths have been installed during the night. It is true that Parisians are increasingly opting for this more ecological mode of travel.
They finally let their steps guide them to the Rue des Rosiers for a pita-falafel to take away and find themselves plunged into Jerusalem in a few minutes. She raves about a few new graphs here and there while he takes pictures of the facades and geraniums that adorn many balconies in the Old City. Everything looks new to them, but maybe it’s just the way they look at the world that has changed.
They decide to return via the Pont d’Arcole and come across a group of young teenagers trying to take pictures of themselves while respecting protective gestures.
They let themselves be tempted by a small detour by the Bourbon quay to admire the sun which comes to lick one after the other the facades of the quays of the Seine. It deposits on each one of them its shimmering colours of the blazing sun. From there, they have a very beautiful view of the Pantheon, the Sainte-Geneviève mountain and Notre-Dame.
Quai de l’Archevêché, they pass between Jean XXIII Square and the Martyrs of the Deportation Memorial and come across two pigeons snogging at the chevet of Notre-Dame.
They feel a sense of freedom, just because tonight it is finally possible to get out of the limited perimeter in which they have been wandering for the last two months. They choose to go back up the rue des Bernardins and see for the first time, the museum of gesture and speech. As she passes in front of the Mutualité, she remembers all the Christmas trees she saw here during her childhood. They soon arrive in front of the Pantheon, where they are surprised to come across only a father and his two children on a scooter. It’s good to enjoy the peace and quiet and to take some pictures that the usual life doesn’t allow to take.
They now reach Port-Royal to admire in the distance Montmartre overlooking the city. The senate below is also illuminated. The metro station is deserted by all the passengers.
They tell each other that Paris will always be Paris and that it is really nice not to come across almost any car. This city has a magic like no other, with its share of small shops.
On their way home, they discover that tonight Denis Robert did not record the Monday night editorial on the Media, as he had been accustomed to throughout the lockdown.
Tuesday, Wednesday, they renew their strolls here and there and criss-cross with immense pleasure the streets of the Capital according to their attractions: rue du Pré aux Clercs with its street sign protruding from the corner of the building, rue de Condé, rue de l’Université?
On Wednesday evening when they returned home, they learned with joy that Denis Robert and some well-known comrades had just launched the National Council of the New Resistance. This is great news, the program will be published on May 27th. They are now in a state of alert.
On Saturday and Sunday, they are embarking on longer escapades and are looking forward to returning to their headquarters in Les Grands Voisins. Going to the Ressourcerie to fill up on reading material is pure joy. Life is now beginning to take off a little bit everywhere.
They even go for an ice cream at Grom’s, rue de Seine, and remember the times when they came here as a family.
They are astonished to discover the Jardin du Luxembourg completely empty, never seen before…
They walk along the quays of the Seine again and again and are amazed to see the blue sky reflected on the pristine waters of any bateau-mouche. They are simply happy to see Parisians again enjoying the sun on the quays or on the Invalides esplanade.
They stop to admire the play of light and shadow on the waves and under the bridges of the Seine and they invent stories for themselves. They have fun counting the lights on the Alexandre III bridge and admire, for the two hundred and fiftieth time, the sculptures.
They also marvel at the nature that has taken advantage of these two peaceful months to regain its rights all over Paris, and they wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Par Nathalie
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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