Another Monday wishing I was sitting on a bench in the Champ de Mars with a pad of smooth, lined, white paper and a softly flowing pen, watching the flowers make their robust appearance~children playing along the fountain~ lovers smooching, limbs entwined, on the other green benches nearby.
On one visit a few years ago, I had flown in on an October weekday by myself and while my sister and 'brozer-een-love' worked, without having the usual shortstop by their place for a quick shower and "just resting my eyes" nap before going out into The-World-That-Is-Paris, I walked to the Champ de Mars nearby to have my nap on a sun-drenched bench beneath the Eiffel Tower.
I had barely closed my eyes when I heard the distinct holler of a popping champagne cork near me. I looked over to see 3 middle-aged women in party hats singing 'Bon Anniversaire' and pouring their Nectar of the Gods (or 'fun-serum') into plastic flutes. I sat up to watch the party and my open eyes somehow put me on their radar. I was immediately hooted, hollered and waved at to come join. My smile and I sauntered over, were handed a plastic flute and asked our name.
They were from Canada and on their last day of a 3-Day-Birthday-Weekend for "Helen" who had just turned 50. We toasted 'Helen', Paris, Turning 50 and my luck at having relatives in Paris, after hearing my story. They were spending their last day doing a museum and dinner, after champagne, of course.
We polished off the bottle in short order, chattered awhile and then they were off, each of us thanking the other for celebrating together!
I settled back down on my bench for that nap, and between sunshine, jet-lag and champagne, had no trouble drifting off under the trees. I'm betting my smile was still awake during that nap!
While I'm certain that champagne is not the best antidote for jet-lag, my smile and I sometimes share a giggle over the memory of once having been a 'slightly-tipsy' bum sound asleep on a park bench below the Eiffel Tower.
Photograph copyright: Kirsten Steen
