Thursday, 14 November: Paris

I had a wonderful start to today...I got to have breakfast with my dear friend, Myriam. It was so wonderful to catch up with her!

After breakfast I made my way over to the new hotel where I met up with my friend Julie. We have a gorgeous view of the Opéra Garnier!

We headed to the Jewish Quarter first...

After spending some time at the Shoah Mémorial and the Allée des Justes (the list of the names of France's Righteous Among the Nations), we stopped for tea and a pastry...

Then we walked over to Notre Dame. You can see some of the damage as well as the construction going on...

We ate a lovely meal...

...then went to a piano concert at Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriac. Pianist Hélène Rusquet performed Chopin, Debussy, Schubert & Rachmaninoff by candlelight in this early 18th-Century church...c'est magnifique! Unfortunately, I have no photos as it was not permitted...

We returned to our hotel where a plate of Madeleines and sparkling lemonade were waiting for us...not a bad way to end the evening!

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Les Femmes Tondues

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This past fall I read Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass. Meticulously researched, the book described the collaboration, resistance, and survival stories of several Americans during the Occupation. Of all the fascinating Americans Glass discussed, I felt an instant connection to one, and have been mildly obsessed with her ever since… Sylvia Beach Photo Source: donswaim.com/ripley-lawrence.htm The Woman Nancy Woodridge Beach was born on March 14, 1887 in Baltimore, Maryland. She spent much of her childhood and young adult life living throughout Europe. Her first encounter with Paris came at a young age when her father, a pastor, was appointed assistant minister of the American Church in Paris, as well as director of the American student center. As a young adult she spent time in Spain and even served a stint in Serbia in the Red Cross. Although her birth name was Nancy, she would become known to the world as Sylvia Beach. ...

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