My plan to write about St. Timothy's Great Easter Vigil service was thwarted by the weather. I drove to Des Moines last night in a driving rain that turned into sleet and snow as I reached the outskirts of the city. I turned around and went back home, unwilling to face icy roads and slush.So instead I'll tell you about Easter 2007 spent in a Paris resplendent in green and flowering trees. From my travel
journal....
"Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007. Slept very well (always a concern when you visit a time zone halfway around the world). Up at 0715 for breakfast, then Mass at Notre Dame. Incredible! Standing room only. I was totally moved at the Passing of the Peace. If only everyone could have the experience of standing in a holy place passing the peace with people from all over the world , speaking the words in many languages. " As Mass concluded they flung open all the huge wooden doors onto the parvis and thousands of worshippers and tourists streamed out as all the mighty bells of Notre Dame tolled the joyous news...Christ has risen! Alleluia! Wow, what an experience!
"Back briefly to the hotel to change & buy concert tickets for Monday. Then to Paul's for a croissant, cafe creme, and discussion about the day's activities. We decided to each do our own thing. I headed to the Museum of Jewish History and Art to view a collection of Rembrandt drawings, then metro'd to La Jardin des Plantes. The gardens were full of Parisians loving the sun and life in general. Walked to the Arenes de Lutuce; amazing to think it was built by the Romans in 2 BCE....while I was mailing cards later, Boulevard St. Germain was suddenly filled with roller-bladers and skaters. Led by the police they cruised around the corner onto rue de Rennes--must have been at least a thousand...what a sight! Listened to a jazz band play by the church (St. Germain des Pres). I love this city! Parisians just seem to enjoy life and have fun."
Sunday evening..."A great Easter dinner at Christine's. Lamb filet, potatoes with roasted shallots and garlic. The entree was a yummy lentil soup and a tall thin glass filled with cream whipped with tapenade topped with big grains of salt. You eat it with one of those little coffee spoons. Dessert was a baba soaked in limoncello with fresh strawberries, pineapple and whipped cream on top. A perfect light finish to the meal. We drank a robust red wine with dinner."
At the end of each day in my travel journal, I include an entry called "Impressions," the things that after a long, tiring day stick in my mind and make memories. Here are my Impressions from that Easter day in April:
"warmth, sunshine, new life. Pass the Peace and feel the connection. In the Metro....everyone has a story--what is it?
Parisians love life & have a good time. If I lived here, I would learn to skate so I could do the Sunday free skate event!"
Photos: Notre Dame (4/07) from the garden behind the Cathedral; One set of three separate entrances to the Cathedral..a total of 6 doors opened to Easter morning,
2 comments:
You really need to find a way to live in Paris ... at least for a while. I love the visual of the Passing of the Peace ... such a beautiful tradition that I always loved growing up in the Anglican church ... and to do that with people of every culture gives you a vision of what heaven will be like.
I didn't know you grew up in the Anglican Church! I've been going fairly regularly to an Epicopal church in DSM and I really like it. The rector at St. Tim's 'supplied' at the American Cathedral in Paris and she got teary when I told her I went to Easter Mass at Notre Dame...a kindred soul, I think. And yes, I need to live in Paris.
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