The Birthday I Celebrated in France

six unforgettable moments for an American in Paris

Issue #32/ Welcome to Good and Beautiful Things, thanks so much for joining me in this space. I love making stuff, sometimes with words and sometimes with ink and paint. This weekly newsletter is a collage of both.

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The City of Rouen

This week my mind keeps taking me on a journey back to the sights, sounds and tastes of my trip to France.

Last year at this time I was headed to the cliffs of Étretat, a trip that happened to coincide with my forty-fifth birthday. My forty-sixth birthday is tomorrow and I guess the date has stirred up the memories of last year’s epic adventure.

We are not the family that plans a European vacation for a birthday or an anniversary, which made this trip even more magical. Until last year, I had begun to accept I would never travel outside the United States. I didn’t board my first flight until I was twenty-one and that was a short trip (less than two hours) from Florida to Tennessee. We didn’t take many vacations when I was young nor have they been a regular part of our family’s life until about five years ago.

It took unique circumstances¹ and a hundred stars to perfectly align for this trip to become possible. Will you indulge me as I share just six of my favorite memories?

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I remember…

the first day we arrived and walked the streets of Paris. We visited the Montmartre area and it tugged at the strings of my artist heart.

Montmartre

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I remember…

the delicate, artful pastries we ate at the Musée d'Orsay² which paired perfectly with the art we explored for the next four hours.

These little chilled pastries were a soothing treat after walking through the August heat in Paris (we ordered them twice).

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I remember…

standing in Monet’s house and gardens, irritated by the heat and the crowds of people but also the feeling of connection to the artist and the sacred space.

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I remember…

the surprise of Rouen. The artistry of the Notre Dame³ Cathedral, the perfect cup of thick chocolate, the eclair (that forever ruined all other eclairs), and the magical light show projected onto the Cathedral at the end of the night.

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I remember…

the crepes we ate the morning of my birthday in Honfleur and how my husband did a very American thing by ordering espresso WITH his breakfast instead of when we were done with our meal.

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I remember…

climbing the cliffs of Étretat on my birthday and thinking about how Monet once painted those same cliffs⁴. After traveling through several cities and finally arriving at the sea, something I’ve always suspected was confirmed. I knew the landscape of my heart was shaped by mountains and beaches, and that cities would always be second-best to me.

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I remember…

…the year I spent my birthday in France with two of my favorite people and finally— a stamp on my passport.

Sitting in front of Shakespeare and Company, a famous bookstore in Paris where you have a view Notre Dame as you sip your coffee.

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From the Sketchbook

A sketchbook page I worked on after the trip to capture the memories while they were still fresh.

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Blessings from the Guest Nest,

-Aimee

1. Our daughter worked hard to earn enough grants to study abroad in France for two semesters of college. We traveled with her to help her get settled in her host home.

2. We chose the Musée d'Orsay instead of the Louvre because it’s been estimated that it would take 200 days to see each piece of art in the Louvre for just thirty seconds. Each time I watched a video on how to navigate the museum, the person in the video got lost!

3. Here, I’m referring to the Notre Dame located in Rouen. Did you know that there is more than one Notre Dame? I didn’t know until we began our travels. Rouen is also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. In one chocolate shop, you could buy chocolate covered almonds called ‘Joan’s Tears.’

4. You can see one of Monet’s paintings of the cliffs up above in the museum section.