Where Are They Now?

My sister H and I went to Paris in May/June 2009. We timed our trip perfectly because it wasn’t quite tourist season and the weather was gorgeous—sunny and 70 degrees each day. We decided to spend our money on attractions, so we ate cheap while we were there; most days we would walk down the street to a little bakery and buy a French baguette, then we’d stop by a cheese shop and get a hunk of cheese to share. We spoke no French and as I remember, the proprietors of the shops didn’t speak English (or if they did, it wasn’t to us). Rather, we pointed to what we wanted and they handed it over. Although it doesn't sound like it, it was all very amicable. We’d eat our lunch of bread and cheese in a park near our hotel, or while walking around the streets of Paris.

One day we were leaving the park by the Eiffel Tower and saw a kiosk full of bikes. These are located throughout the city so you can rent a bicycle, ride to your destination, and return the bike at another kiosk. We decided to ride back to our hotel, which was located on a street off of the Champs Elysees near the Arc de Triomphe. When we tried to check out the bikes though, the automatic card reader wouldn’t accept our credit cards. You couldn’t pay with cash either. We kept trying, with different debit and credit cards, but to no avail. 

At the same time, a couple and their son came up and started trying to get bikes too. We sort of waited around to see if they’d be able to figure out how to work the kiosk. When they were unsuccessful, we walked on and decided that we’d find a restaurant to eat lunch. We settled for a tiny pizza parlor that could barely fit the six tables that were inside. The couple and their son walked in right after us. "We overheard you say this place had pizza, and it sounded good. We aren't stalking you!" they said, as they were seated at the table next to us.

Because of the close nature of the tables, the family was only about 3 inches away from our table. We started talking and learned that the family was from the same town in Colorado where our great aunt lives (small world!). The family was taking an extended vacation throughout the major cities in Europe--Paris, Rome, Madrid, London--in order to figure out where to live next. What? That's right, they were moving from a small town in Colorado to a major city in order for their son, who was seven or eight, to have a better education. I distinctly remember the dad saying "It's time he learn a new language. His mom is fluent in Spanish, and I speak French." Wow, impressive. 

The son was very different from other boys his age. He told us in great detail about everything they had seen and done in Paris. He spoke a lot about his favorite works at the Louvre, which they had visited the day before. Being an art history nerd, I really enjoyed talking about art with that kid. The boy even asked us what we had on our itinerary. How many little kids can participate in a conversation like that with total strangers? As lunch wrapped up, the dad told us that he was an author and had just published a book called Wakeup Call From Mexico. He told us to look out for it, we agreed that we would, and we parted ways down the thin Paris street. 

That was four years ago. I still think about that family from time to time and wonder where they ended up and how their language learning is going. The family as a whole was so enthusiastic about learning, travel and culture; I truly hope they're out there in the world doing and experiencing great things. A couple years ago for H's birthday, I bought her Wakeup Call From Mexico. I doubt she's read it, and maybe she never will, but it's cool to own a book by an author (Wilson Beck in this case) you met while trying to rent a bike in a foreign country. If you're out there Beck family, I hope you're well. 

Perfect weather for a bike ride.

H had her purse in the basket and everything!

Museum Exhibit: The Cave Paintings of Lascaux at the Field Museum, Chicago

I'm a big fan of art and history that's 2,000 years or older, so when I heard about the Lascaux cave paintings exhibit at the Field Museum, I was thrilled. I've been begging R to take me to Lascaux for years, as it's only a 4 hour drive from his hometown. Hopefully that trip will happen the next time we are in France...

Lascaux is a city in western France that became famous in the 1940s upon the discovery of Paleolithic cave paintings. The paintings and engravings are vastly important for art history because they're considered to be some of the earliest artworks created by mankind. Around 15,000 years ago when the paintings were made, humans were beginning to view and understand the surrounding world in a different manner than before; the paintings are a testament to the development of intellect and complex thought, and mastery of artistic practices such as representation and abstraction.  Animals like bison, mammoths, bears, wolves, and lions, among others, are depicted in the cave in twisted perspective, with their heads rendered in profile but other body parts, such as antlers or horns, appearing full-on. Because of the absence of natural light, the paintings could have only been viewed (and created) via fire--a pretty astounding way to view this art. Fire's movement would mean the paintings would look as if they were moving, dynamic components of the cave. Pretty cool. 

Today, a replica cave in Lascaux is the nearest you'll get to the paintings. The fragility and age of the paintings mean that any exposure to humidity, breathing, and humans could severely and irrevocably damage this priceless site. Fortunately, for those who cannot travel to France, the Field Museum has created a replica of the Lascaux cave, art and all. The exhibit has gotten decent reviews, and I fully intend on seeing it the next time I'm in Chicago. It's an art historian's dream, after all.


Here is a link to the Field Museum's Lascaux exhibit. 

Here is a link to a photo gallery of the Lascaux paintings, compliments of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

First Observations

Bonjour,

It is my fourth day in France and I have decided to create a blog for a number of reasons. Doing so will help me remember things I do and observe and will also allow friends and family from home to see photos and hear about my experiences abroad.

I've made several observations over the past few days. The first: the French are culinary geniuses! The food is delicious and made from very little artificial ingredients. Fresh produce at every meal is standard. From an American viewpoint, the French eat slowly and savor what

they are eating. Lively discussion often ensues. Oh, and the television is not a component of dinnertime rituals. Us Americans, on the other hand, scarf our food in order to go on and do the next thing. Ingrained in us is a sense of "Go, go, go! We need to be fast!" I'll admit that eating so slowly does make me a bit uncomfortable. I feel as if we need to hurry so that we can go on to the next activity. But what exactly is the next activity? Nothing! Lately after dinner we have been going on walks or riding bikes. I will have to work on keeping my American tendencies for

speed in check.

Observation #2: With the amount of coffee and alcohol the French consume, it is amazing that anyone stays hydrated!

Observation #3: Everyone thinks Americans are fat and rich.

Observation #4: When purchasing something at a store, the interaction between the buyer and the cashier is interesting. The cashier is always incredibly polite, saying, for instance "Your total is $4.56 please." When you hand them your cash they say "Thank you," and then again when they hand you your bag of merchandise. It is all very civil.

Observation #5: Little French kids wear the cutest clothes!

Well, those are my first observations. I have to go eat lunch, which will definitely take an hour.