“When a thing is truly seen, seen intensely, it remains with us forever and astonishes us, even though it would appear there is nothing astonishing about it.”

~ Czeslaw Milosz

Sleeping well isn’t the most important thing. Rising early, with Frank, we walk to his AA meeting across the river walk up Avenue George V, and have a casual breakfast at a cafe on the Champs Elysees before going our separate ways for a bit. I take a long walk to the Tuileries to see the gardens, then cross back along the Seine to the Left Bank. I find a sweet male mallard, cousin of Papa Mallard of our Charles River, planted in the grass. The poppies who regard me today in the Tuileries have bright yellow centers. This is a day of transition. leaving our friends’ flat. Frank goes off to the tennis at Roland Garros, and I go to the American Library in Paris where I can work for a bit. Happily, I sit near the childrens’ room and hear the story time audio of singing and reading lovely books. Then I take a lunch break on Rue Cler, a quiche, and a very large latte at The Bleu Olive cafe on Rue de Grenelle, a favorite charming place we found last year. I am able to stay there and work on my computer and enjoy my coffee. Overtired, yes, and a bit crabby until I get a short nap. A simple dinner with Frank, avocado toast and lemon tart. To bed early to regain my energy. Eight miles of walking today! And just a little bit of work on poems.