You know the theme song from "The Twilight Zone?" That Do do do do, do do do do? Well, I had the good fortune to go to France last week, and my first stop was Paris. After a day of sightseeing, I settled into the hotel room to start on The Elegance of the Hedgehog. On page 19, Renee informs the reader that she is the concierge at number 7, rue de Grenelle, and I thought to myself, "What's the address of this hotel? 150 . . . rue de Grenelle." Do do do do, do do do do.
The next day, I took my husband on what he described as a death march, to see the Luxembourg Gardens. We cut down a side street to get there and I looked up at a plaque on a nearby building identifying #27 as the home of Gertrude Stein, "where she received numerous writers and artists from 1903-1938 (in French)." Do do do do, do do do do.
We left Paris to spend a week in the foothills of the French Alps, then returned to Paris. I dashed through the shops in the airport, trying to buy a few gifts to take home to my kids. I stopped at an elegant little cart and bought these gorgeous multi-colored macaroons and popped them into my carry-on. When I settled into my seat on the plane, I opened Hedgehog to finish it and read, on page 139, this haiku: If you offer a lady enemy/Macaroons from Chez Laduree/Don't go thinking/You'll be able/To see beyond. I opened my carry-on and pulled out the box of macaroons and read the label: Laduree. Do do do do, do do do do.
So you see, the things you read follow you wherever you go.
Kathleen that is so amazing! How fun--on so many levels! Thank you for sharing that with us. I can't even imagine. I think I like the way you do your "beach" reading.
ReplyDeleteHah, that's so funny. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat an odd - and cool! - experience. Talk about bringing stories to life; it actually happened for you!
ReplyDelete