I’ve been lucky to visit and travel in Europe several times since the 1980s (especially Italy), but I’d still like to visit some cities that I’ve never been to including Stockholm, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Lisbon, Dublin, Edinburgh, Vienna, Berlin and Athens.
And I’d like to go back to Europe’s greatest city – Paris. I loved it in the holiday season, but I want to go back in warmer weather. Also, I want to see Notre-Dame when it reopens. Here’s how it looked last week, still under scaffolding. What a massive and complex restoration!
I recently read an interesting article by Adrienne Matei in The Atlantic—The Type of Charisma That Saves a Holiday Party. The author said that, despite endless studies and self-help books (the “charisma industry”), true magnetism is an elusive quality. She talked about “flashy anectdotes” vs “selfless charisma” as a conscious sensitivity to those around us:
…charisma does not have to be self-serving. In Greek, charisma translates as a “gift.” Rather than keep that gift to exploit for themselves, some charismatic people disperse it…I call these people vibe popes. Consider it a nondenominational title for those who unite people under the divine light of a good time.
Now, I certainly don’t claim to be a vibe pope, but I’m not shy. I got a couple of nice messages from colleagues, when I left my job last month. One person said that I had been very good at connecting people (from the two pre-merger entities) and “bridging the gap” after the merger. Even my toxic boss, in her e-mail message to the department about my departure, said that I was skilled at “cultivating new and lasting relationships with donors” and that my “enthusiasm for (the organization) is undeniably contagious.” OK, so maybe I have some level of charisma.
I’d like it to be said that I used whatever charisma I have for good–that I made people feel more warm, welcomed, connected, less lonely. I know that to do that I need to listen to people more closely.
In the spirit of warmth and connection, I wanted to share yesterday’s Santa Lucia broadcast from Sweden. I watch it every year, because my dear daughter is named Lucia (pronounced the Italian way: Loo-CHEE-ah).
We’re Italian-Americans, without a drop of Swedish blood, but I must give credit to Sweden for really making “Lucia Day” (December 13) something special. They celebrate the triumph of light over darkness in the most beautful way. Stunning Nordic setting, music, children, carols, strings, firelight, reindeer – and so very many candles. I hope it helps put you in the holiday spirit.
Today is my son John’s birthday. It’s also Taylor Swift’s birthday and Santa Lucia day in Sweden – so it’s a big day around the world. (Lucia is my daughter’s name, so it’s interesting that he was born on her saint’s name day. And by the way, I’ve added visiting Sweden to my bucket list.)
I waited a long time (six years) to have a second child. I was happy with my one little girl and didn’t think I wanted more children. When I started to second guess that decision, I really agonized about it. I made lists of pros and cons, saw a therapist, and read a book about the environmental impact of having more than one child in a First World country: Maybe One by the great environmentalist Bill McKibben.
In the end, my heart won out and we were so fortunate to receive the best Christmas present ever in the last month of the first year of the new millennium: an adorable baby boy. I was over 35, so I know I was lucky! On my first day as a mother of two, I felt that our family was complete. There was no turning back now. It felt like I had fully committed to this motherhood thing. It would be the most important part of my identity for the foreseeable future.
I have performed on stages many times, with choirs and choruses. In the past, I wrote about how I took voice lessons in my forties so I would be better prepared for the occasional solo.
Public speaking is harder than public singing for me. I can’t remember ever giving a speech. I once presented an award to a dear colleague – in front of cameras and an audience – but I don’t think I had to say anything. They used my words (from a previous essay) to quote me while I was on the stage. Here’s the photographic proof.
Berklee 2017 Urban Service Awards
A side story to this photo is that Boston’s current Mayor, Michelle Wu, also received an award at this same event and I was seated next to her. This was before she was the mayor. At the time, she was a Boston City Councilor, but I did not recognize her. She looked so young. I thought she was a college student and I asked her what her major was. Then she got up to receive her award. Oops! Embarassing. (Sorry, Mayor Wu)
What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?
This is similar to a recent prompt. Of the big three (walking, swimming, biking), walking is the easiest—no helmet or bathing suit required.
It’s really fun to walk around a new city, or a neighborhood you’ve never been to before in your own city. I had no problem closing my Apple Watch rings in Paris. (Yes, more Paris, sorry. I don’t travel that much, so this trip was a big deal.) Here are some street scenes from our walks around Paris.
Fruit vendor on Rue Cler
Le Marais – the 4th arrondissement – showing its pride 🌈
The Big Wheel on Place de la Concorde with Christmas Market in foreground
Street art in the Marais
View of Pont Alexandre III and the Grand Palais from Les Invalides
Rue Montorgueil at night
Louis XIV statue at Versailles: you can build yourself the grandest palace in Europe, but it won’t stop a seagull from sitting on your head!
The famous “Centaur” by the sculptor César (an ode to Picasso) with traffic cone embellishment 😂
First glimpse of the dome of Les Invalides from the Army Museum courtyard
The grand gate at the Palais de Justice on the Île de la Cité (the historic island in the River Seine)
On the bridge to the Île de la Cité (the Seine looking greenish that day)
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?
I admire the “makers.” People who make beautiful or interesting or useful things—artists and craftspeople. I went to Michael’s yesterday to buy some special glue and a frame and was hoping I might get inspired to start a holiday craft project, but it didn’t happen. I’m just not crafty, but I admire it in others.
The reason I needed the special glue was to repair a beautiful glass object that I bought in Paris. (I think I did a pretty good job. You can barely tell which little ornament had to be reattached after its transatlantic flight.)
I no longer watch cartoons, but as a kid, my favorite cartoon was definitely The Flinstones–a GenX cornerstone. If you never pictured yourself going out for a Brontosaurus Burger with Fred in his foot-powered vehicle, you must be a millennial (or younger). And I still think of any one-shouldered dress as a “Wilma.”
The Flinstones
But sorry, I’m not done relating these “daily prompts” to my recent trip to Paris. As I mentioned, they were very busy gearing up for the 2024 Olympics, while we were there. The mascot is The Phryges – pronounced like “fridge” with a long E sound and an “uh.” He/She/They? (I’m feeling like “they” is the correct pronoun in English) are described as “being part of the Phryges tribe, those little Phrygian hats that have come to help the French with their revolution through the power of Sport.” They’re cute, n’est-ce pas?
I didn’t buy one, but I thought about it.By 1791, the Phrygian Cap or Bonnet Rouge had become de rigueur for sans-culotte militants to wear to show their loyalty to the cause. (I’m hoping US citizens don’t need to adopt something similar after our 2024 national election.)
I should probably drink less coffee, but I do love it. Sometimes I can feel it make my heart race. I have 2-3 cups in the moring and usually another one around 3pm to motivate me for the afternoon. I find if I drink coffee in the afternoon, I’m much more likely to close all three rings on my Apple Watch.
Are you tired of hearing about Paris yet? (Apologies in advance) Our hotel had an in-room espresso maker. Espresso is not satisfying for me. My husband enjoyed it, but I like to sip on hot coffee for an extended period of time. (That’s why I really like my Ember smart mug.) While in Paris, I took the tiny French elevator down to the lobby each morning for a “coffee long” from the fantastic machine they had there. It made everything from espresso to cappuccino, with “coffee long” being the closest thing to American coffee. I typically made two trips to the lobby each morning, as I need at least two cups of coffee to get out the door in the morning.
While sipping my coffee longs, I enjoyed these incredible views from our room – Room 802.
That’s the Sacré-Cœur in the distance on the left.
Although this pic is zoomed in quite a bit, here’s the view we had from the other side of Room 802.
Night version of the Sacré-Cœur view Night version of the Eiffel Tower view
Hello blogging friends. I’m back from Paris and it was definitely a highlight of the year! My husband was a real trouper and enthusiastically went “full tourist” with me. (I wasn’t sure if that would happen, but he really rose to the occasion, despite having bad knees. Thanks Mario!) I had been to Paris once during my semester abroad in Italy in the 80s, but I always wanted to return to Europe’sgreatestcity. I’m sorry Rome, London, Madrid…but Paris is just…PARIS. I’m extremely fortunate that this was my second bucket list trip of 2023. I also visited the Grand Canyon, for the first time ever, in June. (That trip was motivated by the passing of my dear friend from college in 2022. Carla loved the Grand Canyon and her ashes are spread there.)
But back to Paris. We bought six-day museum passes (at the recommendation of my new BFF Rick Steves) and saw a ton of stuff. Notre-Dame is still closed due to the horrific fire in 2019, but everything else was open and the entire city is gearing up for the 2024 Olympics. We had dinner in the Eiffel Tower, visited the Louvre, the Orsay, l’Orangerie, Sainte-Chappelle, Arc de Triomphe, Carnavalet Museum, Versailles, the Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb, the Sacre-Coeur, and the St. Germain-des-Pres. We took ubers, taxis and the metro and visited many neighborhoods including the Marais (my favorite), Rue Cler, Montmartre, Rue Monorgueil, the Left Bank, and the Champs-Elysees, which was all lit up for Christmas!
We ate in cafes, fine restaurants, Bon Marché (Paris’ oldest department store) and one Burger King. I’m very jet-lagged at the moment, but cannot resist sharing a couple photos.
The Eiffel Tower is painted a mustard yellow and they light it beautifully at night.
Bonjour from Paris! We’re having a great time, but it’s a little chilly. My puffy coat and headband are currently my two favorite clothing items.
They’re very busy getting ready for Christmas and the Olympics here. Very exciting! Sending good vibes and a delicious warm croissant to all of you, wherever you are around the world. 🥐 🇫🇷 🌍 ☮️
![A logo for "50 Happens," [a site dedicated to Gen X women with children and grandchildren] [who embrace life's challenges with humor and resilience], [featuring a modern and uplifting design] [that embodies strength and positivity] [with an elegant and playful style] [and a harmonious blend of colors like pink, fuchsia, purple, and blue].](https://50happens.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img-5uorrxvwartomopcpuhjfjd0.png?w=300)
50 Happens 