We are in Nancy, a stopover on our way from Paris to Strasbourg,
which is a story all its own that will unfold shortly. We and spent the day wandering around
this World Heritage town soaking up its “art nouveau” architecture, also known
as “l’ecole Nancy.” The upscale
shops are closed on Sunday and Stanislas Plaza was pretty much deserted this
morning. But the street markets
were in full swing, which is great for people watching.
There is special feeling about being back in France. There is the language, of course, but
it’s more than that. The women are
certainly stylish, but no more so than those in London. Some men wear sweaters draped around
their shoulders, but that can’t be it. I think it must be the “joie de vivre,” that spirit that is so lacking
in the oh-so-reserved English where you see men with an umbrella and a newspaper tucked under their arm. In France it is more likely to be a baguette.
Whatever, we are looking forward to a week or so in France
before we move on to Germany. So
stay with us.
