On my last night in Amsterdam I had the privilege of attending the preview of the Affordable Art Fair (if you can consider art under 5,000 euro affordable), the first year of this exhibition which I attend annually in NYC. Mirre and Marieke joined me for a wonderful night of art and play, running into our mutual friend Gijs, a small world indeed. Our night concluded in a local pizzeria before a long bike ride back to Mirre’s…and a return via train to Paris…
Sunday was a perfect day. After a proper dutch breakfast of pancakes and sprinkles, Bram took us on his boat all along the canals for a grand tour of the city, in the crisp fall air. For dinner we met Mirre and friends before heading home through the red lights and calm waters. The following morning Bram took me on another tour, this one via bike. We spent the morning at the flea market searching for treasures, lunch in Chinatown and a visit to the Stedelijk Museum where Warhol entertained us for hours.
I had last been to Amsterdam for the Millenium nearly 8 years ago. What fond memories I still had of this adventure with Karen, Brandy and Anna. How young we were! It was that long ago that I had seen Bram. It felt like no time had gone by as I was most warmly greeted by my favorite dutch boy and his darling girlfriend Marieke. We were soon joined for the weekend by Tomek, a friend from Krakow who I had not seen in many years, who arrived from Brussels, and Mirre who I know and adore from the time of Buenos Aires, a local who recently returned home. At Mirre’s recommendation we dined at Eleven, a very cool dining venue and equally hot spot for after dinner drinks and dancing. Somehow I ended the night carousing the red light district with Bram and Tomek…quite a varying set of lights than what I had been so accustomed to in Paris.
A vision of Paris during one of my many nocturnal wanderings…
I am living on Rue Saint Saveur, near to Rue Montorgueil, a lovely pedestrian street in the 2nd Arrondissement. These streets speak of a deep history, an experience much like living within the walls of a museum. Often I do not understand these whispers in the air as French remains a language I struggle to decipher, mostly with eager optimism, though there are moments when I feel a bit lost amidst the many French peculiarities, both cultural and verbal.
I have indeed found a beautiful life here, having met many people such as Alexandre and Stephanie, friends of Delphine’s with whom I spend many moments wrapped in conversation (somewhere in the middle of English and French), Beatriz who lives next door, Gaia and Caroline with whom I am sharing a flat, two artists filled with a unique passion for life. And I cannot forget to mention Minka the cat, a most pleasant companion. Paris has become my school, as I spend many hours bicycling along the Seine, willingly lost in the streets of the Marais and St-Germain, studying French, speaking with anyone who will have the patience to listen…most of all this experience has become a lesson in life, as I continue to discover the inner workings of my mind and heart.
I arrived to Paris into a world of art! my Parisien life began with a grand tour of the heart of Paris, through the cobblestones of the Marais, into the natural tranquility of the Luxembourg gardens and the grand presence of the Louvre, my most venerated church of St Eustache…is there any place more beautiful than Paris in the Fall? For the moment there is not. My dearest Delphine was here from Jerusalem and together we admired the new collections at Christie’s followed by lunch at Cafe de Flore, after which I headed to FIAC to see the contemporary work from the many places in the world I have most recently called home. At the Pompidou I spent an afternoon with Giacometti, a most comprehensive insight into his life of art. The tour continues to the Grand Palais with Beatriz, a darling girl from Brazil, where we indulged in Courbet…there remains much more to see, savour and learn as my life in Paris evolves…
