Off to Paris!

[osprey_archer]

Tomorrow evening I am off to Paris! I will be meeting littlerhymes there, and we will be traipsing through the City of Light for a little over a week. We will walk the paths in Giverny! Admire the art in the Louvre! Eat one extremely fancy lunch! Probably also eat our weight in various French pastries!

I'm not taking my computer, so I won't be posting till I return, but I look forward to regaling you all with stories of our adventures when I get back.

Have just discovered that I have misplaced my adaptor plugs (?!), so if they don't turn up I suppose I will be going to Target tomorrow to buy a replacement. Annoying! But such is life. And while I was searching for them I found a beautiful notecard that I thought I had lost forever, so this wee little cloud had a silver lining.

***

Also, in the interest of clearing the decks of all before-the-trip book reviews: I finished Herbert Best's Garram the Hunter: A Boy of the Hill Tribes, illustrated by Best's wife Erick Berry, author of Winged Girl of Knossos, one of my favorite finds in the Newbery Honor Project.

Garram the Hunter is not destined to join the list of favorites. It's a boy's own adventure story in that classic mode where there's a lot of adventure and very little character development, which is not my thing. However, kudos to Best for writing, in 1930, an adventure novel set in Africa featuring all African characters (from a couple of different ethnic groups that are clearly quite distinct), no white people at all, and almost no racial theorizing behind the offhand comment "Cruel the African native may be, but he loves a joke." (Does this not simply describe humanity?)

There's also something of a theme about The Importance of Maintaining Military Preparedness Even After Years of Peace, in which the modern reader, blessed with hindsight, sees the looming specter of World War II. But 1930 is perhaps too early for Best to be worried specifically about another war with Germany.

Comments

[asakiyume]

If you’ve Erick Berry before, I’ve probably said, “Wow! Unusual name for a woman!” because it sure is what pops into my head when I see it.
Does this not simply describe humanity? —INDEED!

(Have a lovely time!)

[osprey_archer]

Erick Berry is her penname! I considered spelling it out but I felt the sentence already meandered enough.

I hope you are having a lovely time in the Amazon! Looking forward to exchanging letters about our trips when we are both back.

[sholio]

Have fun in Paris! I was there for a couple of days in 2000 as part of a multi-country backpacking trip, which is definitely not the best way to see Paris, but it was still a good time. I hope you see lots of delightful things and eat many nice foods!

[osprey_archer]

I've never been to France before, so I'm so excited for the trip!

[troisoiseaux]

Have a wonderful trip!!!

[osprey_archer]

Thank you!

[rachelmanija]

Have a blast! Can't wait to hear about your adventures. I'm going in September.

[osprey_archer]

I'll be sure to let you know if I find some secret must-visit hole-in-the-wall that you would never heard about anywhere else!

[genarti]

Have a fabulous time!!!! I hope it's full of art and light and pastries and wild history facts and just enormous amounts of restful vacationing!

[osprey_archer]

I'm not sure it will be exactly restful, but certainly there should be plenty of art and light and pastries! And wild history facts that I may or may not understand, if they are in French, although I can stumble through a certain amount of written French.

[cyphomandra]

Bon voyage!! I have only ever regretted the French pastries (and bread omg) that I did not eat.

[osprey_archer]

I intend to eat as many French pastries as my little heart desires!

[anna_wing]

Have a lovely trip! If you have time the Promenade Plantee is a lovely place to take a walk, especially at this time of year.

https://www.parisunlocked.com/best-of-paris/parks-and-gardens/promenade-plantee-paris-coulee-verte/

[osprey_archer]

Oh, that looks lovely! And we're supposed to have gorgeous walking weather next week.

[philomytha]

Garram the Hunter does sound like an interesting book for a lot of reasons even if the story itself is not that engaging.

And enjoy Paris, all those plans sound very good!

[osprey_archer]

Yes, Garram the Hunter is one of those books where I'm glad that the list forced me to read it even though it's not a book I ever would have chosen on my own.

I'm excited for Paris! I have my boarding pass now... it's all getting real...