It was the baby who caught my eye!
My First trip to Paris!
I had been wishing on birthday candles since I was 5 and I finally got to go to Paris in the Spring of 1999. However, I was tagging along on my husband's business trip, so I did a lot of wandering alone.
I was a little intimidated...
... about snapping a photo, when I spotted this serious nanny pushing a ritzy pram across the bridge. That's considered rude anywhere, especially in France.
... about snapping a photo, when I spotted this serious nanny pushing a ritzy pram across the bridge. That's considered rude anywhere, especially in France.
But when I passed this sweet baby in her striped hat and sweater, I couldn't help myself. I paused and managed to express my delight with what few words I knew in French.
To my surprise, the Nanny was as eager to share this darling child, as any typical proud parent. With my non-digital camera I snapped only one shot, which captured the baby's giddy laugh. If only I snapped one more, I could have captured the Nanny's grin when she looked up at me, acknowledging how perfectly the baby laughed when the camera clicked.
So, thank you Nanny!
It was the baby I had first focused on, but you are the one who impressed me. You made my first encounter with a French person, relaxed and comfortable. You didn't roll your eyes or frown like the cartoon images some Americans still have of the French. You gave me a good snapshot memory of a kind stranger from a foreign land.
To my surprise, the Nanny was as eager to share this darling child, as any typical proud parent. With my non-digital camera I snapped only one shot, which captured the baby's giddy laugh. If only I snapped one more, I could have captured the Nanny's grin when she looked up at me, acknowledging how perfectly the baby laughed when the camera clicked.
So, thank you Nanny!
It was the baby I had first focused on, but you are the one who impressed me. You made my first encounter with a French person, relaxed and comfortable. You didn't roll your eyes or frown like the cartoon images some Americans still have of the French. You gave me a good snapshot memory of a kind stranger from a foreign land.
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