Planted in Paris - The Stillness Factor

It was a cold day here in Paris when J-F and I set out to a small town called . The town is extremely old (most things here are relatively old) and know for it's charm. Charm an understatement when it came to the white lights decorating the small shops and narrow cobbled streets. I think cobbled streets (small roads really) with ancient bricks rather than pavement are a major charm factor we just don't have in America. After perusing the shops, we moved on to a beautiful . Napolean lived here and because of COVID we could see the interior, but what we did see captured me. Behind the castle is a small pond that has this stillness that you can not only see, but feel. I watched wild bird skitter over this pond, diving for dish and also just floating. As the sun set, the sky turned pink, reflecting off the water like a mirror. I never wanted that moment to end because it felt like the earth stood still for just a second and that allowed me to feel some peace and promise of my new life in Paris.