Of Eros and Earth

*In a galaxy far far away, in a Parisian bar drinking bedtime tea……..(hey, it’s like midnight here)*

Yesterday’s post included just a brief update of Jess and I’s arrival in Paris, and a comment on the kindness we received from others. Tonight was a significant miracle that truly touched our hearts, and also related to this concept of communion we frequently discussed in class. It was also a sign that, though we haven’t officially stepped foot onto Camino soil, Saint James is proving himself present in our travels thus far. (Did we mention we have seen several yellow arrows on the sidewalk and scallop shells hidden in sculptures here?? Probably not intended for the Camino, but it is a beautiful sign)

Jess and I asked someone from our hostel where their favorite (and cheap) place for dinner was- they told us of Le Bouillon Chartier. “You can get an entreé for €2 and a plat for €9” he said. Sounded sweet! We decided to go on a quest, consulting the map along the way.

At some point on Rue de Montemarte we concluded we must have been going the wrong way- we couldn’t find the Chartier anywhere, and were about to turn around. We must have looked quite lost, because just before we decided to turn back, a French couple asked us if we needed help. One of them spoke exceptional English, and when we told him where we were headed, he told us that they were going to the same place, and to follow them!

Saint James….

When we arrived, the line was out the door and wrapped around the corner. But they insisted we wait, and to stay as a group of 4 so that we could get seated faster.

Little did we know that we would become good friends by the end of the meal! Their names were Abdel and Bao.

Bao was an intern from a city outside of Hong Kong, working in Paris in nuclear energy. She had only been in France for about 4 months, but her French was impeccable, and she was able to communicate fairly well with us in English. Abdel was a charming and quite opinionated Parisian who would playfully tease Bao and make us all laugh.

Abdel raved about the Chartier; he said the food was made gourmet but each plate cost from €2-9 because it was created during a time during the bohemian renaissance of Paris where artists were poor and living on the streets so they created a restaurant where they could pack in a bunch of people and serve them good food for a low price. It’s a historical monument as well as a great place to eat and meet people! The place was packed elbow to elbow. Waiters were known to memorize every single meal ordered without writing them down, balancing twelve plates on each arm! We saw waiters having fun and joking with their customers- because they had over 2,000 people floating into the restaurant each day, they didn’t hesitate to ask someone to leave if they weren’t comfortable with the service.

Besides the charismatic atmosphere, the food, of course, was divine. Jess and I tried escargot, beef nose (I don’t recommend it……) duck, and three different types of sausage.
At the end of the meal they told us all the places we needed to see in Paris before we left, writing places down on a piece of paper, including their names (Bao also wrote her name in Chinese)

They had to run to make it to their show for the theater across the street, so we said goodbye. Though we resisted and offered to pay for their hospitality, they paid for the bill. We gave them both big hugs and big thank yous- thanks for the generous gifts of kindness and communion.

Jess and I felt elated and filled to the brim with gratitude for this experience with these beautiful wonderful people. We couldn’t imagine this kind of generosity and friendliness with strangers in the United States- there is something about Paris (and fantastic food) that draws souls together to make unlikely friends.

What I experienced tonight changed something in me. It made me realize how isolated I can make myself, and how wonderful I feel when I open up my heart to the unknown, and accept help, hospitality, and friendship from strangers. Since the event that happened nearby in Brussels, I have been reflecting a lot on the concept of oneness and how we are all connected. Like mentioned in The Road to Emmaus, this “illusion of separateness” keeps us from recognizing the beauty in others, in “strangers,” when we could see that “they are shining like the sun.”

And there are a lot of suns shining bright around here.

xoxo