After brunching at Coutume Café a couple of weekends ago, I strolled, relatively pain free, for the first time in weeks. Fleeting though it was, walking through Paris with a subtle chill in the air, surrounded by beautiful Fall foliage and two important people in my life, I felt alive again. Less elderly, more sprightly.*

When I was in grad school, I was in the 7th arrondissement daily. Now, I go for Pain et Chocolat, to meet up with some friends who live nearby or to visit one of the many museums in the neighborhood or thereabouts (Rodin Museum, Le Petit and Grand Palais). Rarely do I take the time to appreciate the 7th’s beauty, albeit growingly graffitied, but I felt a renewed sense of connection to the city. Dogged optimism contributes to healing but having a stellar backdrop in everyday life sure helps too.

Franco File Friday returns this Friday, I hope you’ll enjoy this one as much as I did! Thank you for all your words of encouragement on last week’s post.♥

*If you’re wondering what I’m referring to when I say elderly, painful strolling, etc., I have a herniated disk in my lower back and have had two anti-inflammatory spinal shots in the hopes that I’ll finally be able to get over this hump and pick up physical therapy again to strengthen my muscles. J’ai une longue route devant moi….