Sometimes there are situations that you can't anticipate, and that provide maybe for that very reason a magic moment in life. I just had a 15 minute lasting magic moment, that I want to capture. A long day in the restaurant, happy customers, among them my friends Allison and Paul, my team (I have now an apprentice and a commis) working hard, a flawless service, and my decision at 0:30 to let the last metro go and rather give some more time to clean the kitchen thoroughly and share a glass of wine with the waiters. Finding a taxi at 1:30 a.m., rather uncomfortable if not scared, because as a woman I always feel the metro is safer than a taxi, at least in Paris (there have been some "incidents").
I explain to the driver where to and how (!) to drive me home. Usually I would then pull out my cell phone, and type wildly nonsense prentending to text, just to give the taxi driver the feeling that he can't kidnap me without consequences. But not this time. Suddenly a huge wave of inner peace overwhelmes me by the beautiful music that is playing from his CD. After a while of silence between us I say : "what is the music, it reminds me of Leonard Cohen." And indeed, it is the London 2008 concert, and the taxi driver increases the sound level and tells me how much his wife and daughter love this music and that I must buy the DVD. Then we both listen in awed silence again.
We are driving by the opera house, the Palais Royal, the Louvre and its Pyramide, crossing the Seine on the Pont du Carrousel, with Notre Dame to the left and the muséee d'Orsay to the right, and all this to So long Marianne and Suzanne. I know it's very sentimental, but the moment almost made me cry and be grateful to be alive and live in such a beautiful city.
(photo by Arnaud Frich, www.arnaudfrichphoto.com)
Have you heard his son, Adam Cohen. One of my favorite CDs by far. You have to listen to Melancolista (all in French). Every song is good IMO. He is going to release an English album soon.
Posted by: Joan | October 23, 2009 at 09:56 PM
Never heard of, but will check. Fot the moment I am still (re)discovering the father. Thanks for the hint. BTW, the father will play in San Jose soon...
Posted by: Ulla | October 24, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Hi Ulla -
Actually we were lucky enough to see Leornard in concert at Jazz in Vienne this summer - in the roman teathr - just amazing.. this was a magic moment too.
Hope you are doing well -
Hello from grenoble - Olivier & Kelli.
Posted by: olivier | October 24, 2009 at 05:39 PM
What a sweet moment. Glad you were able to experience that at the end of a good night's service! We need moments like that from time to time...
Posted by: Rachelle | October 27, 2009 at 02:43 PM
Hi Ulla,
How are you doing? It seems that you took your recipe on the Tuiles aux Amandes away from the blog, Is it possible to have it again? Seems like one flower, one butter, one glucose, one sugar ??
Thanks, Nga
Posted by: Nga | December 04, 2009 at 08:12 PM
Hi Nga,
hm. I have not taken away any post ever.... But you got it right. And add chopped almonds, pistacchios as you like.
Posted by: Ulla | December 05, 2009 at 12:50 PM