About the Author: Suzanne Wagner
Arriving in Besançon and Remembering Paris
From Paris we took the train to Besançon, France. A small city along the Doubs River in eastern France, near the border with Switzerland.
This green jewel shaped into a horseshoe by the river is considered the greenest city in France and is the head of this city is a woman dedicated to keeping this city as green as possible.
An ancient citadel sits at the highest point, overlooking the river, scanning the horizon for the many enemies that have conquered this land from the Romans to the Germans in WWII.
We arrived on the clean and very fast train from Paris.
I love the train systems in Europe!
What was so astounding was how the French are so quiet and respectful on a train. No loud obnoxious behavior, and no loud music. Just peace and quiet as I watched the green rolling hills of the French countryside move quickly past my window.
It gave me time to reflect on how much has changed in America and it made me sad to see how quickly my own country has been losing ground because of those in power that wish to stop certain types of progress.
The train system in Europe is easy, clean, organized, and completely reasonable. One does not need to have a car when public transportation is safe, and the people have strict laws of behavior that require codes of conduct that clearly are essential for a civilized society to function properly.
Being in Paris again after such a long time away was soothing and so artistically inspiring. I am once again, grateful that the Parisian surrendered to the Germans rather than allow their magnificent city to be destroyed.
That does not mean the city of Paris and the people did not suffer greatly. Because they did! But when one loses all the art, beautiful fountains, architecture, and museums, not only would the people lose all hope but Paris would have lost pieces of its soul. To them, it was not worth it and I understand why.
When I lived in Berlin, I would fly to Paris for the weekend just to walk along the Seine and through the gardens near the Louvre.
My favorite thing to do was to walk up the steps to Sacre Coeur, to watch the sunrise, have expresso in a café, and eat a warm brioche right out of the oven, while watching the painters set up and start to paint.
Paris is artistically gorgeous, patient, and civilized. It is the center of what western culture strived to attain and worked for centuries to manifest.
It takes centuries to create a city filled to the brim with artistic wonders. And it could have only taken one war to destroy it all.
While all things change, and all things will die. I am grateful that I have lived long enough to come back to Paris and the country of France to remember and feel into the soul of this land.
~Suzanne Wagner~
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