From the Right Bank to the Left Bank Under a Full Moon

After spending a nocturne at the Louvre one Friday night, I stepped outside to find a lusciously full moon. I am a firm believer that a full moon brings out wildness and inhibition, and this night was no exception. I felt full of an almost manic energy in the moonlight.

As I made my way on foot to the Left Bank, I crossed the Seine on the Pont du Carrousel. All of a sudden, I had one of those moments where I was struck by how beautiful Paris is. The buildings were lit impeccably, and the water sparkled like gold. I melted.

During my time in Paris, I've always studied or worked on the Right Bank and lived on the Left Bank. Forging the river is a daily routine. It does my heart such good to be in proximity to a body of water in the midst of urban life. Crossing the Seine is a moment of escape.

And I love the Pont du Carrousel, the bridge that connects the Louvre to the 6th and 7th arrondissements. When I was a student at the École du Louvre, I would cross it every day to get to school. I experienced extreme emotions on this bridge: excitement on my way to my first class, dread as I rushed to my final exams, elation after a successful meeting with an advisor... The enormous stone women on either end of the bridge became my de facto cheerleaders and therapists.

I documented this route with video on another evening years ago, right after a rainstorm, complete with a Chopin mazurka. 

The day when crossing the Seine is no longer magical is the day I need to leave Paris.