Bonjour Paris Readers Get Together in the Capital City

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Bonjour Paris Readers Get Together in the Capital City
It was a last minute happening. Perhaps it was better because of its serendipitous nature. In addition, the get together was on the Saturday of the Columbus holiday weekend. Who would have wagered there’d be anyone in town? Perhaps that was a factor in everyone being so relaxed. Friends reconnected. New acquaintances were formed. And being ever so Washington, where networking is the name of the game, you knew future business was in the making. The lunch was held at Bistrot Lépic in upper Georgetown. The staff went all out to make the group feel welcome. We gathered upstairs in the private wine tasting bar and greeted one another and had a Kir Royale. The attendees introduced themselves before proceeding downstairs to the dining room. I came away with a warm and fuzzy impression and could wax poetic. It was wonderful to see some wonderful and old friends whom I consider family such as Richard and Kathy Netler and meet their son and his bride. I’d seen the wedding photos and meeting them was a bonus. Anne and Kirk Woodyard whom I met more that eight years ago and even attended my son’s and daughter-in-law’s wedding in Provence have become family because of Bonjour Paris. Anne played the wedding march as Miles and Mira walked down the “aisle” while Kirk was the official chauffeur and performed miracles. They have formed Music and Markets and glow when they discuss their various trips. Anne wrote; “Le paillasson de saumon aux raisins, medaillons de boeuf, assiette de legumes. Are we back in France? No, just nearby in DC at Bistrot Lépic for Karen Fawcett’s latest Bonjour Paris luncheon. It sure feels like Paris, with French phrases flitting across the table from one Francophile to another, delicious French cuisine (it’s the first time we’ve been to Bistrot Lépic, and it won’t be the last.” Diane Stamm reported: “The most outstanding impression I had was what a very congenial group we were! The sincere warmth, friendliness, shared interests, and interest in other people made for spirited and flowing conversation. Along with meeting a new group of such very nice, articulate, like-minded people, the luncheon allowed me to reconnect with an acquaintance with whom I had lost contact, and in a post-luncheon chat we realized how many interests we had in common. That was a totally unexpected and most welcome surprise. So, dining with such a lovely group of people in the shadow of the mural of Gustave Caillebotte’s "Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877," my all-time favorite Impressionist painting (the original of which can be seen at the Chicago Institute of Art), made for a perfect way to spend part of a relaxed Saturday afternoon. Warm thanks to you and to everyone there for making the luncheon an altogether agreeable event. C’était un grand plasir pour moi et, j’espère, pour tous! À bientôt! Ellen Corradini, a Bonjour Paris regular who keeps the discussion board flowing wrote, “About 25 of us came as close to Paris as possible in the US at our BP get-together at Bistro Lépic in Washington, DC. Tricolor balloons decorated the tables and 80° breezes made it feel less like France and more like Aruba. But the conversation was decidedly French. Lawyers, physicians, and others from various walks of life came together to enjoy each other’s company and visit over magnificent French fare. Those who have been away from France too long hung on every word of the lucky ones who have recently returned.   All of us vowed to return, some for a brief visit, others permanently. As we went around the room to introduce ourselves, no matter what our profession or where we live, it was obvious that our bond is our passion for France. And more than anything else, it struck me that people who like France are very nice people! Thank you Tom Gage, Rachel Stewart and Stuart Blue and the others for attending the event. Budd Whitebook wrote,   “I think I counted right. On the Saturday before Columbus Day in Washington, approximately twenty-five people showed up for a Bonjour Paris lunch at Bistrot Lépic.   Let’s call it the promise of sharing a meal with other men and women who read Bonjour Paris and with some who contribute articles and others, like Karen Fawcett, who make sure it’s there when we want it. I wouldn’t underestimate the good food but it wasn’t the real star of the meal.   That joy was mainly in talking about Paris, France more generally, and various experiences we have had there. It was kind of a kick to tell a young woman who does not know Paris very well about some of the old neighborhood shopping streets.   That’s always been one of the facts of Paris I like most, the naturally occurring businesses that have nothing to do with urban planning, chain stores, or community activists demanding something. The French may sniff at Anglo-Saxon capitalism, but they practice it fiercely, admittedly with their own charm and occasional inefficiency. It was just as interesting to hear someone talking about living in the Nineteenth Arrondissement with such enthusiasm I thought it was worth a visit, though I’ve avoided it for years. New perspectives on old things: you get the idea.   For someone as shy as I am with strangers, the BP lunch was especially pleasant because there were ready-made topics of conversation—and that always makes it easier to make acquaintances and (who knows?) friends. Here’s an example of what I mean. The day after lunch at Lépic, I was wandering around Washington and ran into a…
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