this thing could run and run

What I'm getting around to calling 'this thing' all started when I had an email arrive out of the blue from Sarah at we are social. And that's how I ended up having a really great day out in Brussels with a group of fellow bloggers, courtesy of Eurostar. That then led on to the 'make us smile' competition which, as of course you know, was won by Mike. And Mike gave us a marvellous account of his weekend in Paris, didn't he?

So you'd think that would be the end of it. But oh no - now Sarah's colleague Pauline has been in touch: what would be my dream weekend in Paris?, she asks. Pauline's working with the Regional Tourism Committee of Paris Ile-de-France on their new campaign 'Toi, moi et Paris' ('You, me and Paris'). It's aimed at showing 'Le Nouveau Paris' as a modern, exciting, artistic and romantic city, all at the same time.

Well, it's quite a while since I've been to Paris. I've been lots of times, and I've seen lots of things. But it only scratches the surface. Because no matter how many times you visited Paris, there would always be something new to discover each time you went. So the temptation is to see as much as you possibly can. Which is a mistake.

So what would be my ideal weekend? Well, I'd keep it simple. I'd choose just three things, and I'd concentrate on those and let the weekend build around it, as it undoubtedly would.

First up, I'd find my way to the Louvre. "What?" I hear you say "can't you think of anything more original than that?" But I'm going to restrict myself to just one thing in the Louvre, and I'm going to get in there and out again without looking at anything else. It's possibly the smallest painting in there (admittedly with - proportionally - the largest frame).

It's 'The Lacemaker' by Vermeer. And I'd like to spend at least an hour in it's company. Trying to understand the magic and mystery of Vermeer's skill.

And then I'd like to move forward by three and a half centuries and head on over to the musée du quai Branly. The one with the vertical garden.

I've not been before. So here I'll be adopting the exact opposite strategy to my Louvre visit: because I'll be trying to soak up everything I can.

That will do me for day one. And then comes the hard bit: I'd like to visit the studio of a fellow graphic designer. Not just any designer, mind you. But Pierre di Sciullo.

Pierre runs a small studio, Qui Resiste, somewhere in Paris. So somehow I'd have to find a way of getting myself an invitation. But then this is the blogosphere: everything's possible, isn't it?

And that, for me, would make a perfect Parisian weekend.

UPDATE: Pierre has emailed me to say that I would be most welcome to visit his studio. So that's the hard bit sorted then.

Comments

[Angus]

The Lacemaker is breathtaking, thank you for introducing it to me.