Paris Breakfasts

"Miller says, "Another factor which influences the visibility of lustre or sheen is the curvature of the surface from which it is reflected. Highlights which are thrown off from sharply angled surfaces come and go with captivating abruptness, should either the object or observer shift. This is why diamonds glitter or scintillate..."

And he says here, "Another characteristic of lustre is the fact that it seems to hover somewhere below the surface in which it appears." This quality of light is what all painters and photographers are seeking. The magical light that glows from within. French painter Georges De La Tour was the master of this inner glow.

My suggestion to American cafes is, please get some inner glow on that table! And if you want to bring home some shiny café things, the Café de Flore Boutique is just around the corner at 26, rue Saint-Benoit. Just don't try to shop before noon."

Carol Gillot
Visit "Paris Breakfasts"

Also: La Page Française

Visit PARIS/moleskinecity.com
 

Comments

[Evan]

In my experience, west coast cafés have a patina (beaten dark wood tables, overstuffed sofas), and east coast ones seem to have more of a tall, airy feel. Perhaps different than a Parisian feel, but the variety is better than a cookie cutter stamp of common feel across the globe. Otherwise, what would one jot down in a tiny black book during travel? "Another café. The same as before. The same coffee. The same lustre. The same hours. Tomorrow I travel to another continent and I expect much the same." What a boring wordscape would thus be reflected on the leaves of our journals laid down amid omnipresent "shiny café things".

[David]

Where is that image from that you used in this post? I can't find it in any of the linked blogs, but it's great.