As soon as we landed in Lyon, people started asking us for directions. It began on the shuttle from the airport, in fact, where two different Frenchman asked Mark, in French, for help finding the right stop. Yes, we blended in enough that we were as good a choice as any person to ask such a thing. We still blend in. People speak to us in French and never assume we're tourists. Until yesterday...I bought the greatest trench coat when we were still living in CA, intending to save it for France. The cut and the style were great, it fit perfectly, and I loved the color. Once we arrived and I saw everybody else's coats: 95% black, 4% red, 1% other... Ok, that might be a little of an exaggeration, but I'm not that far off. I have been too timid to wear my beloved ORANGE trench coat for two months!
After an email exchange with various family members (you know who you are), I decided I could not let the French masses, as style savvy as they are, get in the way of my own expression of style. So, last Saturday I put on the coat.
We felt like consuming a delicious pastry, and when we went up to the cashier to purchase it, he spoke to us in English! The first time since Jan 9th! So, we proceeded to have a very nice day as tourists, sticking out, but beautiful! I already have plans to wear it again.
4 comments:
I love your coat! How funny that people started talking to you in English. You make me smile. :)
And, if you wore your delicious orange trench in the States, people would think you were a chic dresser from the Continent!
Ha! That's what the original appeal was, actually--it looked sooooo stylishly "European!"
I love it! And there are actually more non-black coats worn now than when I arrived in '02. So you're actually in that elite group setting the trends!
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