Paris to the Moon

Paris.Thenamealoneconjuresimagesofchestnut-linedboulevards,sidewalkcafés,breathtakingfaçadesaroundeverycorner--inshort,anexquisiteromanticismthathascapturedtheAmericanimaginationforaslongastherehavebeenAmericans.In1995,AdamGopnik,hiswife,andtheirinfantsonleftthefamiliarcomfortsandhasslesofNewYorkCityfortheurbaneglamouroftheCityofLight.GopnikisalongtimeNewYorkerwriter,andthemagazinehassentitswriterstoParisfordecades--buthiswasaboveallapersonalpilgrimagetotheplacethathadforsolongbeentheundisputedcapitalofeverythingculturalandbeautiful.ItwasalsotheopportunitytoraiseachildwhowouldknowwhatitwastorompintheLuxembourgGardens,toenjoyacroquemonsieurinaLeftBankcafé--achild(andperhapsafather,too)whowouldhaveagraspofthatParisiansenseofstyleweAmericansfindsoelusive.So,inthegrandtraditionoftheAmericanabroad,GopnikwalkedthepathsoftheTuileries,enjoyedphilosophicaldiscussionsathislocalbistro,wroteasviolettwilightfellonthearrondissements.Ofcourse,asreadersofGopnik'sbelovedandaward-winning"ParisJournals"inTheNewYorkerknow,therewasalsothematterofraisingachildandcarryingonwithday-to-day,not-so-fabledlife.EveningswithFrenchintellectualsprecededmiddle-of-the-nightbabyfeedings;afternoonswerefilledwithtripstotheMuséed'Orsayandpinballgames;weekdayleftoverswereeatenwhilethree-starchefsdebateda"culinarycrisis."AsGopnikdescribesinthisfunnyandtenderbook,thedualprocessesofnavigatingaforeigncityandbecomingaparentarenotcompletelydissimilarjourneys--bothholdnewroutines,newlanguages,anewsetofrulesbywhicheverydaylifeislived.Withsingularwitandinsight,Gopnikweavesthemagicalwiththemundaneinawhollydelightful,oftenhilariouslookatwhatitwastobeanAmericanfamilymaninParisattheendofthetwentiethcentury."WewenttoParisforasentimentalreeducation-Ididanyway-eventhoughthesentimentswewereinstructedinwerenottheoneswewereexpectingtolearn,whichIbelieveiswhytheycallitaneducation.",