Paris birds
In the cavernous basement of the hotel I stayed at in Paris recently, I sat facing three tapestries of birds intermingled with flowers and leaves while I had my breakfast. The hotel was right next to Gare du Nord. The sound of trains entering and passing through the station were constant. I heard nothing else but the mechanical sounds of a working city: screeching breaks, whistles, vibrations from the Métro below were dominant. While I scraped away at my boiled eggs, marmalade toast and sipped my espresso, I was surprised to hear birdsong. Perhaps my deep concentration on the tapestries had brought the birds to life. Or perhaps I was just longing to be away from the city, imagining the peace of the countryside.
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| The tapestries in question |