Postcards from Paris: {Victor Hugo, une leçon sur la langue d'amour }

“If you want to speak the language of love,

learn French.

If you want to speak it well,

Read Victor Hugo.”

Advice given from an older romantic gentleman to a young romantic friend of mine, who then passed on this sound advice to me. Appropriate advice to share on le jour de St. Valentin, even though it was a dialogue between two men, the language of love is not gender specific, and inspired a trip south of Pigalle, where my favourite public library is, Bibliothèque Chaptal.

With Winter at its peak, the heated library and that specific scent of plastic wrapped books was something of a comfort. I also snuck in some Valentine’s chocolate, for an added comfort.

L’hiver est sur ma tête, mais l’éternel printemps est dans mon cœur.

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.

Faire rire, c'est faire oublier. Quel bienfaiteur sur la terre, qu’un distributeur d’oubli!

To make people laugh is to make them forget. What an altruistic person, the one who scatters laughter!

Qu’est-ce une grande chose, d’être aimé! Qu’est-ce une chose plus grande encore, à l’amour!

 What a grand thing, to be loved! What a grander thing still, to love!

And my advice on this Valentine’s occasion :

Acheter des jolies fleurs et de manger un peu de chocolat.

Bisous,
Reba