My Life in France, Part Trois

The morning after I arrived in Paris, summer 2010.

The next morning, Frederique’s Mom, Raphaëlle, agreed to show me around town.

Raphaëlle was an understated Coco Chanel; the kind of woman who has never worked, and has season tickets to the opera. So vintage Paris was Raphaelle, she didn’t even speak English! Still, I detected a streak of spiritual wanderlust in her. When I visited her…