Flâner-ing

According to the Larousse, the French verb flâner means

a. se promener sans but, au hasard, pour le plaisir de regarder

b. paresser, perdre son temps

or, very roughly translated,

a. to wander about without aim, for the pleasure of looking

b. to loaf around, to lose time 

Flânering was certainly one of my favorite Parisian activities. That is not to say that I am a natural flâneuse. On the contrary, as most my friends could probably tell you, I tend to walk rather briskly and with a purpose. Loafing? Losing time? Unthinkable.

Then came Paris. For the first time in my life, I found myself in a place where walking as a part of daily life (not as exercise) is both feasible and pleasant. Growing up, it would have taken me about three hours to walk to school. Not feasible. To walk to the nearest store, I would have to stumble along the shoulder of the state highway. Not pleasant.

In Paris, however, I could cover half the city in around two hours (feasible). And I was always sure to pass pretty buildings, shops, and parks (pleasant). Also, avoiding the metro is always a bonus...
And so it happened that I passed many afternoons just strolling about the city. This gave me time to reflect and also to smile over small, quirkly details of the city.

To ponder the fascinating decor of the Louvre.

Or even just to savor leaf prints on the sidewalk

I would sometimes pop into a few art galleries, especially around St. Germain de Près.

But at the end of the day, can anything beat a stroll along the Seine as afternoon softens into evening which slips into night?

I think not.