Joi de Vivre
Every now and then someone comes along who reminds you that age is mostly a rumour. Valerie does this effortlessly. Her winter in Paris — part grandmotherhood, part bike‑tour adventurer, part blues‑cellar groover — reads like a love letter to staying vibrantly, rebelliously alive. I’m delighted to share her guest post, a story that proves joie de vivre isn’t a phase… it’s a practice.
We live in such an ageist culture, however becoming a grandmother doesn’t mean you have to fit into some stereotypical age‑appropriate role, or consider your life at the end. You don’t have to sit in a rocking chair and occupy your time knitting booties for the newborn. Of course, if this is what makes you happy there’s no judgement. Grab those knitting needles and rock on.
Recently I shapeshifted into the role of a grandparent. Sometimes I ask how can it be? I still feel so youthful and I confess even childlike. I bicycle, swim, do yoga, walk, groove to the beat of great music and I’m always up for travel adventure. The way I feel could not be farther away from the stereotypical image of granny in a rocker. I feel young.
After moving to Paris eight years ago my daughter, now a Francophone, is living life in the city of light accompanied by her French beau. In February my first granddaughter was born in Paris. If I wanted to be a part of the life of the newborn, Paris would have to be the destination. I chose to rent an apartment in Bastille and spend the entire winter there.
My identity shifted to “Mooma,” Jamaican patois for mother. I never knew that I wanted to be a part of the grandma club, but now that I’m in it I’m thrilled. At my granddaughter’s three‑month mark it became a competition between my daughter, her beau and myself to see who could charm the infant into smiling at them first. A competition that we each feel satisfied we won.
In addition to romping with my granddaughter I knew that discovering the city of Paris would be a second favourite pastime. It was roughly a 30‑minute bicycle ride from my apartment in Bastille to my daughter’s in Place d’Italie. I routinely rode a bicycle from the ride share “Velib” to go to and from. I could visit my petit chérie, discover the city, get exercise and feel a part of the local culture.
In the past I had seen most of the museums and tourist sites in Paris. I wanted to experience something different. A bike tour sounded ideal. This is when we hired bicycles to discover hidden highlights off the beaten track in two popular districts, Le Marais where I lived and the Latin Quarter.
Our guide was a young charming Parisian man with a sweet French accent and a jovial character. We spent the morning on bicycles discovering known and hidden landmarks. Who knew that there is a hidden Roman amphitheatre to be discovered in the heart of Paris? Arènes de Lutèce, a visible reminder that the Roman town of Lutetia predated Paris. It was built 2,000 years ago and was only rediscovered under a trash heap in 1869. Gladiators, naval battles, lion hunts and political speeches had taken place there.
Since my love of music has been an intrinsic part of who I am since childhood I also longed to hear some blues music and see bands perform live.
Music and travel incessantly captivate my spirit. Nothing has changed. When a close friend came to Paris to visit from Toronto I knew this was the time to explore. We had each other, we had the spirit of youth and we both had our dancing shoes!
One night we walked from my apartment in Bastille to Le Caveau des Oubliettes located in the Latin Quarter just across the Seine from Notre Dame Cathedral. The vaulted stone cellar dates back to the 12th century. The blues jam headed by “Youva” made us jump out of our seats to boogie. The cave cellar was too small for a dance floor so we smartly chose the table that had nobody behind us so we could get our groove on. The band was dynamic and included a passionate keyboard player who steadily shook his shiny black hair to the thunderous beat of the drum. They kept us grooving to many known and loved electric blues classics.
Speaking of shifting into character it is mystifying to me how my good friend Bev convincingly shapeshifts from a young corporate professional in an architectural firm to a haunting rendition of Yoko Ono for Halloween, or makes an interior design pitch in a compelling rendition of Freddie Mercury, or seamlessly transitions into a Goddess Shakti from the Sivananda retreat in the Bahamas. Bev seems able to be anybody she wants to be for any period of time. As my mentor and inspiration, I figure that if she can accommodate all of these characters then I can at least accommodate one, Mooma, and I must admit I’m loving it.
No matter your age, live with joi de vivre!
Valerie Brewis
I built, owned and operated Heart Beat hotel on the Caribbean in Jamaica for 30 years. I love building, designing, writing, music and adventure.