Day 6 - A Quote

day 01 | a song
day 02 | a picture
day 03 | a book
day 04 | a site
day 05 | a youtube clip
day 06 | a quote
day 07 | whatever tickles your fancy

For those of you that are friends of mine on Facebook, this quotation may not be entirely new. Then again, that all depends on how closely you have been examining my profile. Admit it, you're all secretly stalking me on facebook. It's ok to, I can deal. Anyway, here's my quote for today:

"It would be futile to attempt description of this country, especially of Paris and Versailles. The richness, the magnificence and splendor are beyond all description."
~John Adams

I stumbled upon this description of France during my last year at Gustavus. I was writing a paper about letters that John and Abigail Adams exchanged during the Revolutionary War. This was just a throw away passage he included in one of the letters he wrote to Abigail from France. As you may know (or perhaps not - I was a history major, after all), John Adams was sent to Paris (with Ben Franklin) to see if he could get the French to help the not quite yet American revolutionaries. It was a very frustrating time for Adams but, as you can see, he was still able to appreciate the wonder that was (and continues to be) Paris. Ever since finding it, this quote has been one of my favorites, I think because it echoes my own thoughts. I love France - not just Paris, but everywhere I've been. However, when people ask me WHY, it's really hard to pin down. And I think John Adams and I may have shared that not-so-unfortunate problem.

When are we going to France again? I think I need to go back soon...

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is the deepest and most intellectual post I have ever read about France.
Santini said…
I can't wait to see 'whatever tickles your fancy.' ;-)