Re: after a long pause....
Dear Sasha,
I had great days in Paris!
On Saturday late I met a friend from old days and
we walked hours through the ‘Bohemian’ Paris. People
were out on the streets till very late. A very nice
atmosphere. On Sunday I met my girlfriend. First
we attended a very solemn mass in one of the older
churches in Paris. Later we walked ‘without time’
along the Seine river. Monday we wanted to visit just
one picture from the Louvre, however this very one
picture (the burial of Atala) we could not find. It was
taken to a transient exhibition (I am attaching it).
We admired also the work of Flandrin (also attached)
and from Vernet (3rd attachment). That moonlight at
the harbor reminded me of another moonlight, namely
the one at the Tetryakov gallery (a moonlight over
the river Don). Do you remember it? On Tuesday we
visited the Musée d’Orsay where the impressionists
are. That hours admiring that pieces of art were
simply wonderful. One picture I liked very much was
the one of Mme. Korsakoff (aunt of Rimsky-Korsakoff).
... We had also eyes for the autumn! We felt very free!
Our time in Paris went too fast. It was so full of
details and great moments! Suddenly we were saying
good-bye. That was a sad moment! Afterwards, when
returning to Stockholm I felt a sort of unbearable
emptiness, loneliness.
Your letter is the first friendly contact with the
‘world’ afterwards. Thanks! I like and always enjoy
your letters very much. Days in Paris can be very
inspiring... In Paris you have the feeling of a place
where the ‘world’ meets. There are so many other
things I could write about! I am looking forward to
hearing from you again. Cordially yours,
28.10.1999