Now that snow has become a fixed aspect of life in Paris, I’ve established points of refuge for myself at either end of the city.

On the Right Bank (Rive Droite), toward the east, I can while away my hours in the warren of art at the Louvre. Within my first weeks I acquired a Carte Jeune Louvre, which is an annual membership that allows me to enter the museum for free, without having to wait in line, and enables me to bring a free guest during the late hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. Because I am under 26, these privileges only cost me 15 euros. I figured since there is too much art to see at any one time, I would treat the museum as my living room and explore a different hall each visit.

An equally valuable aspect to the card is that it provides me with a free place to be – undisturbed, unhurried, and warm. In the warmer months, there are of course the city’s many gardens, and in times of plenty, I could happily pass the time in a café. Cafés are open most of the day, make for good people-watching, and perhaps most importantly, have restrooms! I’ve used the facilities at many a café, but I always feel obligated to buy something while I’m there. Standing at the bar for an espresso is the cheapest way to go, but this isn’t quite conducive for a languorous period of reading or writing, and I feel that if I’m going to buy myself something to drink, I might as well take advantage of the opportunity to luxuriate a little. Most often I order a green tea at a table, and read or write for as long as I feel welcome. It’s acceptable to sit for many hours at a café, but I sense that doing so is impolite during peak hours unless I order a meal. As a small pot of tea can cost 5,50 euros at some places, I’ve taken to seeking out places to sit and think and read gratis.

My best solution is museums. Now, the Louvre is far from the only museum in town; Paris is the world’s museum capital, after all! In fact, I’m not sure that in terms of art it is even my favorite. The reason I’ve selected it, though, as my ‘bit of earth’ is that it is huge and there are lots of places to sit. Most of the galleries have window seats or benches, and because there are many floors and wings, some more popular than others, it’s not uncommon to find myself in tranquil isolation. A final word on the Louvre is that it has its own Metro stop which all but eliminates my exposure to the elements. If I wanted to, all I’d have to do to reach it is walk to the end of my street to the Monceau station, take the #2 line a few stops down to the #1 and a few stops later, I’d arrive within the museum complex. This is ideal should I happen to bring my laptop or if the weather isn’t nice for walking. So there you have it.

Now for my second home-away-from-home (away from home): the American Library of Paris. It is located on the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) toward the west end of the city, just a few steps from the Eiffel Tower. As my birthday is approaching and the membership fee spikes for those over 25, I became a member today with a slight sense of urgency. Unlike most libraries I’ve known, this library is not free; I had to pay 75 euros to gain access to its treasures and services, which are largely supported by American corporations and foundations. (Thank you, Annenberg!) It was expensive, yes, but an infinitely valuable investment in my eyes. There are other libraries in Paris, but I think most of these also charge a fee to borrow media and obviously, they offer few books in English. I am practicing reading in French and I have acquired some French books since I’ve been here, but you don’t give up chocolate when you discover vanilla. I’ve recently resumed my general education in literature and my budget doesn’t allow for consumption commensurate with my appetite! Thus, the American Library. It’s not as convenient as the Louvre, but what it lacks in accessibility, it makes up for in portability. I can check out up to 6 books, 4 magazine and 3 audio/visual items at a time, which allows me to bring my temporary refuge home.

I think more than physical shelter, these cultural institutions provide me with escape from life as an au pair. I mean that positively – the more time I spend outside the house doing my own thing, the less I feel like an indentured servant and therefore the better au pair I can be. Though I have my own room, it is not ‘a room of my own’. Instead, the city itself has become my cocoon.

**As it happens, in the evenings when the library and Louvre are closed, the folks at Curio Parlor have offered me their bar as my second home. All my bases are covered!

**In case you were wondering, here is what I checked out from the library today:

• A Backward Glance - Edith Wharton’s autobiography
• Rimbaud: Complete Works, Selected Letters
• Rimbaud and Jim Morrison: The Rebel as Poet, A Memoir
• Hemingway: The Paris Years
• The Sun Also Rises
• Critical Essays on Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises
• What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (DVD)
• Far From Heaven (DVD)
• Certains L’Aiment Chaud (DVD) – Some Like It Hot with French subtitles!

(…Um, no wonder my 12-year-old, pop-loving boy-charge finds my tastes unrelatable…)