Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Peaceful Spring Day in Montmartre

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, for the best Get Sleepy experience, be sure to check out our supporters feed Get Sleepy Premium for our free listening weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire catalogue. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make the free version of this show possible. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host Thomas, it's a pleasure to have your company. Tonight Vanessa will be reading to us as we explore the Kwaaki Bohemian neighborhood of Monmart in Paris. We'll join Anna as she explores the city of lights on a beautiful day in April. And this story was written by Mercia, who's a new writer on the podcast.

Starting point is 00:01:06 We really hope you enjoy it. If you're sleeping better thanks to our show, and you'd like to hear even more stories and meditations, then why not try our supporters' feed, get sleepy premium. It's the best way to experience the podcast. As a thank you for your support, you'll have access to our entire catalogue of well over 500 episodes. Everything is completely out free, and you'll also receive our weekly bonus episodes each and every Thursday. Tomorrow I'll be reading an endearing and at times amusing story about a special flock of sheep enjoying their lives on a farm in New Zealand.

Starting point is 00:01:57 The first seven days of your subscription are a free trial, so you can make sure you love the premium feed. It would mean the world to have you join us over on Get Sleepy Premium, so if you are in a position where you can support us and you'd like to give it a try, just go to GetSleepy.com slash support or follow the link in the show notes. Thanks so much. Now that my friends, let's prepare to listen to our story by taking a few moments to unwind and be mindful in the here and now. As we've now well and truly entered the spring season here in the Northern Hemisphere, it feels like the perfect time to not only enjoy this evening's story, but to also consider

Starting point is 00:03:00 how we adapt and change with this season ourselves. Spring is very much the season of new beginnings and new opportunities. With longer daylight hours, warmer weather, blossoming plants and trees, and hopefully more sunshine to be enjoyed. We can draw greater energy from our natural surroundings. Sleep is integral to restoring energy within our bodies and minds. But in addition, we can regulate and expand our energy by immersing ourselves in nature and by absorbing the nourishing warmth of the sun. So just picture yourself for a few moments outside in a peaceful, relaxing space with the warm spring sun shining over your entire body. Feel its gentle warmth on your skin, soothing your arms and hands, your neck and your face. This warmth and brightness simultaneously calms you and brings inner peace, while also reinvigorating you as you absorb the sun's blissful energy. And you know that this brief exposure to natural light will work wonders

Starting point is 00:05:14 for your sleep, regulating your circadian rhythm and helping you feel more naturally tired and ready for rest when you come to bed. So let go of the day's thoughts as you sink deeper into your pillow. And simply follow along with Vanessa's voice, as we join a lady named Anna, experiencing in Paris. It is a warm, quiet spring morning on the boulevard de Kishi. Under the gentle April sun, this usually bustling and busy street in Paris is serene and still. The morning traffic is gone, but it is still too early for the tourists to venture out. There are no groups of curious visitors about yet, eager to see the sights, visit the museums, or enjoy the splendor of the city of lights. This is that rare and special time of day when you can have the city all to yourself.

Starting point is 00:07:20 Anna thinks, as she crosses the empty street over to her favorite cafe opposite her apartment building. For years she has lived in the neighborhood and still, whenever she can venture out for an impromptu breakfast at this tranquil time of day, it feels like a wonderful treat. It is as if she is taking a vacation in her own hometown or getting to enjoy a secret hidden side of Ba'i. by. The cafe is all but empty when Anna steps onto the terrace. The round tables glisten in the morning light as the waiter wipes them down one after the other, with a gentle sweep that almost looks choreographed. He is in no hurry at all. Nothing is pressing. There are no customers needing his immediate attention. An elderly local gentleman that Anna recognizes from the neighborhood has finished his coffee and is reading the day's newspaper. He leans back in his chair

Starting point is 00:08:52 with a relaxed expression on his face as he turns the rustling pages. At another table on the terrace, a young lady is having a hearty breakfast of generous slices of toast, berry jam, chocolate spread, and a big cappuccino. The girl is blonde, with light pink streaks in her hair, which give her an almost ethereal, pixie-like quality, despite her chic monochrome clothes. She has headphones on and taps the rhythm of whatever music she is enjoying on the laptop. Her slender fingers make a gentle, pleasant, clicking

Starting point is 00:09:49 sound against the silvery surface. Moments later, a quirky woman who owns a local boutique which sells antiques and knickknacks, nods and smiles unhurriedly at Anna as she passes the cafe. The woman is no doubt on her way to open the shop for the day, but as she makes her way down the street, she stops here and there to catch up with other people from the area. It seems that no one is in a rush this morning. It is the perfect day for enjoying simple things and quiet moments. Anna looks at the menu, wondering what to order. The leather-bound menu is a warm from being out on the table in the rosy April sunlight. She decides to order a croissant in some orange marmalade.

Starting point is 00:11:07 Most of all, she can't wait to have one of those large cappuccinos she always enjoys in this cafe. Buffy milk is always whipped to perfection, and the drink served beautifully in a pearly porcelain cup. Sitting there, Anna feels like the day is already off to a wonderful start, and that she won't be heading home straight away after breakfast. The day is too lovely to be spent indoors, she thinks to herself. But Anna makes no immediate plans regarding what to do next. First, she wants to take some time and enjoy this pleasant moment in the cafe, listening to the chirping sparrows and the cooing doves, and observing the beauty of the fervent plain

Starting point is 00:12:18 trees lining the promenade that runs down the middle of the boulevard. This busy Pary neighborhood has, for the time being, taken on the familiar warmth of a sleepy village square. Thanking the waiter Anna finishes the last sip of her cappuccino as she stands up to leave. Back on the street again, she walks over to the promenade. The tall plain trees create a dense canopy, sparkles of soft yellow light flicker among the leaves. The boulevard de kishi is a testament to the Hosmanian architectural style that Paris is known for. Stretching from east to west across this northern district of Pai, the street is lined on either side by tall luchin limestone buildings, colored of a soft shade of sand and topped with zinc roofs. Some of the roofs are domed, while others are the more angular, man-sarch kind.

Starting point is 00:14:00 The view from the promenade offers up a quintessential postcard view of the French capital. But it is the limestone facades of the houses that make this boulevard and its Parisian architectural style so special, almost beguiling. The color of the facades changes with the light and season. At night, the facades are blueish. In winter, they have a vanilla yellow tint, and in deep summer, they glow a rosy red, especially at dusk. Now, they have an almost minty touch to them, as the deep green of the fresh spring foliage

Starting point is 00:15:09 casts its mellow shadows on the limestone walls. This very peculiar characteristic gives a seemingly beige colored street an unexpected kaleidoscopic quality. In the middle of it all, there is a break in the pattern. Out of nowhere, a pop of color surprises the eye. Out of nowhere, a pop of color surprises the eye. It is the Villa Platten, and its favorite building in the entire neighborhood. Unlike the muted tones of the surrounding style, this one has a bright red brick facade. It is five stories tall. Each floor has high French windows and black, wrought iron balustrades. It's most striking feature is the bay windows that run down along the west facing side of

Starting point is 00:16:32 the building. These are stained glass windows with a green glass base and pops of other colors, like blue, red and pink. The bay windows have a shiny quality to them, which makes them look like they glow, night night and day in an almost enchanting, otherworldly way high above the street among the treetops. Further down on the street level, there are two vaulted arches. level, there are two vaulted arches. This opulent gated entryway leads to what used to be an old mansion and has since been converted to apartments. Beyond these arched gates, there is a cobble stone courtyard flanked by white stone columns that lead to the other wing of the Vila Plattan. This hidden wing, not easily visible from the street, is even more striking than the street facing Brick Fisad with its green bay windows. Inside the courtyard, Anna can see the coral-colored manor house into which one enters by walking

Starting point is 00:18:30 up a white marble double staircase adorned with bronze statues of ancient-looking figures holding torches. For years Anna has passed the Vila Plata each time she heads in and out of her favorite cafe and never has the magnificent manner failed to take her breath away. She always imagines what it must have been like in the past. In the days when shining black horse-drawn carriages pass through the vaulted gates in the inky blue light of a late winter evening. Carrying guests dressed in silks and furs, heading inside to dine by candlelight. or maybe even dance in a ballroom under the glow of crystal chandeliers. The boulevard de Kishi is a dividing line between two neighborhoods in this northern part of Paris. The south side of the boulevard is part of the Pigale area, whereas the north end leads to the iconic Montmartre district, famed for having fostered legendary artists, artists such as Picasso, Renoir, and Van Gogh.

Starting point is 00:20:29 To this day, Montmartre is revered for its enduring importance in culture and the arts. Its quirky Bohemian atmosphere is often depicted in well-liked French movies. Local artists and artists from all around the world gravitate to this small, of Paris in search of creative inspiration and artistic joy to live. Passing from Pégal de mon marpe, Anna always feels as if she is crossing over from one world to the next. While Piale is known to be chic and cool, the area of trendy hotels and artsy bars, Mu-Math has retained the sleepy, rustic quality of its original village roots. Even at the turn of the 20th century, Mu-Mat was a leafy, pastoral district on the outskirts of the city, where livestock grazed on the hills and vineyards grew down the steep slopes.

Starting point is 00:22:11 There is still a working vineyard high up on the hill, the Krumumat and several windmills that give the area a timeless atmosphere. For the visitor and the local Parisian alike, this part of town offers a little taste of the French countryside in what is now a very central part of the capital. This is the reason why Anna has lived in the area for so long and has no intention of moving. Here she has the best of the city and a lovely hint of the countrylevard, and Anna finds herself on a cobbled lane leading straight up the hill. Her surroundings grow quieter.

Starting point is 00:23:19 The rumble of cars gives way to the chirping of birds, and the soft sound of Anna's footsteps in her burgundy, velvet ballerina flats on the smooth surface of time-worn cobblestones. Further ahead, after walking for a while, she hears John T. Music, happy voices, and a ripple of gentle laughter. A little girl in a periwinkle dress holding a red balloon on a string in one hand, runs past Anna and around the corner. Anna wonders what is going on and decides to walk in the direction of the pleasant sounds coming from a street just outside her view. It is almost noon now, and a rather large group of people have gathered in the Abbas Square

Starting point is 00:24:34 near the vintage carousel and right by the beautiful Arneu vôme tropintrens. They have just finished mounting stands and setting up some kind of street market or fair. A group of musicians tinker with their instruments in the middle of it all. Music and sense fill the air, adding to the general sense of merriment. The little girl, still holding her red balloon, has made her way over to one of the stands. There, a lady is demonstrating how to make macau in front of a small crowd. She talks in a pleasant, soothing voice, explaining that the very first step is to separate the egg yolks from the whites.

Starting point is 00:25:48 An egg cracking against her vintage glass bowl makes a pleasing sound that catches everybody's attention. They all move in closer to see what's next. She measures the egg whites and says that it must be 100 grams, exactly, no more, no less. This is a delicate recipe, and the measurements have to be just right. She spoons out some of the excess and continues. Afterwards she mixes the light yellow almond flour with the sparkling white confectioner's sugar, whizzing and whirling it in a food processor to get the dry ingredients fine and No lumps or clumps, the lady says, raising a finger to emphasize her point.

Starting point is 00:27:13 Otherwise your macaron won't come out smooth and shiny, and we want our macaron to be pretty. Now, it's time for the main part of the cookie. The meringue she continues. She wipes down the bowl that she is going to mix the egg whites in with a drop of lemon juice. There can't be any griefs in the bowl, she says. Then, she pours in the whites, adding a little sprinkle of cream of tartar to stabilize the process.

Starting point is 00:28:07 Now, slowly and carefully, she spoons the sugar into increasingly fluffy eggs, little by Little by little, until the porcelain cup is empty and there is a bowl full of white puffy meringue. She picks up the bowl of meringue and playfully turns it upside down above the little girl's head to show that it is firm enough not to drip. The little girl giggles with excitement, almost letting go of her red balloon, but catching it quickly before it flies off. before it flies off. After putting a batch in the oven, the lady takes out a tray full of already finished cookies, showing them off to the smiling crowd. She has made lavender-flavored ones, as well as lemon, raspberry, and licorice. The tray bursts with color and sweetness, and the gathered crowd clamors to buy small

Starting point is 00:29:39 bags of her bright, macchewon. Anna is delighted to find herself having such a wonderful day without having planned it at all. A wonderful breakfast, a pleasant walk along her favorite grand pahy streets and winding cobbled lanes followed by the surprise appearance of a fair. It is the unexpected, simple things that bring so much joy, she thinks, as she heads over to see what's happening by the other stands. One is full of artisanal soaps made in provance, and at the next one, a group of young boys have gathered, trying to win toys and trinkets at the ringtoss. In the background, the beautiful carousel spins, playing a soft tune which mixes with the sounds of casually chatting adults, laughing children, and bird song in the warm spring air.

Starting point is 00:31:09 A while later Anna leaves the fair and continues her walk through the area. Slowly, a light blanket of clouds draws in over the hills of Mu-Moth, bringing a gentle breeze in its wake. Long purple shadows stretch along the sidewalk by the Mu-Lang-Hade, one of the last surviving old windmills. The shadows are a darker purple than the light, airy hue of the wisteria blossoms that line the same street. The dove-gray sky and the different violet shades create a cozy atmosphere. The sort that makes Anna want to curl up under a blanket with a book or even take an afternoon nap. As the clouds slowly grow thicker and a little heavier, Anna decides to head back to her apartment, just in case the sudden change from spring sunshine leads to unexpected April showers.

Starting point is 00:32:51 Anna finds herself among the familiar sense of home as soon as she opens her apartment door. There is the lavender poepooey she keeps in the hallway. The herbs she grows in pots on the windowsill in the kitchen, and the fresh, clean laundry in a basket by the fireplace in the living room. the fireplace in the living room. The pile of white linens is waiting to be folded and tucked away in drawers and cover. Even with her eyes closed, she would know she was home the moment she crossed the threshold. Anna's apartment is on the fourth story of one of those limestone-hoss-manyan buildings. It is a corner apartment facing both the Buddha-ar de Kishi and a tiny side street. Tall, French windows wrap all around her home from the bedroom which faces the boulevard to the living room which looks out over both streets.

Starting point is 00:34:29 And the kitchen with its cozy view of only the little narrow lane below. A dove coos outside the window. As it paces back and forth on the ledge, its feet making a tapping sound. Moments later, the soft pattern of April rain begins to resonate through the apartment. Anna has always thought that the best things about these old apartment buildings are the fireplaces and she puts a log in hers now, striking a match. Slowly, the crackling sounds of the fireplace join the pattern of rain, creating a distinct, yet natural melody. It is the unique sound of a rainy spring day in Bali. Curling up on the sofa, Anna covers herself with a wool blanket. The blanket was a birthday gift she received a few years ago.

Starting point is 00:36:19 The yellow and purple tartan feels soft to the touch. It is already late in the afternoon, and the room is warm and cozy. Anna reaches for a book on the coffee table. She has been meaning to read it for a while. The pages pull her in and for a long time Anna sits there reading by the fire. With no other thought than how pleasant it feels to sit there enjoying a book, comfortable and relaxed in her own home. The sound of someone tuning a violin draws Anna's attention away from the book. She sometimes leaves the bedroom window slightly at jar and the sounds of string instruments along with a clarinet or flute drift up from the boulevard below.

Starting point is 00:37:57 Anna walks over to the window to see what is happening. Anna has been so captivated by her book that she missed the sunset completely. It is already past dusk, the blue hour, the time of day when the sky shimmers intensely The time of day when the sky shimmers intensely in a clear electric blue tone, all the rain clouds are gone. To her surprise, Anna sees the group of musicians that she noticed earlier at the fair. They have gathered on the tree-lined promenade and have somehow rolled their piano down there too. piano down there too. Laughing and joking with each other, they tune their instruments as they get ready to play. For some time, the musicians play an eclectic selection of well-known classical pieces and much-loved French chanson. But they have their own way of playing these familiar songs that makes them feel new and fresh.

Starting point is 00:39:48 makes them feel new and fresh. They finish the concert with a relaxing, romantic piano piece accompanied by the gentle sound of a single violin. A pearly, full moon lingers high above the boulevard, with its gleaming rooftops and the creamy white domes of the Sacre-Cher Basilica. Tiny specks of crystalline light appear all across the firmament, marking the spots where each little star hangs. Anna tries looking for various constellations, but the music is too relaxing. And the beauty of the sky is too soothing. Having enjoyed the concert from her bedroom,

Starting point is 00:41:16 she now closes the window where she has been standing. The room grows quiet as she heads to bed, nestling in among the pillows. This is the sort of day people imagine when they dream of springtime over her and she falls into a deep slumber. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. you ... you I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:43:50 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. you ... ... ... ... you ... ... ... ... ... you ... ... you you you you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Peaceful Spring Day in Montmartre

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