We’ll Always Have Paris
By Jennifer Laskey Verplanck
Some people say that the 1942 film, Casablanca, is the best film ever
made. Although it’s been around for 75 years, it
still has great authenticity, a suspenseful plot with an exotic location,
complex characters, many of them shady, romance, betrayal and political
intrigue, a great score and theme song, and the irresistibly alluring Ingrid
Bergman.
Perhaps you haven’t seen this
one, but you may have heard some of the often- quoted lines: “Play it (again), Sam”,
“Of all the gin
joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine”, “Round up the usual suspects”, “ Here’s
looking at you, kid” and “We’ll always have Paris”.
The rich dialogue is just one of its charms. The characters smoke and drink
like there’s no tomorrow, while they desperately connive and deal for precious
‘letters of transit” they need to escape Morocco and the dangerous Vichy
regime. It’s bittersweet that Rick and Ilsa are destined to be kept apart but
they will always have the memories of their idyllic time together in Paris.
There is talk about a sequel. I’m not sure
it could ever match the magic of the original film; the expectations would be
impossibly high. What do you think? The ending has to rank as THE classic
ending, though. It’s one of those things that is so perfect that I would rather
they left it alone.
READ MORE:
I have a cork from the wine that we had on
our wedding day; I kept it as a memento. We were married in Paris, it was rosé
Champagne and it was a lovely romantic time. We enjoyed Paris. It might be fun
to revisit the places we went but we could never recreate the mood or the
moment. It’s more fun to create new happy memories.
Good wine is not like any other drink. It’s
not made in such a way, like soda or tea, that you will have an exact taste
every time. That is just elusive with wine. That fabulous wine that you had on
vacation, when you open a bottle when you get back home, may surprise you. It’s
not that it will be bad, just probably a bit different.
Mitigating factors as varied as the
accompanying food, serving temperature and the shape of the wine glass to the
weather, altitude and even the mood you’re in, all will influence your
enjoyment of a wine. Wine is a living thing and it is constantly evolving. It’s
an expression of a time and place.
You may never find the same experience that
you once had, so try something new or look for a wine that is reminiscent of
the style that you like. You may find something that you like even better!
© 2018 Text John and
Jennifer Verplanck, all rights reserved.
Photo,Art credits: Public Domain, Pixabay, Wikimedia Commons, Vintage images in the Public Domain.
