Shoes in the Seine

One of our favorite activities has been sitting by the river and reading. Today, we sat down to do just that, and Mita's shoe fell right off her foot and tumbled, quite dramatically, into the river. There, 2 meters down an embankment and 2 feet from the water's edge, bobbed her left shoe (Geox brand, quite valued) and her left custom orthotic. One of a matched pair, this represented a good deal of time, effort and money, and so Mita was understandably distraught.

Being a good husband, a mediocre rock climber, and always up for a challenge, I promptly removed my jacket, shoes, watch and socks, climbed down the stairs to the river, and edged along the 5 inch wide ledge that sits right above the edge of the Seine. At times wet and slippery, at times sloped towards the water, and occasionally both, I was glad for my rock climbing experience, and was indeed concerned I would go swimming. I did not.

To shorten a long story in interest of my impending bedtime, I retrieved Mita's precious orthotic insert, almost retrieved (but instead sank) the now waterlogged shoe itself, and then gave Mita a piggyback ride to the nearest shoe store. No suitable shoes were to be found, so she finished out the day with some purpose-procured flip-flops, and while we morn the loss of a good shoe, the story gained is invaluable.

One can safely expect a more detailed version, perhaps even with photos, to appear on Mita's blog at some point in the near future.