In the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank of Paris, in the fifth Arrondissement, you may come across the statue of Michel de Montaigne, who is credited with the creation of the category of writing called “essays.” Montaigne is, in fact, a nom de plume, a pen name. His real name is Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne, which doesn't even matter, except, perhaps, for the part about Noble Rot, which most folks ignore.
So this post isn't even about the Left Bank, Michele de Montiagne, statues, or France. It's about luck, and superstition. Not far from the square Paul Painlevé over which the statue of Montaigne presides, is the Sorbonne University, founded in 1257, home of several Nobel Laureates, famous writers, scientists, politicians and the like. A veritable bastion of tradition.
