Romantic Paris mystery sends filmmaker on a world quest | CNN

<strong>A mysterious Parisian love letter:</strong> "It all started in Paris," filmmaker Doug Block tells CNN Travel. He was on vacation there with his wife, a romantic celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary. Walking along the Seine, the couple opened their second-hand copy of "Paris Walks" -- "Out pops this envelope with the name 'Betty' on it; it just fluttered to the floor, almost in slow motion," recalls Block. <em>Pictured here: The letter, the envelope and the guidebook</em>

A mysterious Parisian love letter: "It all started in Paris," filmmaker Doug Block tells CNN Travel. He was on vacation there with his wife, a romantic celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary. Walking along the Seine, the couple opened their second-hand copy of "Paris Walks" -- "Out pops this envelope with the name 'Betty' on it; it just fluttered to the floor, almost in slow motion," recalls Block. Pictured here: The letter, the envelope and the guidebook

Courtesy Doug Block

<strong>Serendipitous discovery:</strong> "I opened it up, it's not sealed, and there's a museum card with a Monet painting on the front," says Block. Neither Block nor his wife knew the origin of the letter -- or where they had got this second-hand guidebook. They were struck by the heartfelt note, which referenced Paris' Musée d'Orsay.<em> Pictured here: The notecard and its origins.</em>

Serendipitous discovery: "I opened it up, it's not sealed, and there's a museum card with a Monet painting on the front," says Block. Neither Block nor his wife knew the origin of the letter -- or where they had got this second-hand guidebook. They were struck by the heartfelt note, which referenced Paris' Musée d'Orsay. Pictured here: The notecard and its origins.

Courtesy Doug Block

<strong>The triumph of love:</strong> The couple spent their second day in Paris traversing the halls of the Musée d'Orsay, admiring Monet's striking Impressionist paintings. That evening, Friday 13 November 2015, Paris was rocked by a series of deadly attacks. "The love letter hit home, the timing of it, in terms of everything that Paris was going through and the whole response internationally to the terrorist attack," says Block. <em>Pictured here: Musée d'Orsay clock, Paris, France.</em>

The triumph of love: The couple spent their second day in Paris traversing the halls of the Musée d'Orsay, admiring Monet's striking Impressionist paintings. That evening, Friday 13 November 2015, Paris was rocked by a series of deadly attacks. "The love letter hit home, the timing of it, in terms of everything that Paris was going through and the whole response internationally to the terrorist attack," says Block. Pictured here: Musée d'Orsay clock, Paris, France.

Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

<strong>Ghostly figures</strong>: This unexpected discovery lifted Block's spirits -- a reminder of the power of love in the face of adversity. Back in his native New York, he found himself often coming back to "Betty" and "Henri", the writer of the letter. "It kind of haunted me," he recalls. Eventually he decided to get to the bottom of the mystery -- and attempt to find the couple behind the postcard. <em>Pictured here: The letter from Henri to Betty.</em>

Ghostly figures: This unexpected discovery lifted Block's spirits -- a reminder of the power of love in the face of adversity. Back in his native New York, he found himself often coming back to "Betty" and "Henri", the writer of the letter. "It kind of haunted me," he recalls. Eventually he decided to get to the bottom of the mystery -- and attempt to find the couple behind the postcard. Pictured here: The letter from Henri to Betty.

Courtesy Doug Block

<strong>The quest begins</strong>: But how do you go about tracking down two people, based only on first names and handwriting? Some friends of Block and his wife thought they might have lent them the book -- they knew a Betty. Block went to visit her: "It was not Betty, but it was a remarkable Betty," says Block. "She was 91 years old. She spoke very candidly about her love life [...] I just felt like, I think I'm going to find a whole succession of Bettys and Henris in this search." <em>Pictured here: Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.</em>

The quest begins: But how do you go about tracking down two people, based only on first names and handwriting? Some friends of Block and his wife thought they might have lent them the book -- they knew a Betty. Block went to visit her: "It was not Betty, but it was a remarkable Betty," says Block. "She was 91 years old. She spoke very candidly about her love life [...] I just felt like, I think I'm going to find a whole succession of Bettys and Henris in this search." Pictured here: Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

<strong>Universal yearning for romance: </strong>It's this universality that's key to the appeal of Block's quest: "Betty and Henri are pretty much everyone," says Block. "Everyone no matter what their age has this yearning for romance, even if they've been married for many years, it doesn't extinguish this flame [...] I think this letter taps into it for most anybody I've come across."." <em>Pictured here: Paris skyline.</em>

Universal yearning for romance: It's this universality that's key to the appeal of Block's quest: "Betty and Henri are pretty much everyone," says Block. "Everyone no matter what their age has this yearning for romance, even if they've been married for many years, it doesn't extinguish this flame [...] I think this letter taps into it for most anybody I've come across."." Pictured here: Paris skyline.

THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

<strong>International quest:</strong> Block hired a private investigator for tips, but his quest to find Betty has gone much further. "It's gone to a forensic analysis and a handwriting expert, a historical novelist who wrote a book about Monet," he says. He also visited a psychic. <em>Pictured here: Paris at sunset.</em>

International quest: Block hired a private investigator for tips, but his quest to find Betty has gone much further. "It's gone to a forensic analysis and a handwriting expert, a historical novelist who wrote a book about Monet," he says. He also visited a psychic. Pictured here: Paris at sunset.

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

<strong>Monet movie</strong>: Filmmaker Block has been documenting his quest as he goes along, preparing material for a future movie. Block has even filmed the original Monet painting in Washington's National Gallery of Art. <em>Pictured here: "Woman Seated under the Willows," National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C, USA.</em>

Monet movie: Filmmaker Block has been documenting his quest as he goes along, preparing material for a future movie. Block has even filmed the original Monet painting in Washington's National Gallery of Art. Pictured here: "Woman Seated under the Willows," National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C, USA.

Courtesy Salam Shahin

<strong>Reaching out</strong>: Block is no closer to discovering the real Betty and Henri: "It became clear to me that it's a real long shot finding Henri and Betty," says the filmmaker. "But the search is really the heart of the film." Nevertheless, Block remains hopeful -- and encourages anyone who recognizes the handwriting to contact him on <a href="https://twitter.com/DougBlock" target="_blank" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. <em>Pictured here: Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.</em>

Reaching out: Block is no closer to discovering the real Betty and Henri: "It became clear to me that it's a real long shot finding Henri and Betty," says the filmmaker. "But the search is really the heart of the film." Nevertheless, Block remains hopeful -- and encourages anyone who recognizes the handwriting to contact him on Twitter. Pictured here: Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.

BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

<strong>Enduring appeal: </strong>Block thinks its also the mystery at the heart of the story that appeals:<strong> </strong>"The story just seems to connect with everyone, this idea of the kind of message in a bottle aspect of it, of this note somehow getting into this book, somehow ending up in my hands," he reflects. "The beautiful sentiment that's expressed in the letter. The mystery of the notecard and whether there's a connection, Monet is somehow involved, his connection with the story. It's just fascinating. I think people just love a good mystery." <em>Pictured here: painter Claude Monet beside the water lily pond in his home garden, Giverny, France, 1910s.</em>

Enduring appeal: Block thinks its also the mystery at the heart of the story that appeals: "The story just seems to connect with everyone, this idea of the kind of message in a bottle aspect of it, of this note somehow getting into this book, somehow ending up in my hands," he reflects. "The beautiful sentiment that's expressed in the letter. The mystery of the notecard and whether there's a connection, Monet is somehow involved, his connection with the story. It's just fascinating. I think people just love a good mystery." Pictured here: painter Claude Monet beside the water lily pond in his home garden, Giverny, France, 1910s.

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Can you solve the mystery of this Paris love letter?

CNN —

A lost love letter, a famous painting and a trail leading through the streets of Paris – do you have the answer to a romantic mystery that’s been perplexing a US filmmaker for two years?

Doug Block stumbled on the strange case of Betty and Henri while he and his wife were celebrating their wedding anniversary in Europe in late 2015.

“It all started in Paris,” the documentary maker recalls.

On the last day of their trip, the couple decided to go on a long stroll, savoring the fading autumnal daylight. Block fished out “Paris Walks,” the tattered, second-hand guidebook he’d stuffed in his suitcase at the last minute.

As he leafed through the pages, an envelope fell out, emblazoned with a single name: “Betty.”

“It just fluttered to the floor, almost like in slow motion,” Block tells CNN Travel.

The envelope was unsealed. Inside was a note card, adorned with a Monet painting: “Woman Seated under the Willows.” Written inside was a passionate declaration of affection.

“Will you look for me at the Musee D’Orsay?” wrote Henri, the mysterious author. “I will be there in soul and spirit, though not in body. It is there that you will find my love of Monet.”

Block turned to his wife in confusion. Who was Betty? Who was Henri? And how did this letter end up in his guidebook?

Little did he know the letter would mark the beginning of an globe-spanning quest, an international labor of love celebrating Paris and the enduring power of romance.

A serendipitous discovery

Doug Block found a mysterious love letter referencing the Musée d'Orsay.

Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

Block and his wife traveled to Paris in November 2015. They spent their days wandering the wide boulevards, strolling the Seine and admiring the Impressionist greats in the Musée d’Orsay.

On their second evening in Paris, a Friday on November 13, the city was rocked by a series of deadly attacks in which 130 people died.

“I remember I had been thinking, ‘Oh my God, Paris, the city of love and romance is now going to be associated with terrorism,’ ” says Block.

Unearthing the love letter seemed like a sign from fate – a serendipitous reminder of romance in a moment of heartbreak.

“The love letter hit home,” he says. “The timing of it, in terms of everything that Paris was going through and the whole response internationally to the terrorist attack.�