1. Pigeons are rats with wings, and should never be fed by humans. That being said, I should probably stop audibly shrieking when one comes within 5 feet of me.
2. No texting or phone usage of any kind for 12 days is both liberating and a little bizarre, like wearing shoes without socks.
3. There is now boxed wine for sale in Paris. I found this deeply unsettling, as if someone was playing a decidedly unfunny prank on me. Come on, you guys, knock it off.
4. Independent bookstores are the best, no matter where in the world you are.
5. Despite what the British man pouring it tells you, apple brandy is not delicious and should be avoided at all costs.
6. Ripped jeans, even intentionally ripped jeans, are not acceptable while in Paris, ever. People will taunt you.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Back in the USA
Is it weird that, while typing the title of this post, I got "Back in the USSR" stuck in my head? I'm thinking the jet lag has spread to my brain. Yikes.
Anyway, I have arrived, safe and sound, back in New York. My head is still swimming with the events of the last 12 days. It was definitely a completely new experience for me, in a city I know well, which is interesting in a lot of ways. As I mentioned briefly before, we approached speaking French very differently this time around. When we were students, going out in the city and speaking French with Parisians often seems like a sort of test or gauge of how well you're assimilating, how much you're learning, etc. Though it shouldn't be, it can get stressful. During this visit, we just sort of went for it, speaking the language without getting too hung up on grammar, noun and adjective agreement. And, probably unsurprisingly, it wasn't badly received. People actually told us we spoke well (this might have something to do with being a pair of 23 year old girls, but I choose to believe it's our grasp of the French language). Either way, it felt great - like I could at least keep up socially and I actually understood a lot of the conversations I found myself in. Also, being a bit older than I was while studying in Paris, the kinds of people I ended up speaking to were different, more mature (mostly), and had more interesting paths and life stories to tell.
I'm now chronicling all these people in little portraits before they leave my mind - it's a fun way to extend the trip, at least mentally, for a little while longer.
Speaking of portraits, all of my posts from Paris have now been made a little brighter with photos! I've also added some of me and Maeve below, and, if you'd like to look at all the pictures I took in one place, you can click here.
It's bittersweet, but I'm glad to be back on home soil (and to have a cell phone I can use again). I'm convinced - travel is the best gift you can give yourself.
Xo.
Anyway, I have arrived, safe and sound, back in New York. My head is still swimming with the events of the last 12 days. It was definitely a completely new experience for me, in a city I know well, which is interesting in a lot of ways. As I mentioned briefly before, we approached speaking French very differently this time around. When we were students, going out in the city and speaking French with Parisians often seems like a sort of test or gauge of how well you're assimilating, how much you're learning, etc. Though it shouldn't be, it can get stressful. During this visit, we just sort of went for it, speaking the language without getting too hung up on grammar, noun and adjective agreement. And, probably unsurprisingly, it wasn't badly received. People actually told us we spoke well (this might have something to do with being a pair of 23 year old girls, but I choose to believe it's our grasp of the French language). Either way, it felt great - like I could at least keep up socially and I actually understood a lot of the conversations I found myself in. Also, being a bit older than I was while studying in Paris, the kinds of people I ended up speaking to were different, more mature (mostly), and had more interesting paths and life stories to tell.
I'm now chronicling all these people in little portraits before they leave my mind - it's a fun way to extend the trip, at least mentally, for a little while longer.
Speaking of portraits, all of my posts from Paris have now been made a little brighter with photos! I've also added some of me and Maeve below, and, if you'd like to look at all the pictures I took in one place, you can click here.
It's bittersweet, but I'm glad to be back on home soil (and to have a cell phone I can use again). I'm convinced - travel is the best gift you can give yourself.
Xo.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Days 9 & 10 - Fin
Sigh. We have to leave tomorrow. Can't believe it. I'm obviously so sad to go, but it's been an amazing trip, very different from the time I spent here three years ago, in the best of ways.
To recap: Yesterday was very chill, as it was Sunday and no one in France really does anything except go to church and eat on Sundays. We basically walked from one end of the Left Bank to the other - from where we are in the 5th to where we used to be in the 7th, back to our old haunt, Au Chien Qui Fume. We walked up this beautiful street, rue du Cherche Midi, and it was so empty I swear you could a pin drop (I hate cliches, but it's true). It was cloudy and cold, a huge switch from our glorious Saturday, but I actually think Paris might look best when skies are grey and it's raining a bit. We essentially set up camp there for a few hours - reading, writing, laughing about all of our adventures, and then retraced our steps back into the 6th.
Maeve wanted to check out the Delacroix museum, tucked away behind the St Germain church (next to the tourist trap of Cafes de Flore and des Deux Magots). Not only was it open, but ended up being free on Sundays. It was such a nice little detour. Plus, Delacroix? Kind of a fox. You learn something new every day. Last night we spent some time in with treats from the boulangerie and watching French television, which is hilarious and sometimes a little frightening in it's craziness. We were delighted to find American Beauty, dubbed in French, and Suddenly Last Summer (part of an Elizabeth Taylor marathon).
Today was a lot of wandering, soaking up as much of the city as possible. We walked to the Ile St Louis in the morning and got into conversation with a man who had just arrived in Paris from Libya, where he monitored human rights violations. I don't I've ever seen someone so shellshocked. He said it felt like being in Oz, which definitely made sense. We walked over to the right bank, back to some favorite spots in the Marais, and then, when it got really cold, we hopped on the Metro back to the 5th. We spent the rest of the late afternoon in the outdoor cafe at the Mosque, with our tea and hookah and aggressive pigeons (I ended up kicking and swatting at them beyond what was normal or appropriate). We just packed (sob), and tonight we'll have a little picnic while we glorify in front of the Eiffel Tower. I can't wait to see it sparkle up close!
Can't believe I have to return to my real life tomorrow. As always, Paris has been magnifique.
Xo.
To recap: Yesterday was very chill, as it was Sunday and no one in France really does anything except go to church and eat on Sundays. We basically walked from one end of the Left Bank to the other - from where we are in the 5th to where we used to be in the 7th, back to our old haunt, Au Chien Qui Fume. We walked up this beautiful street, rue du Cherche Midi, and it was so empty I swear you could a pin drop (I hate cliches, but it's true). It was cloudy and cold, a huge switch from our glorious Saturday, but I actually think Paris might look best when skies are grey and it's raining a bit. We essentially set up camp there for a few hours - reading, writing, laughing about all of our adventures, and then retraced our steps back into the 6th.
Maeve wanted to check out the Delacroix museum, tucked away behind the St Germain church (next to the tourist trap of Cafes de Flore and des Deux Magots). Not only was it open, but ended up being free on Sundays. It was such a nice little detour. Plus, Delacroix? Kind of a fox. You learn something new every day. Last night we spent some time in with treats from the boulangerie and watching French television, which is hilarious and sometimes a little frightening in it's craziness. We were delighted to find American Beauty, dubbed in French, and Suddenly Last Summer (part of an Elizabeth Taylor marathon).
Today was a lot of wandering, soaking up as much of the city as possible. We walked to the Ile St Louis in the morning and got into conversation with a man who had just arrived in Paris from Libya, where he monitored human rights violations. I don't I've ever seen someone so shellshocked. He said it felt like being in Oz, which definitely made sense. We walked over to the right bank, back to some favorite spots in the Marais, and then, when it got really cold, we hopped on the Metro back to the 5th. We spent the rest of the late afternoon in the outdoor cafe at the Mosque, with our tea and hookah and aggressive pigeons (I ended up kicking and swatting at them beyond what was normal or appropriate). We just packed (sob), and tonight we'll have a little picnic while we glorify in front of the Eiffel Tower. I can't wait to see it sparkle up close!
Can't believe I have to return to my real life tomorrow. As always, Paris has been magnifique.
Xo.
Location:Rue de la Clef,Paris,France
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Day 8 - being flaneuses*
Yesterday was so idyllic. 73 and sunny, trees in bloom, long walks and a picnic by the Seine. Seriously contemplating how we are going to force ourselves into going to the airport on Tuesday morning.
They day even began excellently. We slept with the windows open last night and woke up to a French man in the apartment behind us blasting Whitney Houston (All At Once, if you happen to be a Whitney connoisseur), and singing along, of course. Right away, we knew this was a good omen.
We headed out to Montorgueil, which is very lively, especially on a Saturday. Lots of cafes, shops, and food stores. There were children and dogs everywhere. We grabbed a quick dejeuner to go, walked for a while, and stopped into a few boutiques before going into E. Delherin, a quintessentially French kitchen store. We made some purchases, walked around the neighborhood, and made our way to the Seine.
Seine picnics are one of the most "Paris" activities to me. Sitting on the Ile de la Cite, close to the water, next to the Pont Neuf (the oldest bridge in Paris) is really magical, and you feel like you're really experiencing the energy of the city.
After lingering in the beautiful weather for a couple of hours, we headed back to the apartment, took a little rest, and went out for the evening. We had a glass of white wine to celebrate the warm weather at Fish La Boissonerie, a favorite restaurant where we ate about a week ago. The clientele is a big mix of French, British, and American, and we ended up chatting with a born and raised New Yorker who lives above the restaurant (not a bad address). Afterwards, we went to 20 de bellechasse, a great bistro tucked away behind the Musee d'Orsay in the seventh. They make a salmon that is actually raw, but, when dipped in a specific sauce, becomes amazingly flavorful. Oh, it was so good.
Today is Sunday, a very calm day in France. Few shops or restaurants are open, so it will probably be a day of a simple meal, some reading and catching up on writing, and staring at the city some more.
We're back in New York so soon, and I feel as if I have to soak up as much Paris as I can. More before we depart on Tuesday!
* Flaneuse, a word that would only exist in French, means aimless, yet soulful, wanderer.
They day even began excellently. We slept with the windows open last night and woke up to a French man in the apartment behind us blasting Whitney Houston (All At Once, if you happen to be a Whitney connoisseur), and singing along, of course. Right away, we knew this was a good omen.
We headed out to Montorgueil, which is very lively, especially on a Saturday. Lots of cafes, shops, and food stores. There were children and dogs everywhere. We grabbed a quick dejeuner to go, walked for a while, and stopped into a few boutiques before going into E. Delherin, a quintessentially French kitchen store. We made some purchases, walked around the neighborhood, and made our way to the Seine.
Seine picnics are one of the most "Paris" activities to me. Sitting on the Ile de la Cite, close to the water, next to the Pont Neuf (the oldest bridge in Paris) is really magical, and you feel like you're really experiencing the energy of the city.
After lingering in the beautiful weather for a couple of hours, we headed back to the apartment, took a little rest, and went out for the evening. We had a glass of white wine to celebrate the warm weather at Fish La Boissonerie, a favorite restaurant where we ate about a week ago. The clientele is a big mix of French, British, and American, and we ended up chatting with a born and raised New Yorker who lives above the restaurant (not a bad address). Afterwards, we went to 20 de bellechasse, a great bistro tucked away behind the Musee d'Orsay in the seventh. They make a salmon that is actually raw, but, when dipped in a specific sauce, becomes amazingly flavorful. Oh, it was so good.
Today is Sunday, a very calm day in France. Few shops or restaurants are open, so it will probably be a day of a simple meal, some reading and catching up on writing, and staring at the city some more.
We're back in New York so soon, and I feel as if I have to soak up as much Paris as I can. More before we depart on Tuesday!
* Flaneuse, a word that would only exist in French, means aimless, yet soulful, wanderer.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Days 6 & 7
We made it into some excellent churches yesterday (Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle), and reveled in Paris glory.
On Tuesday night, we went to a fun restaurant owned by a friend we made the night before. The weather wasn't great, so we headed home shortly after to rest up for Wednesday.
Wednesday was epic. We started by having a delightful coffee on the Ile de la Cite at the apartment of some friends of my parents. Their place is absolutely beautiful, a duplex facing Hotel de Ville. Afterwards, we walked along the Seine to the Marais, a favorite neighborhood. We ate legendary falafel (a specialty of the area), sat in the Place des Vosges, and wandered over to Place Vendome, home of the Ritz and essentially every luxury brand you could imagine. I did the requisite photo shoot with my Goyard bag in front of the Goyard store (I was delighted to find that their patron saint of sorts is a French bulldog chasing a ball. It seems appropriate.), and wearing my scarf in front of Hermes. Plus, everything was open, so we got to go into stores and do some dreaming.
After a quick rest at the apartment, we were off to Montmartre again to a restaurant called Aux Refuges de Fondue. They only serve one thing, cheese fondue along with wine in baby bottles. It is about as absurd as you'd imagine.
Right now, we're relaxing in a cafe, post late lunch, and tonight it's off to the Eleventh and Ave Maria. Can't wait!
On Tuesday night, we went to a fun restaurant owned by a friend we made the night before. The weather wasn't great, so we headed home shortly after to rest up for Wednesday.
Wednesday was epic. We started by having a delightful coffee on the Ile de la Cite at the apartment of some friends of my parents. Their place is absolutely beautiful, a duplex facing Hotel de Ville. Afterwards, we walked along the Seine to the Marais, a favorite neighborhood. We ate legendary falafel (a specialty of the area), sat in the Place des Vosges, and wandered over to Place Vendome, home of the Ritz and essentially every luxury brand you could imagine. I did the requisite photo shoot with my Goyard bag in front of the Goyard store (I was delighted to find that their patron saint of sorts is a French bulldog chasing a ball. It seems appropriate.), and wearing my scarf in front of Hermes. Plus, everything was open, so we got to go into stores and do some dreaming.
After a quick rest at the apartment, we were off to Montmartre again to a restaurant called Aux Refuges de Fondue. They only serve one thing, cheese fondue along with wine in baby bottles. It is about as absurd as you'd imagine.
Right now, we're relaxing in a cafe, post late lunch, and tonight it's off to the Eleventh and Ave Maria. Can't wait!
Location:Rue de la Clef,Paris,France
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Days 3-5. Glorious.
The past 5 days have been pure joy. It has been in the 60s and sunny, and I have never seen Paris with so few tourists. It's almost eerily quiet and with next to no Americans, which is, naturally, perfect for us.
Saturday ended in a night of truly epic proportions. Lets just say we ended up home in the very late evening/early morning after having made many new friends.
On Sunday we got an (understandably) later start, heading over to the Seventh and one of our old stand-by cafes, La Marquise. There is a chevre chaud salad that is the stuff of legend, and it was truly delicious.
Side note: my cheese tolerance has diminished considerably since I was last in Paris. Sad. We then wandered to the First, near the Concorde and Place Vendome. We went to La Duree for macaroons, which I had never tasted before and completely lived up to expectations. The rose petal flavor was especially delicious. We then walked down the rue Faubourg Saint Honore, home to many favorite aspirational stores, but I was most excited to worship at the altar of Hermes. Their windows are unreal. For dinner, we went to a brasserie that Maeve discovered in her Taschen book on Paris, Le Chartier. It was a classic French establishment and lots of fun for the people watching alone. Given the events of the previous night, we allowed ourselves no distractions that would interfere with getting a good nights sleep, so we put blinders on and went straight home.
Yesterday, we woke up early and set off to conquer the Louvre, which was great. I'm currently reading a biography of Cleopatra, so I was especially into the Egyptian and Roman artifacts. Maeve, museum warrior that she is, fought her way through the crowd in front of the Mona Lisa and got a photo of it without any Japanese tourists in the way - the mark of a true pro. The end of our time there was a little intense. All the exit signs started contradicting themselves and we felt like we'd never find a way out. There are worse things in the world than being stuck in the Louvre, but we were relieved to be free. We decided to decompress at a favorite fromagerie on rue de Seine, but when we got there, it had been replaced by some ridiculous candy store. RIP Fromagerie 31. Having been denied our lunch of cheese, we, somewhat depressed, wandered the 6th near the Place St Germain and found a tabac to serve our purposes. It's pretty difficult to find a place in Paris that isn't delicious. After a late lunch, we went to the tea garden at the Mosque, which is beautiful, and sat outside with Moroccan tea and hookah for a couple hours. Not bad, right?
Last night, we went to La Bocca, a great Italian restaurant in Montorgeuil, the Second arrondissement, followed by La Coeur Fou, a favorite bar nearby. Then, deciding we couldn't be good forever, we ran over to the Eleventh to our own version of Mecca, Ave Maria. We were able to fit in one drink before they closed, and made some friends. One of the women we spoke to owns a restaurant near Hotel de Ville, where she invited us tonight.
One of the things we've noticed this time around is how easily we're meeting people, speaking French (wine doesn't hurt), and making legitimate social connections. It's a pretty amazing feeling. I feel like I'm having a completely new conception of what Paris is, compared to my previous experiences.
I've kind of exhausted myself with this, so we're off to go for a walk around the Ile de la Cite at dusk. Hopefully the line to get into Notre Dame won't be too long and we can see the last bits of daylight through the Rose Window.
More later!
Saturday ended in a night of truly epic proportions. Lets just say we ended up home in the very late evening/early morning after having made many new friends.
On Sunday we got an (understandably) later start, heading over to the Seventh and one of our old stand-by cafes, La Marquise. There is a chevre chaud salad that is the stuff of legend, and it was truly delicious.
Side note: my cheese tolerance has diminished considerably since I was last in Paris. Sad. We then wandered to the First, near the Concorde and Place Vendome. We went to La Duree for macaroons, which I had never tasted before and completely lived up to expectations. The rose petal flavor was especially delicious. We then walked down the rue Faubourg Saint Honore, home to many favorite aspirational stores, but I was most excited to worship at the altar of Hermes. Their windows are unreal. For dinner, we went to a brasserie that Maeve discovered in her Taschen book on Paris, Le Chartier. It was a classic French establishment and lots of fun for the people watching alone. Given the events of the previous night, we allowed ourselves no distractions that would interfere with getting a good nights sleep, so we put blinders on and went straight home.Yesterday, we woke up early and set off to conquer the Louvre, which was great. I'm currently reading a biography of Cleopatra, so I was especially into the Egyptian and Roman artifacts. Maeve, museum warrior that she is, fought her way through the crowd in front of the Mona Lisa and got a photo of it without any Japanese tourists in the way - the mark of a true pro. The end of our time there was a little intense. All the exit signs started contradicting themselves and we felt like we'd never find a way out. There are worse things in the world than being stuck in the Louvre, but we were relieved to be free. We decided to decompress at a favorite fromagerie on rue de Seine, but when we got there, it had been replaced by some ridiculous candy store. RIP Fromagerie 31. Having been denied our lunch of cheese, we, somewhat depressed, wandered the 6th near the Place St Germain and found a tabac to serve our purposes. It's pretty difficult to find a place in Paris that isn't delicious. After a late lunch, we went to the tea garden at the Mosque, which is beautiful, and sat outside with Moroccan tea and hookah for a couple hours. Not bad, right?
Last night, we went to La Bocca, a great Italian restaurant in Montorgeuil, the Second arrondissement, followed by La Coeur Fou, a favorite bar nearby. Then, deciding we couldn't be good forever, we ran over to the Eleventh to our own version of Mecca, Ave Maria. We were able to fit in one drink before they closed, and made some friends. One of the women we spoke to owns a restaurant near Hotel de Ville, where she invited us tonight.
One of the things we've noticed this time around is how easily we're meeting people, speaking French (wine doesn't hurt), and making legitimate social connections. It's a pretty amazing feeling. I feel like I'm having a completely new conception of what Paris is, compared to my previous experiences.
I've kind of exhausted myself with this, so we're off to go for a walk around the Ile de la Cite at dusk. Hopefully the line to get into Notre Dame won't be too long and we can see the last bits of daylight through the Rose Window.
More later!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Day 2 - Rodin, Cheese, & Celebrity Sightings
Bonjour from Paris!
What an amazing time I'm having, and it's only been 2 days! I don't have a ton of time to write this, so I'll try to hit all the highlights thus far.
As some of you may know, it is impossible for me to nap or sleep sitting up in any capacity, which makes long flights completely miserable. But on Thursday night the impossible happened. I slept for the entire flight. The whole time. I'm still shocked. So, when we arrived in Paris (at the adorable apartment we're renting), after a quick double espresso, we were off and running with little to no jet lag.
We walked to the Seine, freaked out in front of Notre Dame, went to our favorite cafe for late lunch, watched French children (who are better dressed than I am on a good day), got a little lost in the 14th, and had a picnic dinner in our apartment. In the course of all this, we've been speaking a ton of French with pretty good results in that no one has answered us in English yet. Still got it.
We woke up a little late today, got pain au chocolat and more double espresso (Maeve and I enable each other's caffeine addictions), and walked all around the 5th, where the apartment is. We then walked down Rue de Grenelle, a very chic street in the 7th, on our way to the Rodin museum. Walking into a children's clothing store was a man with crazy hair who seemed familiar to me. After a bit of staring, I realized it was Tim Burton around the same time Maeve spotted Helena Bonham Carter. Of course,we went in and pretended to shop while sneaking glances their way. Such a cool celebrity sighting.
Now, we're back in the apartment preparing for dinner at Fish La Boissonerie, which I expect will be predictably amazing.
I didn't know exactly how it would feel to be back, but the only way I can describe it is boundless joy. Paris really just makes me so insanely happy.
Missing all of you. More tomorrow or the next day! Xo.
What an amazing time I'm having, and it's only been 2 days! I don't have a ton of time to write this, so I'll try to hit all the highlights thus far.
As some of you may know, it is impossible for me to nap or sleep sitting up in any capacity, which makes long flights completely miserable. But on Thursday night the impossible happened. I slept for the entire flight. The whole time. I'm still shocked. So, when we arrived in Paris (at the adorable apartment we're renting), after a quick double espresso, we were off and running with little to no jet lag.
We walked to the Seine, freaked out in front of Notre Dame, went to our favorite cafe for late lunch, watched French children (who are better dressed than I am on a good day), got a little lost in the 14th, and had a picnic dinner in our apartment. In the course of all this, we've been speaking a ton of French with pretty good results in that no one has answered us in English yet. Still got it.
We woke up a little late today, got pain au chocolat and more double espresso (Maeve and I enable each other's caffeine addictions), and walked all around the 5th, where the apartment is. We then walked down Rue de Grenelle, a very chic street in the 7th, on our way to the Rodin museum. Walking into a children's clothing store was a man with crazy hair who seemed familiar to me. After a bit of staring, I realized it was Tim Burton around the same time Maeve spotted Helena Bonham Carter. Of course,we went in and pretended to shop while sneaking glances their way. Such a cool celebrity sighting.
Now, we're back in the apartment preparing for dinner at Fish La Boissonerie, which I expect will be predictably amazing.
Missing all of you. More tomorrow or the next day! Xo.
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