When I told friends I was traveling to Paris for a week, they’d always ask: Is it your first time? I’d say yes, and then the person would get this faraway look in his eyes.”Oh, Paris. You’re going to love it.”
I didn’t doubt that I would like it. But I secretly thought: Is everyone drinking the same Paris Kool-Aid? It can’t be that great. They probably mean it’s nice if you have money and can stay at some big fancy hotel. Or it’s nice if you speak French well. Crayton and I have traveled to several big cities and I’d never felt wholly charmed by any of them. Excited and intrigued, yes. But enamorado? Eh. Mexico City didn’t so much seduce me as physically grab me — somehow I knew I belonged here.
Paris, on the other hand, hit me like a crush. I was infatuated immediately. The buildings were so clean! The monuments so well-kempt! The narrow streets, the bakeries, patisseries, boucheries, the-old timey streelights — they looked like they’d come from a storybook.
And then there was the food. It really was as good as people said. I put a small ice-cream-scoop of salted butter on my baguette every morning, and I even buttered (horrors for my cholesterol) my croissant, just because I felt heady and in love. For lunch at almost every meal, I ordered a slab of paté as an appetizer and dug into the ceramic crocks of cornichons. Then came the french fries dipped in mustard.
It was easy to get around, because there are bus and Metro stops everywhere. Most of the time we walked and took some time to gaze out at the water.
Sometimes I’d walk down the street and just stop and stare. I kept taking pictures of the buildings, until Crayton said, “Wow, you’ve got a lot of pictures of buildings, don’t you?”
I took photos of the food too, of course.
My first pastry in Paris: a chocolate eclair.
A fig tart -- one of my mid-afternoon snacks.
A regular croissant, a swiss croissant with chocolate, and an almond croissant -- known in the French cannon as "Viennoiserie." This was breakfast one morning.
A pear tart with chocolate chips.
By the end of my first day in town I thought: No wonder Porfirio Diaz loved this place.
More pictures tomorrow.
Dang, and I thought I was OVER Paris. Now you have to show me these fabulous photos and I think, how am I going to explore Chile and Peru when I have to get back to Paris. You are such a temptress.
Sorry. 🙂 I wanted to be over it too! I’m going to Brazil in November and really want to go to Bangkok in the spring… but in the back of my mind, I’m thinking WHEN am I going back? Maybe next fall? (As I told Crayton yesterday, “Anniversary trip…?”)
I love looking at these pictures! I’ve never been to Paris (I’ve actually never been out of the US…), and so of course I can’t get enough of hearing other people tales of traveling. Thanks for showing me a slice of your adventure 🙂
Hi Hope: You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed the photos.
What is it about European cities that even their side streets are amazing? And I’m guilty myself of taking too many pictures of buildings (and storefronts and bakeries and people just sitting around). 🙂
Good to hear to had a wonderful time, it’s hard not to in Paris. Now you can join the rest of us who live waiting for the day we get to go back, until then…… you have lots of pictures to relive the magic!
Please post a picture of the butter! It can be on anything…really!
Is there such a thing as food erotica?
I’ve always wanted to go to Paris. Those pictures (especially the food ones) didn’t cure my longing at all =D
Love your photos! Homesick all over again! We solve our problem by scheduling our travels alternating to Paris: somewhere else: Paris: somewhere else: Paris…you get the idea! We always head back to Paris after exploring ‘somewhere else.’
Peggy: I think we’re going to adopt that strategy.
Lesley wrote
September 20, 2011 at 7:25 pm :
“Sorry. I wanted to be over it too! I’m going to Brazil in November and really want to go to Bangkok in the spring… but in the back of my mind, I’m thinking WHEN am I going back? Maybe next fall? (As I told Crayton yesterday, “Anniversary trip…?”)”
I really don’t want to read anymore of this. I’m turning green. For us, it’s a big deal to drive to Costco in Morelia.
A really big deal is to spend a few days in Mexico City.
But we are seriously thinking of spending a month in Oaxaca next January.
Happy trails!
Saludos,
Don Cuevas .
Thanks, DC. We’re blessed to be able to travel because we don’t have any children, or a mortgage. Someday those things will change. Right now we’re enjoying it as much as we can. Also… a month in Oaxaca sounds fabulous.
Love the Mexico connection in the last line! No wonder Porfirio Diaz loved this place so much that he tried Mexico into its replica/colony.
And always happy to see some food porn from somewhere different. Envy.
Hi Lesley,
Which hotel did you stay in? A big fancy one? Crillion, Ritz? I stayed out in the 15th which is residential. I liked it…watching the locals walking their poodles carrying groceries etc.
Hi Mike: Couldn’t afford the fancy hotel — we stayed with friends in the 7th. 🙂 It felt very neighborhoody to me, though. Lots of people walking their dogs, pushing strollers, and visiting the local shops. I loved it.
I’m v. jealous Lesley as I’m stilljust infatuated with Paris from afar. Hilariously, when I got to the end of your post on Paris’ many culinary charms there was a video that said “Managing your diabetes”. Sometimes the internet is just mean, no?