2) Somebody asked me what was the best thing I had to eat in Paris and I said the pastries but I was wrong: it was the eight oysters that I ate raw and completely undressed (the oysters not me), shucked before my eyes by a surly vendor at the Bastille market during the half hour of sun we had that day, and chased down with a one-euro glass of wine in a plastic cup. I followed them with a Nutella crepe. Heaven.
3) Here are some of the pictures I wish I'd taken of La Chambre aux Oiseaux.
4) There's a million things that I wish I had done in Paris. One thing I did manage to do was eat what Paris by Mouth named the number one tarte citron in the city. I also ate two Eric Kayser versions, one by Le Pain Quotidien, and two from little bakeries in Montmartre. They were all my favorite.
5) One Sunday it was freezing and after picking up some brie melun and tome de chevre from the neighborhood market, I went into Le Petit Cambodge and orderered what was basically pho. The waiter seemed really concerned that I had ordered this, but he didn't speak English and I wasn't understanding most of his French. He brought it to me despite his concerns and it was great. After I ate it, a beautifully friendly and beaming waitress helped me with my French. She taught me to say "J'ai fini" instead of "Je suis fini" and then she said "from the verb 'to be'" and I said, "Oh! J-a-i" which phonetically was like "zhay ah ee" and she smiled and nodded and I smiled because it was good to have this one piece of a massive puzzle fall into place and she was just that kind of person that you can't really help smiling at profusely.
6) On the day I walked around the Ile St. Louis I was annoyed that there were twelve million people in line at every location selling Berthillion ice cream. They just want it because of the name, not because it's actually good, I thought to myself. Then I passed by a window with a short line so I said oh what the hell, and stood in it. I ordered one scoop of salted caramel ice cream. One taste and I knew this was the best ice cream I had ever had in my entire life and maybe ever would have. I stood on the bridge over the Seine and ate it. Then I turned back and happily stood in line for 20 minutes for two more.
Le Petit Cambodge
The bridge that lead to La Marine in my neighborhood.
(The red awning is La Marine)
Craft, a coworking space/cafe, that I loved so dearly.
Also in the 10th, my neighborhood.
Oysters at the Bastille market on Sunday
Nutella crepe, same
Rue Cremieux, near Bastille
A door in Le Marais
You just see this kind of thing everywhere you look.
World's Best Ice Cream
The sun came out while I was eating the World's Best Ice Cream
The outfit everybody was wearing in Paris and the shoes
I deeply regret not buying.
Okay. I will be overly familiar. Your posts about Paris were lovely. Now you don't know what your blog does any more. I can see why you say that. But I will say: you can keep going and make your life now look just as beautiful, without the prop of Paris. And it will make your life more beautiful to yourself.
ReplyDeleteI recently had cause to think seriously about why I blog (here: http://mwaonline.blogspot.be/2015/03/back.html) and came up with some answers. I hope you decide to continue because I liked reading your thoughts.
Listen to Mwa. She is good people.
ReplyDeleteAnd wise.
These pictures are so beautiful. You are so generous to share them. Thank you.
And hey- at least my purse would fit in perfectly in Paris. And that is the only thing about me that would. Except my appetite.
Loving you.
I am glad I get to come here, no matter the mood of the blog. Let it do whatever it does. I'm down for it all. You Paris photos are divine and thank you so much for your email earlier today. One day!
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled -- literally thrilled -- when I see that you've posted, and I leave here always replenished. Please don't stop or have a purpose other than the one that you've had.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled -- literally thrilled -- when I see that you've posted, and I leave here always replenished. Please don't stop or have a purpose other than the one that you've had.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are beautiful, especially the ones of the river. Also, that ice cream looks like it could best any American ice cream in a fight, anytime.
ReplyDelete