Photolog.
Paris never ceases to seduce, or so I have been told. It's my second time in Paris. The streets, the Parisian bistros claiming to serve modest meals, the cathedral architecture, the overly friendly buskers, the not so friendly waiters, and the dusty metro chairs ring a slightest bit of the bell. Faint, but definitely memorable - especially one in 1997 where my family and I had to seek cover in a boulangerie during a heavy hailstorm. Heavenly smells of freshly baked bread and falling ice from the sky, what better way to make the day of a little girl who lives near the equator.
The charm of the city isn't the romantic aura you're psyched to believe (there you go, a jibe about the hype) but there's a certain unspeakable charm about the place that draws you in - perhaps it's in the bohemian vibe of Montmartre or the friendliness of French passerbys entertaining to every request of my 'Excusez-moi, est-ce que vous savez où est....' It makes you feel alive. Understanding doses of French really helped with getting around, or so I like to believe that my hours invested in French classes did conjure up to something useful hahaha. Another gem about Paris is the abundant flea markets, seemingly overrated but you can get quite good bargains and hunts if you spend half a day looking through the little bins. R and I spent an hour sieving through old postcards and black/white photographs, what a treat! Having bread at every meal was also a delight in its own, as I'm a huge fan of fresh bread.
Decadence: while we couldn't afford to march down Avenue des Champs-Élysées laden shopping bags, we did indulge in simple(r) luxuries of life like walking along la Seine, falling in love with my first bite of Ladurée, red wine and giving thanks for even being in Paris! Or just having warmth when the icy cold wind blows....or staring at the oddly shaped trees at their parks. Sur[reality] at it's best.
My only regret was not staying long enough to soak in more of the city, and not getting my hands on an amateur (and preferrably old and dusty) French novel. Post travel note: Got one on my third trip back ♥
Au revoir Paris, je ne vais pas manquer votre métro malodorante.
(Read: Good bye Paris, I will not miss your smelly subway stations)
Side note: Do try Le Roi du Pot au Feu located at 34 Rue Vignon, 75008 Paris, France, they serve a mean French stew. Coupled with fresh bread and red wine, you're in gastronomical heaven♥
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