Paris with Love…
I have a dear friend (yes you know who you are Xx), who is traveling to Paris later in the month for a few days of exploring on her own, so I thought I would create a little treasure hunt of sorts for her.
1. Take the Batobus, take it during the day to get around and at night with the city gloriously lit up. Last time I was there the Seine was flooded and I missed being able to see Paris from this beautiful view, not to mention the wonderful convenience of being able to get around this way- the metro is fabulous but the view from the Seine is better.
2. Make a blessing at Notre Dame for her to be restored to her full glory. I had the pleasure of seeing her dusted under a veil of white magic not long before tragedy visited her.
3. Fromboise Fromboise Fromboise
If the raspberries are in season eat copious amounts of them- eat them fresh while you walk through the markets at Bastille or Marché d'Aligre (where you can find a particularly good pear tart- buy two and eat on the spot), eat them piled on top of pastries, eat them in jam on fresh baguettes, eat them plump and juicy- just be sure to eat them.
4. Palmier de Pistache
If you are in Paris on a Saturday, head to the Picasso museum. On a corner just near the museum is a little pastry shop that has the yummiest Palmier de Pistache- hmmmmmmm, only available on Saturdays. Be completely unFrench and gobble it up before entering the museum to fortify yourself for the genius that is Picasso (and friends). All pastries taste best whilst consumed standing in the street with your fresh purchase still in that moment of seduction from the shop window. Only eat pastries that talk to you, life is too short to waste time with pastries that don't speak to your soul.
5. St Regis
Head to my "local" on Ile de St Louis for a Viennoise de chocolat while people watching in the golden hour (if it is a Sunday afternoon half of Paris will pass you by). If you sit in my chair the view should look like this:
6. Light a candle for me at Sacré-Cœur, I'm sure you will, then head on off to see Valadon's studio at Musée de Montmartre.
I could send you to explore so much more and to eat many more delicious things (crepes with cider, wine, cheese, macaroons, I remember a frangipani and vanilla one to die for, and on and on) but I know you will wander down side streets and find your own treasures, perhaps losing yourself all the while. I look forward to hearing your discoveries when we next chat across the ocean.
Registration for Travel Vignettes- The Art {Journal} of Travel opens early 2020
