Faces of Paris
It’s been a while since we had some fun! So, let’s play.
Walking around Paris I always stop to admire the beauty around me. I love doorways, facades and the little architectural details on the buildings. While strolling to and from the Tour Eiffel, we walked along a street lined with lovely houses and apartments. You know, the kind where you can tell they have a little money because everything is just so pristine.
I spotted this lovely gem adorning the top of a window…
And this one…
And the best one….
And as I was taking this last shot, I noticed those little wires that seem to distract terribly from the beauty of the face. "Why oh why would they do such a thing?", I asked myself. "What in the world are they?" And then, as if Edison himself switched on a light bulb in my head…I had an *ah-ha* moment. I figured it out.
We don’t see these where I am from, but I am sure they are all over Europe. I am sure that many people know what they are…but I am interested to see what you think, dear reader, just the same.
What do you think they are? Why are they there?
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Cafe Hopping
One of my favorite things to do in France is sitting at a cafe and just watching. People watching, waiter watching, listening, seeing if I can make out what people are saying. The best part is you can stay for as long as you like….and you won’t be rushed. It is worth the *sometimes steep* price of a cafe creme and croissant or glass of wine and a tart…just to have an experience. Oh, and don’t expect the waiter to bring you your bill. You must ask. Just say…"l’addition s’il vous plait" in a pretty sing-song voice…and voila!
This time out we visited our *neighborhood* cafe in the Marais, Le Dome.
and the historic La Palette on the Left Bank
And we chose the Cafe Deux Magot to watch life go by on Boulevard Saint Germain des Pres….I just love how all the logo is on the cup, saucer, sugar and even chocolate…
I saved a table just for you. Won’t you join me?
Oh how I miss my daily cafe creme and the buttery flakey golden goodness that is called the croissant…and only Paris can get it right!
Not my bag baby….
Well, actually that is not true. It is my bag. My Bella bag. And the best part is…I won it!!! My blogging buddy Sognatrice over at Bleeding Espresso ran a contest….and she picked my name as the winner. You think I was excited when I won…imagine how excited I was to find my new bag waiting for me on the doorstep. It felt like Christmas….I had no idea what the bag was going to look like. There a few surprises in life…and it felt so good to have one.
The bags are all handmade…from scratch. Just take a look at the fabric. Just my style…
And the inside has a little zippered pocket for a cell phone, keys…whatever…
When I *talked* to Sognatrice, I told her that I loved the bag…and said I would be posting it on my blog and showing a few pictures. She asked me if I would model it. Hmm..you know how I am about being camera shy, so I enlisted the help of a professional, who was glad to volunteer. I think this will satisfy her request.
Here he is folks, the next undiscovered talent hailing from Milan, modeling my new Bella bag….
And here he is in a real life reenactment, peering inside *searching for keys*…just look at those cheekbones…
And for those of you familiar with the movie Zoolander…Chris made me take a picture of his best ‘Blue Steel’. *I think it started to go to his head*
Be careful what you wish for Sognatrice. This is disturbing on so many levels.
Precious Cargo
I remember these ‘traffic sign’ car window stick ‘ems were all the rage a few years ago here in the US. Imagine my surprise to see a French *Baby on Board* sign in this car window in Paris. So different, yet so similar, we are. Ok, perhaps the French are years ahead of us in fashion…but who’s light years ahead in the traffic sign car window stick ‘ems I ask you. Who?
Thinking of you…
I tried to be ‘good’ and remember all of the things that you all wanted pictures of in Paris. Please forgive me if I haven’t remembered you…it was certainly unintentional. It felt like you were all there with me, whispering…’ohh I like that one’, ‘take a shot of that for me, Robin’.
Corey likes doorknobs. How do you like these Corey?
And Sognatrice wanted wildlife. I hope these qualify!
Karen did a post on her blog about figs this summer. I thought she may like these…
Chouzy likes the bridges on the Seine…
oh, and how could I forget that she looooooves Berthillon….
Melissa, Melinda and Terry all wanted to see the Musee d’Orsay. How about this shot from the river?
Melinda also likes the Guerlain on the Champs-Elysees. This one’s for you…
And this magic one is for all of you. Forgive the poor quality…I haven’t mastered the night shots…
And Poppy, even though I did not go to the Rodin this time, you can view some great photo’s here from another Paris visit.
Thanks for coming *with* me on my trip to Paris.
Paris Friends, Highlights and Observations…
By far, the most fun that we had was spending time with our Parisian friends Anne and Alain. It always feels like meeting up with old friends who have known each other for years, but we have only known each other for about 2 years. Hmm, maybe we were friends in a former life. Their sense of humor, kindness, charm,friendliness and hospitality are by far the reasons we love Paris so much. And Anne is an excellent chef….we devoured her cheese souffle to die for and a Tarte Tartin with Salted Caramel Coulis for dessert at dinner at their lovely home one night. Can you say ohhhh la la!!!! Anne was kind enough to show us two of her favorite areas of Paris…which I will share with you soon.
Some of the things we noticed….
- Lots of doggie packages on the sidewalk
- Parisians are friendly and polite to a fault
- There is no loud, obnoxious music playing from cars
- All the food is fresh and delicious
- We had no fried food the whole time we were there
- I saw about 5 overweight French Women…only 5
- Everyone was wearing jeans
- Lots of Converse Sneakers…but no white athletic shoes
- French means Fashion ~ almost everyone is fashionable
- Eyeglasses are a fashion statement in Paris
- I saw one women eating French Fries out of a bag on her way out of the Louvre on her way to the subway
- Paris’s idea of Fast Food is taking a baguette and eating it on the ‘run’
- I love that when you buy pastry or a baguette, they wrap paper with their logo on it around your item and do this little twirly thing with the paper…and it holds the item like a bag….but with more pizazz
- Like NY or any other big city, Parisians are in a hurry and will mow you down in the Metro or on the sidewalk if you are in their way….but they say "pardon" every time
And some of the things we did…
Enjoyed a cafe creme and croissant at our local cafe every morning
visited gourmet shops
sampled glace and ice cream
indulged in macarons
had a picnic on the Place des Vosges
visited the Louvre
took a day cruise
and a night one
window shopped
and eyeglass shopped…like my new frames from Paris???? (someone should have stopped me from posting a picture of myself, *sans* make-up..where is the voice of reason….Mon Dieu!!!!)
and we even had time to stop and smell the roses…
Au Revoir Paris…until next time
Well, after 10 glorious days, one flight debacle, visiting with our friends, eating thousands of macaroons and croissants, many taste tests of Berthillon, Pozetto and Amorino, consuming 10 pounds of chocolate, 30 pounds of cheese, crusty baguettes, dozens of Caudalie skin care products, 100 miles of walking and about 500 pictures to upload…….we are finally home. Oh yeah, and we are sick. We were both supposed to return to work today…but our flu symptoms have kept us home instead.
We had a wonderful time…and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Many new places we discovered, stories to tell, places to recommend…and pictures to show. I thought of many of you in my picture taking…so when my photos are uploaded and organized, I will post some photos that were taken specifically for you.
Though I am never homesick, the best part of my return home was watching my adorable Westie, who had been staying at Grandma’s, make a beeline for her favorite chair in the living room, where she proceeded to scooch under it and root around out loud like a half truffle-hunting pig, half chimp, as she went round and round in circles scratching her back on the underside coils of the chair….for about 5 straight minutes!!! If we only had a video camera, I guarantee that we would be winning the Grand Prize on America’s Funniest Home Videos. If only. I guess she missed home more than we did.
