Paris

Specialty florist that only did roses - we saw a couple of them around the city.


One of my favorite pics - Raspail Market as recommended by Barefoot Contessa.


Chopin's grave at Cimetiere Pere Lachaise - finally made it there within "cemetery hours" this time


cafe angelina - best chocolat chaud ever!!!


what's Paris without an image of the Tour Eiffel?

As I get older, I think I become more and more self-conscious. When in Paris, even though I do know some French and used to chat with my teachers in French all the time, I just couldn't do it. I would mumble, I felt embarrassed, and I just could not bring myself to it! Therefore, I found the city slightly hostile due to my imagination, and it just didn't feel totally right to me.

It took a lot of convincing from Alex, but eventually I did warm up to the city. I was all, "I heart New York City" (which I do), because I feel alive and happy in NYC, and there's no language barrier to worry about. However, Paris is very charming, and I think the Parisian lifestyle is one that I'd like to try some day.

For example, the open-air markets were a treat, and the first night, we went down the street to a strip where they had a boulangerie/patisserie, charcuterie, wine store, and cheese store, and basically bought dinner there plus at the downstairs section of Monoprix (which is AMAZING by the way). Our baguette was still warm and fresh when we picked it up, and it was just such a simple luxury, yet so attainable in everyday life.

Walking on cobblestone streets with flats that don't have much support on the bottom for three days straight? Not fun at all. I ached so much by the third day I was begging to go home and forfeit shopping. It made me wonder though, how do Parisian women do it in stilettos on those streets!

Funny thing about our Eiffel Tower pics - the lights were on when we were walking from the Metro, and I kept on saying, "I'd be so pissed if it turns off by the time we get there." So at one point I stopped along the way and snapped a quick pic with the little camera we have. What do you know, just when we were approaching Champs-de-Mars, yep, the lights went off. I was sooo annoyed but we set up the tripod and took pictures anyway. After quite a few with different angles and all that, we walked off towards to Arc de Triomphe. About five minutes into the walk, Alex turned around and said, "OMG the lights are back on!!" We looked at each other and just ran!! Set up by the Seine on the Right Bank and just took as many pics as possible, the one here being one of them. Apparently, the light show is every hour on the hour for ten minutes. Now you know.