I´m in Paris and although there´s probably a special kind of sin not to be outside exploring, but inside writing on my blog, I needed to rest my feet at some point, so here we go! Besides, I just shared a bottle of Crémant with Vuong and our host, Tanguy and now I´m perking up with some coffee in bed. Taking into consideration all the amount of walking we´ve done these last 4 days, one would need to be Cat Woman not to need a short break. 😉

Oh, Paris, my heart is bursting out with love for this city! It´s my 7th time here, I think, but I never get enough of it! I usually like a city better the second or third time around anyhow, since I don´t feel the need to do all that sightseeing (that I seldom enjoy anyway). Luckily, we have a one museum per holiday policy, neither of us being especially keen on spending precious time indoors staring at the dead when we can admire the living. So this trip has been great so far. We had lots of time to walk about and admire the city´s heavily draped silhouettes, then sit down for a drink or a bite now and then. Whatever street we crossed, the smell from the corner fruit store would tickle our nostrils. We glared at Parisians, had a glimpse at art galleries, did some shopping- clothes, a scented candle or a brocante treasure. A cup of champagne was mandatory every day and so was something sweet to nibble on.

 

We arrived late on Monday and took a cab to Bastille, where we´re staying in a beautiful Parisian apartment through Airbnb. Our hosts are a lovely couple about our age, my husband stayed with them last year for the Prèmiere Vision, so we returned together this year. As soon as we´d greeted them and left our bags, we were off for a bite. Dinner was a French affair at Chez Paul, a lovely restaurant, as loud and jolly as they get in Paris. We had the mandatory escargots with wine and delicious bread, then I ordered the pepper steak and  Vuong tried the duck. In a matter of minutes we were smiling from ear to ear and couldn´t top each other about how much we love Paris.

On Tuesday we did Le Marais and St. Germain on foot and obviously everywhere in between. It´s the day I did most of my shopping- a wool coat from APC, a silk top from Comptoir des Cottoniers and second hand goodies: a silk scarf, a cashmere sweater and jeans shorts. 😉 I love Marais, I´d go as far as to say it´s my favorite place in Paris! It might very well be because I´m a shopaholic, but it´s not just that! The bistros, the Jewish bakeries, the pretty buildings, I love it all! We had Italian lunch at Le Boucheron, the goat cheese salad below for me and pasta for Vuong. In the evening we had a tasty meal at Pères et Filles in St. Germain, frisky composed meals and a nice atmosphere.

 

Wednesday was all about Prèmiere Vision. It´s a trade show organized each year in Parc d’Expositions where my husband gets his leather supply, so he wanted me to come along. It was huge and very tiresome and although I tried really hard to be a good sport, my head was heavy, I hiccuped for hours on end and was generally in a bad mood. He however was in 7th heaven!

Yesterday we resumed our walking rounds: Ile St. Louis, Notre Dame, Le Marais and everything in between. I bought a fantastic white shirt from Carven (my favorite brand after Max Mara!) and in the evening we dined Japanese at Teppanyaki Kagayaki in Bastille. It was our first time teppanyaki and will not be the last one! I absolutely recommend it! There were no tourists, the food was amazing and the chef´s personality made it a dinner and a show!

 

Today we wanted to be more organized so we headed for Monmartre in the morning, saw the Sacré Coeur again, walked down to some brocantes where we found a fabulous 70´s copper vase, took the metro to Place Monges and lunched at the Grand Mosque Café. The Morrocan food is amazing and so are the sweets! The café is very atmospheric, it´s a must when in Paris! After that you can stroll down the Rue Moufetard and shop for edible souvenirs.

Tomorrow is Saturday and it´s my birthday!;-) Hooray! Meaning Place de Clignancourt for the flea market, oyster bar for lunch and dinner with our hosts. Stay tuned!

Clothes: Carven top, Filipa K jeans shirt, second hand Levi´s jean shorts