A Postcard from Paris
You know how sometimes you go on vacation and it’s a little disappointing? (I’m looking at you, Tenerife.)
Well, Paris never disappoints. As Kristen Hannah says, “I forgot how gently time passes in Paris. As lively as the city is, there’s a stillness to it, a peace that lures you in. In Paris, with a glass of wine in your hand, you can just be.”
I love that dining out in Paris takes at least two and a half hours because OF COURSE it should take that long. The atmosphere is charming, the food is incredible and the conversations are engaging. Why would you want to rush that? Relax. Take a sip of wine and watch the world go by.
So yes, it was a week of slow pleasures and long walks. And because Paris is Paris, everything felt cinematic.
Even breakfast was romantic. On the first morning, I briefly considered grabbing a coffee and bringing it up to my hotel room so that I could “get some stuff done.” But can you imagine a Parisian shoving a granola bar in their mouth and washing it down with a take-away coffee from Starbucks? No, of course not!
So my regular breakfast spot became a café just around the corner from my hotel. I sat at a small table facing the square and they brought me breakfast on a little silver tray: a warm croissant, a small glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a coffee.
I sat there every morning for an hour, sometimes two. A church bell rang every 30 minutes. The florist opened her shop and wheeled out carts of fresh flowers. I wrote in my journal, and I wrote postcards. Get this: I didn’t even listen to podcasts or audiobooks! I was just … present. Honestly, it felt sort of revolutionary.
My daughter has this way of being nostalgic in the present moment. She’s prone to exclamations like “Wow, look at where we are right now! This is our life!”
That’s how I felt all week. Marvelled.
A few highlights:
Treize au Jardin, run by my new friend, Laurel Sanderson. She doesn’t know it yet, but when I move to Paris in a few years, we’re going to be besties. Best brunch in town!
Les Philosophes, my favourite brasserie in my favourite neighbourhood (the Marais). Life goal: for them to recognise me when I arrive! This feels achievable.
Pinault Collection. Contemporary art inside the beautifully restored Bourse de Commerce. Absolutely stunning architecture, although the mirrored floor made me dizzy. Also, don’t wear a dress!
Bookstores: I could’ve spent hours at The Red Wheelbarrow (next to Treize au Jardin). And I was surprised to discover that Shakespeare and Company has been renovated! They did an excellent job - all the historical features have been preserved. The only downside is that now there’s a line to get in…
Moving Sophia into her summer dorm room. :)
Anne Ditemeyer’s Book Launch Party! You can order her book here. Congrats Anne!
Walking the length of the city three times over. I wasn’t even speed-walking! I strolled. Meandered, even.
p.s. If you asked for a postcard - I sent you one! Not sure how long it will take to arrive?
I’ve longed visit Paris for some time now… Now I must go!
Some people just know how to live, happy for you.
Love