Five hours after my last final for the semester I headed off to JFK straight to Charles De Gaulle-Paris, back to my favorite city in the world. Thank goodness for flight delays because I was running extremely late for my flight (late as in 45 minutes prior to the flight late), plus the delay allowed me time to spend some time with my other half who I never see as often as I would like. The 1148pm departure time means I arrived in Paris around 2pm the next day, a little later than I would have preferred and two full hours after the scheduled arrival time. No matter.
My first stop on any trip to Paris is to Le Avenue des Champs-Élysées starting at the Arc de Triomphe and then walking down past the U.S. Embassy towards Place de la Concorde and Les Invalides. This 1.6 mile little stroll helps to orient me once again to the city and gives me the opportunity to check out the latest haute couture. It also leaves me connected to some of the most useful metro lines in the city: the 1, 6, and 9.
Food is also one of my favorite highlights; and for the best in steak, pommes frites, french onion soup, chaussons aux pommes and other delectable pastries, gratin dauphinois, croque monsieur and Coquilles Saint Jacques I like to head out to the old Jewish quarter of Paris (Le Marais), along the Rue des Rosiers. The area abounds in cafes, bars and book stores and quite possibly the best Gelato spot in the world along 31 Rue Vieille du Temple, Amorino.
Finally, it's off to the biggest attraction of all, the Eiffel Tower. No matter how many pictures, movies or little statuettes that you have seen of it, there is nothing like actually standing in front of the real one.
I love that you actually see the French walking through the streets carrying their baguettes. But most of all, I love how the French take life at a slowed down and enjoyable pace. Work is not an end in and of itself, it is merely a means to reaching an end: a happy and content life. When the weather's nice, why not take a little longer at lunch and just sit in the park, playing with your kids or enjoying a glass of wine? Perhaps a game of bocce ball with a long-time friend makes more sense then sitting locked away inside a cubicle? In essence, the French know how to live, and that is what I love the most: the French way of going through life...
You cant go wrong with baguettes, beurre, et tasses de vin rouge by the Seine...ever...through love or despair Paris will forever remain the same to me...
::sigh:: je suis complètement heureux...
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