L'art de vivre: Part deux
On simple pleasures in Paris.
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It’s been a whirlwind first week in Paris overflowing with new sights, smells, tastes. We’re digging our neighborhood, which may not be ultra cool or teaming with hipsters, but it’s ideal for (occasionally cranky) 50-somethings like us. It’s quiet at night yet close to everything we need. There are adorable bistros, cafes, and boutiques galore. But we don’t have to worry about loud nightclubs or bars keeping us from getting our much-needed beauty sleep. If we were only here for a few days or so, we’d probably opt to stay in Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the Marais again, but for five weeks, we wanted something chill.
Of course, it hasn’t all been Champagne and fromage. We spent a Michelin restaurant’s worth of euros on cleaning supplies, candles, and air freshener for the apartment. And if there was an Olympic medal for cleaning, Jason would have won the gold. Yet, our place is starting to feel like home and is quite lovely in many other respects— floor to ceiling windows, a washer and dryer that kinda work, a big tub, and something very rare around these parts: an elevator up to our 4th floor apartment.
But even with some minor hiccups (and believe me, I’m not complaining), I’m finding it difficult not to gush about life here.
In an earlier post when we were back in the States, I wrote about l’art de vivre —the art of living and appreciating everyday pleasures. Here is a small sampling of my art de vivre moments from the past week:
A stroll through the Bois De Boulogne, a 2,000+ acre park in the 16th (a 1/2 mile from us) with tree-lined walking paths; lakes; cafes and restaurants; and Le Fondation Louis Vuitton, among other delights. I was thrilled when I stumbled upon a large group of unleashed dogs milling about, playing and sniffing each other at an open air cafe in the park while their owners chatted and had coffee. I even petted a few of the dogs once they cleared it with their parents.
A solo lunch spent writing at The Rose Bakery, a hidden gem tucked into a garden at Maison Balzac (photo above). You can grab savory bites, baked goods, and drinks and sit inside or out in the garden with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Let’s just keep this one between us, k?
Beautiful coral-colored peonies that a young florist effortlessly trimmed, artfully arranged, and tied with raffia into a perfect bouquet. They are now in full bloom and will probably be dead soon, but such is life. There must be a thousand florists in the 16th alone and I have to hold myself back from buying bundles of peonies, roses, and ranunculus everywhere we go.
A dinner of roast chicken with feta, dill, lemon and garlic; white asparagus; and roast potatoes— all lovingly made by Jason using ingredients from the nearby Marché couvert de Passy.
An afternoon at the Le Musée de Montmartre and Jardin Renoir with Jason and the always delightful Kimberly Wilson of Tranquility du Jour and Midlife Musings. We started with a light lunch and a bottle of rose in the Jardin Renoir and then roamed through a fabulous exhibit of paintings by artist Auguste Herbin, le maître révélé. His breadth of work and different styles —post-impressionism, fauvism, cubism, abstraction, figurative — is remarkable.
A family dinner at Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond, which I found it by Googling “Paris with kids” — and it turned out to be ideal for five ravenous adults and two picky kids. Cost for dinner: 100 euros. Pleasing a crowd: Priceless.
A relaxing Champagne-filled lunch and a stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries, adjacent to the Louvre, with my sister-in-law, Deborah. (Note her stylish trench and sunglasses and my dorky rain coat—I’m on the hunt for something better so hit me up with where to find chic petite clothes in Paris!)
A warm baguette from a fantastic neighborhood boulangerie slathered with jam and butter from Brittany.
The sounds of kids playing in the school yard down the block from us. Ok, sometimes it’s annoying but overall, it’s charming.
The Eiffel Tower sparkling on the hour every hour from dusk until 11:45 pm—a first for me even though I have been to Paris many times.
Loving reading all of this!