Ile Saint Louis

We walked across this little island and it truly was one of the high points of the trip for me...just so charming!





Here's a sweet little excerpt on the island from about.com...

Lots of tourists swarm the island in Paris, home of Notre Dame Cathedral. But far too many overlook its adorable little sister, the quaint Ile Saint Louis just a few steps away.

This small island is like an oasis from the rush of the city. It's almost as if someone dropped a small French village into the center of Paris, as it features markets, bakeries, fromageries and cafés. While much of Paris has modernized over the years, the ile remains romantically frozen in the 17th century. It is remarkably the same as it was centuries ago.

Paris Neighborhoods: Ile Saint Louis,
A Charming Oasis in the Heart of the City
From Kelby Carr

Le Premier Matin

Our first morning. Pinch us...petit déjeuner à Paris!

Pain au Chocolat

OK, technically, pain au chocolat would be more of a chocolate croissant...but it didn't really matter. When you want bread with chocolate and you're in Paris, any bread with chocolate is pain au chocolat. For some reason, we waited until our last day to indulge in this insanely delicious treat. The evening before our departure, we went into a boulangerie and got what was more like a chewy baguette with chocolate chips. No sooner did we walk a block, nibbling it half way down, than we turned right around to buy more. We thought we'd snack on half before going out for the night and then have the other half for a quick petit dejuener before heading to the airport. Well, not so much.
I came out of the bakery with two more whole "pain au Vincennes" (I think that's what the sign said) and we polished off the rest of the first one before getting to the apartment, most of the next one in the apartment with some white wine before going out, and all but half of the third one the next morning. The last, wonderful, beautiful, glorious half...well, we saved it for our layover in Boston and enjoyed it with some Starbucks while enjoying the view of the airport harbor.
Ahhhh....pain au chocolat...my lingering craving...

Lou Pascalou, Ménilmontant

Signe knew of this little place down the street from La Féline where she had been on her last trip nine months ago, Lou Pascalou, so we went to rest and refresh. It really felt like a warm little neighborhood joint. There was some kind of unidentifiable yet quintessentially French music playing, art on the walls and friendly faces. Oh, and yummy fromage et charcuterie!

Ménilmontant

This is not in chronological order, but since we left off with La Feline, I think it fitting we start there now that we've actually been there! The previous post is a photo of the sign, as seen coming down the street, just above where the girls sit in the black and white shot. THIS—this was a fun night! I really liked the area of Ménilmontant even though we didn't see much of it, it just had a laid back yet energetic vibe. We were invited to a private party there by the dynamic duo Sean and Natacha, aka The Fugitives. Sean, a surfboard-shaping Californian married Natacha, a Parisian rock-n-roll artist and, voila, the punk band The Fugitives was born. Never before have I seen a couple so in love! They are regulars at La Feline and so we went to meet them there...with no idea what we were in for...
We got off the metro with an hour to kill, so we wandered around just a bit. Here is some mesmerizing graffiti I found right around the corner...

Fin

Well, back now mere hours before the volcano disaster (phew!) we can begin to tell the tale of Two Friends in Paris...

La Feline

I seriously love this image



Named after the 1942 American film Cat People, this bar is brimming with cute Bettie Page lookalikes and their handsome greaser boyfriends drinking cocktails at the bar or outside smoking, leaning against their motorcycles—or Vespas.

Bonne Année!

I thought this picture of the Eiffel Tower on New Year's Eve was pretty spectacular! Every night from October 22nd to December 31st, there has been a light show to commemorate the 120th anniversary of its inauguration. But, for the first time ever, there was a special light show lasting 20 minutes to ring in the new year. Here is the official site where you can learn more...and buy a little something from la boutique! Happy New Year!

La Belle et La Bête

I watched this movie last night. It's a strange and beautiful film. Not only is it an enjoyable movie (Nick watched it too) but I would recommend it for listening comprehension practice!

Noël Délicieux

Could you die—talk about eye candy! These are windows at Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris at Christmas. You can see more here.

Blustery Day in Paris?

We saw this street artist near Le Centre Georges Pompidou last summer. He stood just like that for hours, readjusting his pose very slightly when someone tossed a coin in this hat. The windy day illusion is such a cool idea and how handsome is this young man?



The street artist was just one of the many interesting things and creative people we saw in the square outside the Centre Pompidou.





The building itself is a sight to behold - not to mention the collection of art inside.

Le Petit Lapin

I just found this in my "favorites" folder on etsy, and my heart instantly melted! My little furry French bunny went to someone else...quelle dommage. Maybe his creator, La Bete Handmade, is busy making more?

Trés, Trés Joli...

La Vie En Rose and Grace Jones

Grace Jones in a sparkly, slinky, pinky dress singing in French? I had to post this...

Besides, she does have a son, Paulo, with famous French photographer Jean Paul Goude. He is in the French pop band La Gouache. Je crois qu'elle a vraiment la vie en rose.

Be sure to pause the music on the right sidebar before playing her video...

Arrondissements

Paris is divided into 20 different neighborhoods called arrondissements. You can see on this great map www.parisnet.com/parismap.html . Each neighborhood in Paris has its own special character and feel. The suburbs (outside of the arrondissements) are called the banlieue.



In French, the 8th arrondissement, would be written as 8ème (or 8e). Parisian postal codes take the form of - 75XXX - with the last two digits being equal to the arrondissement (e.g. 75008 is the postal code for the 8th arrondissement). The 5eme might be my favorite but this time we will be staying in the 4ème. I think this is a good choice too. The 4ème is the center of the Marais and one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris.

La Bellevilloise

La Bellevilloise then...

La Bellevilloise now...

La Bellevilloise plan...

One could actually say it is La Bellevilliose that led us to this most magnificent place we are now. It was happened upon online, shared, and a repartee ensued. All ultimately rekindling our dream of a trip to Paris, born nearly 30 years ago. We shall pay homage to this place in the 20th arrondissement, whether it is the cafe, the bar, the club, or an art show to which we go--probablement tout!

Chanson Enfantine

Un éléphant se balançait Un éléphant se balançait

Landon came home singing this song today. I'm not sure but it's possible that there might not be anything cuter anywhere than my little guy speaking French.

Un éléphant se balançait
Sur une toile, toile, toile d'araignée,
C'était un jeu tellement amusant
Qu'il appela... un deuxième éléphant

The Conran Shop

Isn't this a handsome store? It is in the 7th arrondissement not far from the Jardin du Luxembourg. We can shop for some Christmas tree ornaments for your collection there!

Le Pain

One of lifes simple pleasures. A daily trip to the neighborhood boulangerie for a fresh bagette.

Tour Eiffel

© Stephan Edelbroich