When we finally took off for Paris our Boeing 777, the biggest and most comfortable of the jumbo jets, didn’t even notice the heavy rain and overcast enveloping Washington DC. And the happy couple it was transporting to the place they love so much didn’t’ mind the foul weather either. Clouds and rain, after all, are the norm in Parisian winter months, so we were ready for it. But, the initial day of such trips is the most difficult: an early morning arrival after a night on the plane with only a few hours of sleep, followed by the huge but requisite struggle to defeat jet lag. To reset our circadian clocks to the new schedule we walked outside as much as possible, and only saw the inside of our hotel room after night fell.

Having lived in Paris for several years we don’t visit many museums or tourist hot spots. “… Been there, done that,” from the Tour Eiffel to La Defense, from Montmartre to the Louvre, from Musee d’Orsay to Musee Salvador Dali, from cemetiere Pere Lachaise to the quartier Latin … Instead, what we love about Paris are the neighborhoods we used to call home. As we turn each corner we pass by each of our favorite cafes, brasseries, and boulangeries. We enjoy repeating our weekly Saturday afternoon walks, and that’s exactly what we did again yesterday… we departed our hotel close to Ecole Militaire and walked and walked, and walked some more….

We stopped at La Grande Epicerie de Paris, where I bought some “pimente d’espelette,” we strolled up rue de Rennes , then turned down to boulevard Montparnasse. We walked and walked some more, stood at the corner of Boulevards St Michel and St Germain, the gateway to Notre Dame, now so beautiful after its recent cleaning, and continued down to the cafe Les Deux Magots, which brings memories of dining outside at countless cafes throughout Paris, savoring the views of people passing by. Yesterday it was 40 F (3 C), but all the seats outside were filled by people from all over the world, each one living their own private love affair with Paris.

What’s for dinner? It was a simple meal at Le Bosquet, a classic brasserie two blocks from our hotel. The same waiter from several years ago handed us a menu that was almost unchanged. Why change oysters, confit de canard, and tarte Tatin? 😉

On a side note – If you haven’t seen the film Paris, Je t’Aime, I urge you to do so – it is a series of short stories by different directors, filmed in different Parisian neighborhoods. One of our favorites is the final vignette, the narrative (in broken, yet adorable French) of a lonely, middle-aged American woman who, after studying French for a few years, finally visits Paris for the first time in her life. Beautiful, touching, and a declaration of love for one of the most amazing cities in the world.

I feel the same way. It’s so nice to see it all again!