1.05.2014

Paris In Three Parts (Food, Flea Markets, and Taking It To The Streets)


















The fact that every single meal we consumed in Paris -- every goat cheese salad with a side of frites, steak frites, roasted chicken with frites,and croque monsieur with frites -- (it was all about the frites, friends) was far superior to, well, pretty much everything we've eaten during the other 355 days of last year was not exactly revelatory. After all, Paris is known for its food (and its frites), yes? The fact, however, that every egg and strawberry and tomato and wedge of cheese and little glass jar of yogurt that we purchased in the market and consumed in the comfort of our apartment was revelatory was the surprise. I mean insanely delicious strawberries and tomatoes in December??! The whole culinary enterprise made me seriously worried for the state of our food supply in America. And don't even get me started on the bread and the pastries and the chocolate chaud. I would dub my whole food consumption in France situation a bad scene, but I just enjoyed it to much to malign it in any way.

And I'm happy to report that the girlies seemed to adopt a bit of a "when in Rome (or France)" attitude on the food front, with Millie declaring that she would order something different every day of our trip. And she did. Albeit "different" within the confines of a non-threatening main dish served with a side of, yep, you guessed it, frites. But, hey, it's a start.

The other thing that the girlies were downright sporting about during our 10 days in Paris was the immense quantities of walking that we forced on them each day. Oh did we walk -- from the Place de Concord down the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triumph, all through the Marais (mulptiple times), nearly every street on the Île Saint-Louis, from d'Orsay to the Centre Pompidou, out to les puces de Saint-Ouen (and through stall after stall of treasures), oh and the five (!) pilgrimages to the Eiffel Tower, all on foot... We walked like it was our job, the streets our stomping ground --  wind, cold, and rain be damned -- with complaints few and far between. I have seriously never been prouder of my children.

Thanks Paris.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos! Walking is the best way to see a city, just really immersing yourself in it all.

Also love your girls' brightly coloured coats!

Sarah's Fab Day said...

Travelling with children internationally is amazing, I never would have guessed. We took our kids to Italy and I was floored with their can do attitude and the ease in which they handled the differences of another country. Kids are such little sponges it made me want to travel with them even more.

myla said...

We go to France every summer. You are absolutely right about the food. My girls and I always said that the food in France is just so much more authentic tasting. The walking part is pretty impressive with your girls. It's not always easy. Our girls who are around the same age as yours can still get grumpy about walking in Paris.

stephanie. said...

sounds like a truly amazing trip! do you speak french? was language a problem at all?

thx!

xo stephanie

Joslyn said...

Stephanie -- i speak a teeny, tiny bit...but it wasn't an issue. if you try with a few words (even just bonjour and merci), everyone is hugely appreciative (and kind) and tons of folks speak english.

Swiss-American Life said...

Beautiful photos, lovely. Any chance you remember where you were for the antiquing/flea market. Specifically the type letters! We are living in Switzerland and making a quick trip to Paris next month. I'm compiling my 'must-visit' list currently... :)
Vielen Dank!

Unknown said...

oh lovely family!
and great posts on paris...one of my fav cities. and cool that you speak french!

http://nearnessofdistance.blogspot.com

Joslyn said...

Swiss-American Life -- We were at les puces de Saint -Ouen. It's the main Paris flea market about 30 minutes Metro ride outside of the city. It is amazing.

Jordan Ferney has a great tutorial for navigating it (it's huge) here:

http://ohhappyday.com/2011/03/how-to-get-to-the-paris-flea-market/

Have fun!!