PREPARING FOR PARIS!

The Lovely Luxembourg Gardens - May 2007

This is our fourth visit to our beloved Paris and I am more excited that I have ever been before.  You know why?  Because we’ve already seen most of the sights and museums and now we can focus on what is most delightful to me; all the neighborhoods and their cafes and hidden parks and squares.  This time we are going to actually participate and immerse ourselves in the experience through creating something. Rob is going to draw and I’m going to write.

Little Pink, (my beloved notebook computer), gets to go this time.  We are committing ourselves to creating in the mornings when we are fresh. I see us side by side, settling in with our croissants and café crèmes, in the Place de Vosges (or in a place like it) with Rob’s sketch pad and my writing tablet. 

Square Georges Cain in the Marais - May, 2007

The planning for this trip has been very different than for prior visits.  I have put together a loose structure for our days, that focuses on three themes: (1) Parks and squares, (2) Patisseries (how I love my baked goods!) and (3) A few interesting neighborhoods we haven’t seen yet. 

Museé Carnavalet - May, 2007

I have researched the parks and squares close to the neighborhoods (arrondissements) where we are staying; six days in the Marais and six days in the 6^th. (St-Germain des Prés).  What if I could actually visit a different little park every day and write about my experience in it? What if I had enough for a slim, packable little book?!?  [I could call it Respites in Paris, Hidden jewels in the World’s Most Beautiful City, or maybe A Contemplative’s Paris, Resting in a Perfect Park.]  (Which one do you like?) 

Foxglove, my very favorite flower . . . 

Following our creating time we’re free to explore the patisseries I read about in Paris My Sweet.  This is a delightful book, with each chapter devoted to a different kind of Parisian sweet and the best place to find it; madeleines, macarons, cupcakes (the new rage), hot chocolate, (be still my heart), croissants, (of course), Nutella street crepes, and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate  (I’ll go anywhere for chocolate).  Won’t this be a great way to discover local type neighborhoods?  Plus, it gives us a bit of a purpose in our roaming, (Rob likes a destination). 

Savoring a croissant amande au chocolate Place de la Contrescarpe - May, 2010

 

 New neighborhoods?  I want to check out Canal St. Martin, an edgier side of Paris; I’m intrigued by rue Montorgueil, a bustling area that is supposedly traffic free; and I want to see Faubourg Saint-Antoine, near the Bastille, with lots of courtyards, (I love peeking in courtyards!) and furniture makers.  Rue des Martyrs is another interesting area . . . we didn’t get to stay there long enough last time.

Spotted in a window - Rue de Martyrs - Sept. 2010

Then, it’s home for an afternoon nap, so we are fresh for dinner and the sparkling nightlife of Paris.  This time I actually want to go on one of those Le Bateaux Mouche cruises. I know it’s touristy, but I think it would be really romantic to glide on the Seine with my sweetie amidst the lights of Paris on a warm summer evening. 

I also have an idea for a night walk by the river, basking in a floodlit view of Notre Dame, (I read that somewhere) and kissing on a few bridges (maybe lots of bridges!) and ending up at Ille St. Louis for an ice cream.  There’s a rock club I want to go to on rue de Lappe (I’ve heard it’s really wild!) and I want to dance at Caveau de la Huchette, a jazz cellar in Latin Quarter, and check out Place St-Andre des Art at night.  Yes this girl will definitely need her afternoon nap!

 Promenade Plantée - May 2007

There are some places I’ll do again like the Promenade Plantée, a 19^th century railway viaduct, converted into a glorious walkway high above the city.  It is chock full of flowers, lavender and cherry trees and it has all these pretty arches with climbing roses and as you amble (or in my case, walk energetically), you can see the tops of the magnificent buildings of Paris with their beautiful carvings and the wrought-iron balconies.  It seems like you can walk forever and in fact, I hear that it leads to the Bois de Vincennes floral arboretum we’ve never seen before.  Cool!

Spotted in a Window in the Latin Quarter - May, 2006

I’d love to see the Fontainebleau Forest, 40 miles or so outside of the city, where Rousseau and his colleagues roamed at night and had wild, arty parties.  I’d also like to see Giverny. . I do so love gardens and flowers.  I’m thinking about checking out these Turkish baths in the Latin Quarter; I hear they are amazing and there’s a cool café; I could bring my bathing suit and sarong . . .we’ll see . . . we’ll see.

I know I can’t pack all of these books (give poor Rob a break!), but here are the books where I’ve gotten most of my ideas:

• Rick Steves’ Paris – my Bible – dog eared with use on every visit
• Lonely Planet Paris Encounter – thank you, Susan for loaning
• Power Hiking – Carolyn Hansen & Cathleen Peck - is this perfect for me or what?
• Forever Paris – guidebook with lots of pictures
• City Walks:  Paris – Christina Henry de Tessan - cool cards to tuck in my pack
• Paris to the Moon – Adam Gopnik lived in Paris with his family for five years – great stories.
• Paris My Sweet – thank you, Amy Thomas and Janice! 
• The Covered Passages of Paris – how cool would it be to explore a bunch of them one afternoon?!?
• A Writer’s Paris – Eric Maisel – I may bring this one because it puts me in the mood to write.  He has such a similar sensibility to me – definitely a kindred spirit.
• My journal – for writing outside – you can’t see the cursor in the sunlight.

My hopes for this visit? To slow down and savor it.  It is so tempting to gobble experiences in Paris.  I want to be fully in my senses, letting desire go and being fully in the moment.  Walking, reflecting, writing, reading, eating, sipping, kissing, surrounded by beauty everywhere - - oh yes!  That is vacation for this girl!

Me in Square Viviani - Sept. 2010