Ca C'est Tout

Weiner Dogs. Thata way.

So anywho, holy shit. I'm leaving Paris.

The past couple of days I have been doing the inevitable, that I promise time and time again that I will save my poor self from each time I am in derangement. But, alas, it creeps upon us with all things great that are coming to an end: Glorification. The past couple days I have been doing my favorite choses a faire with my favorite friends in the city, laughing about how much the people annoyed us, and then accepting how much we have taken from them. I spent Monday with KK the Great, sipping cafes, having brunch with Alexis after an awkwardly hilarious yoga session, dining vegetarian in the city that resents this sub-culture to no end, and sitting for a good two hours exploring the secrets of the best chocolat chaud and french woman with cigarettes in tow on Ile Saint Louis. All day we kept returning to the inevitable mental list of the things we will miss most; some of my favorite being....

I'm going to miss (insert le sigh):

Loving the States

Two hours at a cafe, trying to rectify the world's problems, one espresso at a time

Perfect lighting

The cultural respect for food and what the French have taught me about it

Beauty. Everywhere. Anywhere.

Culture. Art. Museums. Monet. Orangerie. Monet. Orangerie.

Not working. Leisure at its finest.

Taking my time... and it not being weird.

Franglais Dinner Parties.

Hot bread from the Boulanger. Croissants. Macarons. Passion for doing things right. Intolerance for the mediocre when it matters most.... with breadstuffs.

Using the senses. Smelling it all.... well, maybe not on the metro.

Today, at my last brunch with the ladies.. sadly minus KK, we enjoyed the view from Sydney's amazing apartment where we could see Sacre Coure, La Tour Eiffel, and the rest of la vie francaise from up top. There wasn't anything fluffy about our goodbyes, they were more see you laters. We decided au lieu de opening our Parisian Boulangerie in the States, we would start a group food blog, incorporating our different food and life perspectives and coalescing them in the appreciation for the ways Paris has changed our views and lives to a certain extent. We sighed and realized that we are returning to the land of the 40 hr work week, no croissants au beurre in the morning, and 10 day vacations that are rarely taken. Lord help us...

Amrita and I continued on to discover le gout de Pierre Herme's crazy macarons, including: strawberry wasabi, Olive oil and vanilla (our decided fan favorite), and chocolate passion fruit.

Before:

The green is the olive oil vanilla... oh la la!

After:

We shared these suckers over about an hour of chatting, enjoying the company just as much as the tasting. I think thats one of the best things Paris has taught me. Enjoy. Slow down, and enjoy more.

Sneaking out the back Chez Mlle. Raja's

My times here have shown me yet another cultural perspective through its people, their oh la las, and their passion for complaining and cafes. Its back to the states where I will undoubtedly miss all I've experienced, but at the end of my half year stint... its finally time for a detox.

Thanks Paris... je vraiment t'aime.

Next stop: Stockton. Dodging bullets, one at a time...this time, in English.