The Paris Traveler

Paris Photo Pharie

by Kim on February 25th, 2008

Magnificent, over-the-top gorgeous!  What do you think I am talking about?  It could be a million things the way my mind works but specifically, I am talking about today in Paris.  Sunny, warm, not a cloud in the sky and everyone out and about enjoying every second of it.  

     All these people lounging about were actually eating picnic lunches, sleeping in the sun, having birthday parties, kissing to the point of needing to get a room and while they were all doing very different things, they were all doing the same thing……

 spending the afternoon at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.  It was crazy how many people were here today.  The lines to get to the top wrapped themselves all underneath the tower and truly, there was not a tiny bit of real estate left to set up shop when I arrived late in the afternoon.  The good news, it was a perfect day to be the Paris Photo Pharie–a roll that I take very seriously.  Whenever I am here, I see all these cute couples from all over the world taking pictures of one, then the other standing with the Eiffel Tower in the background but never the two of them together.  I am sure that they would love to have a momento to take home that they can pin up on the wall of their cubicle at work or use as Christmas card pictures showing both of them enjoying their time in Paris “together”.  Enter me, Photo Pharie.  Once I take one, everyone wants to get in on the action.  I don’t mind–it is my good deed for the day.  Maybe I can start charging a euro for each shot and fund my expensive habit of needing to be here. Hmmm……..!

Going back to my apartment, I had to make one stop…. 

 La Terrasse, the café that was second home to my family and I during our year in Paris.  It’s located right at the exit of metro Ecole Militaire if you are interested (you can get to the Eiffel Tower from here as well).  The food is yummy, the service good and the people watching excellent.  I have never seen this before, but today, people were actually waiting for a table outside, that’s how glorious the day was. Plenty where available indoors so that’s where I ended up.  The waiter, an elderly gentleman who took care of my daughter and I all the time, actually lit up when he saw me and was glad to see me again.  I had to order my favorite late afternoon treat to make the day perfect, Café Gourmond,

a tasting dessert that includes a cup of coffee, a teeny creme brulée, a tiny gateau chocolat, one of those decadent, oozy chocolate cakes and a piece of fruit so you don’t feel quite so bad about all the other things you just ate.  Life is all about balance! After this, I walked back to the 6th, making some twists and turns along the way.  With aching legs, I found a seat at Café Mabillon for a glass of wine to finish out the day.  The place was nutty, crazy, more waiting for tables outside.  My waiter brought me my wine but no peanuts or olives.  Actually, no one was getting little goodies–maybe too busy.  A few minutes later, he came back with 2 little dishes and said “a little dinner perhaps”. How did he know that I was thinking that?  Oh yea, I was feeling the love today! 

 Photos:  Personal collection

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