on the benefits of a stroll

yesterday was one of those rare days that one really realizes the beauty of the place one lives in. around noon, alex and i decided to check out the farmer’s market that takes place outside our building every thursday and saturday mornings. now, i’ve heard things about parisian markets before, but i couldn’t believe my eyes. not only were there clothes, dvds, and every kitchen item under the sun (for great prices), but the sheer amount of food was mind boggling.

above is a tiny portion of one fish vendor’s stand. each stand was packed with extremely fresh, begging to be purchased cuts of meat, vegetables, fish, cheese - anything you can imagine.

understandably, i was starving after walking through the market. i had to go to the jardin du luxembourg to meet rachel and zac, and decided to walk since i live relatively close in the 7th arrondissment. on my way over, i knew i had to stop at bagels and brownies - where i’d been told the best bagels in paris can be found.

i got the “baltimore” bagel, which has cream cheese and lox (and a little squeeze of lemon) on a sesame bagel. superb. the shop is a fantastic little place, too. when i arrived, the line was out the door, but moved quite quickly. when you walk in, you see the glass panel separating customers from the bagels, behind which the bagel creators are buzzing around, and across the single room there’s a 3-seat dine-in counter. such a cute place, and they really do deliver in the bagel department too.

i met up with everyone afterward, and headed over to the jardin. i can’t even describe to you how beautiful it was. so here’s a picture.

this is what i love about parisians. everyone was out having picnics, tanning, reading, what have you, just enjoying the beauty all around. the phrase joi de vivre definitely applies in reality. people here move slower, but it’s an enjoyable slower.

after walking around the gardens for a while, we decided to walk to the marais by way of île saint-louis. on our way, we popped into shakespeare & co., to get our hemingway on. sitting in the reading room, perusing the books so many hands have touched - hands one can’t even imagine having contact with - was quite the experience. if you like the smell of books, like yours truly, the upstairs is a definite must-see.

walking from behind the notre dame onto the île saint-louis.

zac desperately wanted to check berthillion ice cream off his list, so we searched out and waited for the real deal. and even though i was extremely thirsty and hot, it was 100% worth it. there were around 25 flavors to choose from, so we each got 2 scoops of different things - and everything was fantastic. i got fig and white chocolate (which was a bit sweet for me), both of which came together quite nicely.

i wanted to get a picture of my “lunch”, but i finished it all before i remembered. the juice is fresh squeezed orange juice, something that was so common in berlin and i could never find in america. one of the biggest reasons i missed europe.

for the rest of the day, we wandered around the marais, ducking into art galleries and stores as we saw fit. i got to check a few places off my list, while exploring a neighborhood i’ve always loved. i’m starting to feel a lot more “parisian” now, like my brain is finally processing the fact i live in paris now. the best way to get to know a city is to get lost in it - something we did many a time yesterday.