Oh, Paris. The thought of exquisite art, culture, and fine culinary offerings all in one place makes me giddy. I declared it as my favorite city before I even spoke a lick of French (or stepped foot on French soil). Ludicrous? Maybe a little. Unfounded? Definitely not. It was everything I expected and then some. For many, Paris has a halo of expectation around it; most will find that it doesn’t deliver – either because they were looking for the wrong thing or because their expectations were erroneous to begin with. For them, the dream was better than reality. Not me.
It was the perfect balance of sass, class, and subtlety. The culture was infused into the beautiful neighborhoods and parks, all connected by the veins of the Metro. The smells of the city, even the foul smells, reminded me that it was a place unashamed of its identity. YES, their subways smell like pee and body odor, and NO, they are not going to apologize for it. Take it or leave it – they won’t sanitize it so you can feel comfortable. Most people find that attitude appalling, but I find it refreshing. The pee smell? Not so much.
I’ll be back someday, Paris. Just you wait and see.
my favorite meal at my favorite place in the whole wide world
Sacre Coeur ❤
lamb on the lam 