Paris et la belle vie

I am finally in Paris! The city is exactly how I remember but better - it is glorious. So I am living in the 5th, in a flat with a lovely older woman. Her four children have grown up and she now has three grandchildren - one of which is over at the flat visiting now. This is part of my street...

The Latin Quarter is brimming with activity - as Boulevard St. Germain cuts through, the Sorbonne is next door, and there are plenty of historic churches and Hemingway former hangouts to attract crowds. As soon as I got to the flat and had a light salad I immediately hurried out to the streets to do the best thing one can do in Paris: Patisserie hop. I don't think any other city exists in the world with more shops dedicated to sweets. You can't go more than a block without hitting another patisserie or boulangerie. Glistening pear tarts, coffee eclairs, brioche, pain au chocolat, rainbow-colored macaroons, and financiers line window shops. I better get my running shoes on before I start looking like one of these treats...

Alright so I didn't just go into most (/every) patisserie that I passed, I also stopped by a few cafés for un vin de verre rouge, and actually ended my long walk down St. Germain at a cheese shop. You only have one first day in Paris after all. 

Unfortunately the sugar, jet lag, and turbulent plane ride have started to hit me... wandering home took a little too long. But I did discover a little gem next door - 

Maybe I'll head to mass tomorrow and see what the story behind the church is. Tomorrow is also my first day with my study abroad program group - eek!
I do feel better knowing that I can hold a 1 1/2 hour conversation with my french-vietnamese taxi driver though and tell the cashier at one of my cafés that he was short-changing me. I think speaking will keep getting easier with practice. Dressing the part of a chic french mademoiselle will probably help too...

A bientot!