Oh, Paris, you tickle me so

Greetings from my home away from home, Paris. I know it's only my second time here, but it really feels like a home to me. The morning after mama's birthday, we said arrivederci to Italy and made our way to paris. Thanks to some advice from the French woman sitting next to me on the plane, we navigated our way through the airport and metro, and made it in one piece to our apartment in the 10th arrondissement. Tucked away in a neighborhood off the busy track, our apartment is Parisian at its humblest. Loft bed, wood floors, tiled kitchen, it is perfect for our stay. And not to mention, around the corner from one of the highest recommended boulangeries - Du Pain et des Idees. You better believe we paid our boulanger a visit the first morning for some freshly baked - and might I say, whole grain - bread. Heaven on earth, the light of day all around, it was that good! Paris is exactly how I remembered it...trendy people, proud food, progressive at a modest pace. Streets lined with cafes and brasseries, people eating and drinking into the late night. Picnics with open wine bottles in parks. And some of the most stylish toddlers I've ever come across. After our leisure breakfast of pain, tea, and fruit, we decided to walk for a while. We stumbled upon an open air market, where we bought some salami, marinated artichokes, and fresh fruit juice. Without any idea where we were, we continued walking until our surroundings became very familiar...we reached the exact location where Rilee and I met Emma on our backpacking trip. Of course, I had to show mama where we stayed when we visited Emma, and it was at that moment when everything felt just so right. My heart felt warm and tender, a feeling of being lovesick. Since the temperature was stifling outside, we thought it was a good time for lunch. Off the main path, we lunched at Rose Bakery, a place I was eager to try ever since Gino bought the famous Rose Bakery Cookbook. Let's just say now I know why it's famous. Fresh, local ingredients, everything homemade, simple and delicious food. Fully satisfied, we walked to Notre Dame for our dose of picture-taking. Again, don't count on us telling you any historical significance of the place...watch the movie with Esemerelda, instead. Mama was stunned by the Seine and its bridges...I couldn't get enough of watching her admire them. Exhausted, we headed back by foot (note to self, don't let mama judge distances) to our apartment, recharged, and took the metro back to Notre Dame. Mama insisted we take a boat tour on the Seine, and although against my beliefs about tours, I said what the heck. And so we boarded a boat as the sun was setting (9 pm), and admired the city around us. Then, then, then, we laid eyes upon her, the beauty. The Eiffel tower! It was love all over again. Mama was in disbelief at her beauty, it was a precious site. Now I could go on and on forever about our first day in Paris, but I need to control myself. I will end with this: a.) if Mother Flow ever follows you internationally, make sure you're in Paris...with bread and chocolate and treats, you'll forget she's around; b.) come on, Los Angeles, let's take some pointers from Paris and adopt the metro system; and finally c.) it feels great to be back!