great expectations

when i travel, i try my darnedest not to have expectations. you know, just go with the flow and let the experiences speak for themselves. but i have to admit, when you've visited a city a few times, it's really hard not to have some type of anticipation, a trace of expectation. and when said city has previously stolen your heart, you can imagine the difficulty then.

these past couple of days, mama and i sprinkled into our explorations a few of the places we loved during our last trip. du pain et des idees for mama's favorite bread: pain de amis. montmarte for its eclectic charm and spectacular views. eggs & co for damn good eggs. pierre herme for the greatest macaroon known to man (or at least me).

in a city like paris where you need a lifetime to discover all of its twists and turns, nooks and crannies, it's almost foolish to revisit a place. when you've fallen in love with something the first time, it might seem better to just embrace that feeling and move on to something new. going back to our treasured spots was a little nerve-wracking. what if the flavor that was so intense one year ago no longer existed in mama's bread? what if montmarte looked like every other neighborhood? what if my mouth didn't explode with surprise with each bite of my macaroon? there was always the risk of being let down by revisiting these places with expectations in mind.

oh, but paris knows better. this city will ignite a fire in your heart the first time and will continue to keep the blaze roaring every time thereafter. there's no such thing as a "honeymoon phase" here. in paris, you will always be swept off your feet, defying every sense of gravity, even when you think you've been to a restaurant or neighborhood too many times. in paris, great expectations will not leave you disenchanted. it will make you come back for more.

before sunrise, buying bread

montmarte

tasting wine at the harvest festival

st. germain de pres

eggs!

crack

where we went:

-du pain et des idées: near canal st. martin, the best boulangerie! mama's favorite bread: pain de amis.

-Fete des vendanges: an annual harvest wine festival in montmartre, near the sacre-coeur. held mid-october for four days, it celebrates the one and only vineyard in paris. stalls of food and free wine-tastings. 

-le pain quotidien: we ate here for lunch in montmartre. no, not everything originates in america!

-eggs & co: in st. germain de pres, this little gem knows how to do eggs. you choose how you want your eggs prepared and then you add mix-ins. the decor makes you feel like you're in a chicken coop.

-pierre herme: there's a debate between who makes the best macaroon: pierre herme or lauduree. i have yet to try lauduree, and probably won't, because the pierre herme is orgasmically delicious.

-le deux magots: bistro in the heart of st. germain de pres, perfect for people-watching.