incredible

october 2013 has surely been one incredible month. starting it off with an official engagement and completing it with a bounty of parisian memories, i'd say it was the month of the year. granted, october typically is my favorite month, but damn, THIS october was a good one.

so in honor of this magical time, here is a poem to celebrate! and bid october adieu! and welcome november with open arms and hearty appetites!

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came—

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,

The Oaks in crimson dressed;

The lovely Misses Maple

In scarlet looked their best;

All balanced to their partners,

And gaily fluttered by;

The sight was like a rainbow

New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,

At hide-and-seek they played,

The party closed at sundown,

And everybody stayed.

Professor Wind played louder;

They flew along the ground;

And then the party ended

In jolly "hands around."

-"October's Party" by George Cooper

family style

last night, g and i had some friends over for dinner. it was a cozy fall evening, the warmth of the oven creating an intimate, congenial mood. there was candlelight, music, wine bottle after wine bottle, and a family-style feast.

when we host dinners, we typically serve multiple courses, plated as we imagined. beets tucked in this way. salmon stacked that way. but this time, we agreed that family-style was in order - large platters and dishes placed in the center of the table for self-serving. as much as we love to think up creative ways to plate a dish, there was something so right about having a family-style dinner last night. i don't know if it was the relaxed vibe, the style of meal, or the coziness of this season, but everyone else seemed to agree. conversation didn't have to be interrupted to move onto the next course. the main dish was hearty enough to be served in a baking dish. and if you wanted seconds, you didn't have to ask - you just grabbed that serving spoon and helped yourself without the fear of being judged by other guests.

and that is what it's all about: feasting with friends in a free space, where you can fill yourself with as much food, wine, and memories your belly and heart can contain. i mean, c'mon, we're family.

the easy way

being abroad always makes me realize how easy we have it. hungry? take your pick of the boundless restaurants, grocery stores, and fast-food eateries...open all day. don't feel like walking? hop into your car and, bam, you're there. need to use the restroom while out and about? just stop by the nearest gas station or store for public use. abroad, i find these things to be luxuries - or rather, things i take for granted in the land of convenience.

i am clearly enamored with paris and its seductive ways. from my first visit and every visit thereafter, i could imagine myself marrying and then the two of us becoming residents, leaving everything we know for the chance to build a life in that spectacular city. we would learn to adapt to new customs and depart from the easy way...

...like stairs, for instance.

adios, surplus of escalators and elevators. in paris, you're going to indulge in croissants and terrine, and then walk your ass up those stairs. haven't you ever heard of french women don't get fat? well, there you go.

...and showers.

not every home in paris is equipped with both a bathtub AND shower. so brace yourselves for "showering" on your knees or bum, trying to rinse your hair with one hand while holding the handle with the other. you could always ask your partner to hold the shower handle for you, but don't be surprised when you feel like a dog being bathed at the groomer's. 

...oh and the convenience of having all our power cords compatible with the electrical wall sockets.

living abroad, we'd either have to replace our plug-in devices or acquire a stock of converters - hopefully ones that don't need an elaborate contraption performing a balancing act to make them work. 

i really do believe if we accepted these lifestyle changes - and eating dinner at 10 pm - my beau and i could transition quite nicely. 

for mama

she's sitting at the other end of the sofa, writing in her journal with a shawl around her shoulders and a cup of coffee by her side. she doesn't realize i'm looking at her, as her focus seems to be on her writing. after a cozy night's sleep, she has a mind abundant in yesterday's memories that, at once, must be expressed on paper. this morning.

for the past nine mornings, this is how i've seen mama. so relaxed, so peaceful. as we are nearing the end of our trip, i can't help but already miss my mornings spent with her. lounging about in our paris apartment. and then we'd finally decide to greet the day and the city outside. no real plans, just ideas. mama would always be okay with taking a wrong turn, as the scenes surrounding her continually ignited a sense of wonderment.

bless her heart, dear mama, the one who indulged in my uncanny list of eateries. as long as she could have a cafe au lait or glass of wine, it didn't really matter where we ate. asked if she would like to visit a museum, mama would reply with something along the lines of: nah, i can read a book about it. this woman wasn't about to live a day in paris without experiencing paris.

in the evenings, after a full day of discovering the nooks of this city, we would unwind over a treat or bottle of wine. mama lit up when we'd scan through the day's photos, the eiffel tower always taking her breath away. and when she'd lean back after a couple hours of wine slowly creeping through her vessels, mama would wear the most beautiful smile on her face - a sign that the day was, in fact, a good day.

mama, thank you for taking the time to see paris in the fall with me. for walking absurd distances, trying new foods, and taking "showers" on your knees (more of that to come). traveling with you is one of my greatest pleasures, and i am forever grateful for these opportunities. thank you for making me believe that having a child is worth it; these mother-daughter trips have impacted me in the best way possible. we might be ending our time in paris, but we still have a world to discover.

as we like to say, au revoir, bitches! lol

where we went:

-stohrer - the oldest pastry shop in paris, opened in 1730. rows and rows of beautiful treats. 

-10 belles - a tiny, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop near canal st. martin. delicious lattes.

-le marche des enfants rouges - one of the oldest covered food stall markets in the marais. a variety of ethnic foods, everything from moroccan and lebanese to italian and asian. seating outside, which i'd imagine would be beautiful during the warmer months. we were more than content with sitting inside a tent with a hearty tagine of chicken, cous cous, and vegetables. one of my favorite meals!

-argenterie de turenne - an antique shop filled with unique silver pieces, such as serving dishes, cutlery, and tea pots. according to the shop-owener, this store is the most famous shop in paris for people to sell their silver items. 

- miss manon - a boulangerie in marais, perfect for a mid-afternoon coffee and treat. also a great place to take refuge from the downpour.

there were tears

there were blue skies when we laid eyes upon her. the forecast for our entire trip included showers, but the day we decided to visit le tour eiffel, the forces from above cleared our view. 

mama and i never really use a direct way to get to the tower; we prefer to follow its tip and embrace the surprise when she pops out through an alley. it never fails that we gasp at its full site. 

i don't know how she does it, but the eiffel tower seems to strip me of my emotional security blanket. she leaves my heart bare so it can feel whatever it's supposed to feel. when mama and i were sitting there, we had a moment. the two of us with the tower before us, not really knowing when we'd have this moment again - me in this stage of my life, mama in hers. all we knew, and really cared about, was that we were there at that time. the blue skies, the crisp breeze, and this uncontrollable, raw, and beautiful emotion that brought us to tears. 

and that's what the eiffel tower does to you. she meets you where you are and reminds you that that's exactly where you should be. she says: stay here and just look at me. feel me and just be. 

the reading room in shakespeare & co

where we went:

-peugeot showroom - near the arc de triomphe, this is where you can buy the famous, french-made pepper mills. top quality!

-eiffel tower - need i say more?

-les cocottes de christian constant - near the eiffel tower. serves rustic, seasonal dishes prepared in staub ceramic cookware. i had the pigeon and mama had pig's feet...perfection!

-place des vosges - beautiful, symmetric courtyard/park in the marais. always reminds me of my first trip to paris because rilee and i stayed with emma in an apartment in the place des vosges. heart flutter.

-shakespeare & company - once the meeting place for writers such as ernest hemingway, this quaint bookstore now serves as a bookstore and reading room for the public. if you buy a book, they will stamp it with their logo. so, so, so charming. 

-chez janou - french fare with an emphasis on provencal flavors. this little restaurant is off the beaten path in marais, perfect for an authentic meal. i had the tuna a la provencale and mama had the ratatouille.

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.

a different view

ah, paris, how i've missed thee.

mama and i are back in this wondrous city, feeling as if a year-and-a-half never happened. when we arrived from the airport and hopped on the metro, we couldn't help but feel like we were just here. somehow, everything seemed so familiar. so comforting. in this foreign city, neither of us feel like foreigners, even though we don't speak a lick of french.

paris in the fall is truly spectacular. i may be biased because autumn is already my favorite season, but paris really does wear it well. the golden leaves, the gray skies, even the slick streets give this city a magical view. it also doesn't hurt that we are staying in a charming, three-century-old attic-turned-apartment in the heart of bastille. my heart skips a beat every time we walk through the door. 

our first full day of paris was nothing short of walking, eating, walking some more, taking photos, and doing it all over again. and that's exactly what we plan to do for the remainder of our trip. it's raining and it's cold, but damn does it feel great. the cafe au lait is that much warmer, the wine is that much smoother. 

mama and i planned this trip months ago on a whim. we love paris and couldn't wait another moment to visit again. (she needed her bread, i needed my macaroons). of course, life happened in between, with me preparing for a marriage and mama settling down with daddy as he takes steps toward building his own business. all of that is to say that we don't know when we'll be able to do this again - just pick up and go. one thing is for sure: we are here now and we are enjoying every bit of this breathtaking city. with every bite of baguette i take and every corner i turn, i will be seeing paris in a different view - one not so much of awe and wonderment, but more of gratefulness and respect.  

where we visited:

-marche de bastille - lovely farmers market in the heart of bastille. where i buy my prunes for my traveling constipation :) open thursdays and sundays.

-rose bakery - started in london, this place offers a plethora of seasonal salads and light dishes. the list of teas is heart-warming to say the least. 

- luxembourg garden - pure beauty, especially during the off-season when you can actually find an open chair.

-mamie gâteaux - a quaint coffee/tea salon in st. germain de pres. bare-bones simple with about six tables. the treats are damn tasty...couldn't decide between the chocolate torte or the cherry-pistachio tart, so opted for the carrot cake. mmm!

-maille - a heavenly store for the mustard-lover. everything from the classic dijon to mustards infused with truffles or basil.

-verjus - a cave-like wine bar, off the beaten path, owned by a couple from seattle. there is a restaurants upstairs with a prix fixe, eight-course tasting menu, but the wine bar below is just as satisfying. we tried the pickled seasonal vegetables, a shaved brussels sprouts dish, and roasted parsnips with roquefort. go early for a seat, as this place has about ten seats total.