Paris has that...Je ne sais quoi

Finally, I am able to put five years of studying French into good use. It’s amazing just how much comes back to me when surrounded by le francais. Plus, the French are nicer when you speak their native tongue. Simply learn “bonjour” and “merci” with a smile – I promise it will work wonders! We arrived here on Thursday, October 16 (after waking up at 4:15am only to miss a train connection and forced to buy a new ticket) with Andy’s friend Danny from work who picked us up at the Brussels train station. Paris is the anomaly on the trip so far as we had this planned long in advance because we are here to WORK! What is that again? Yes indeed, Andy coordinated two days of on-site work at an event here at the Paris Disneyland Resort in exchange for five nights accommodation and some much-needed Euros. Tres bien!

Paris…the land of berets, skinny moustaches and the Eiffel Tower (among other things of course). I put my tour guide hat on for Andy in the city as I have been here a number of times over the years and this is his first French experience. It was a bit of a tease to stay at the Disneyland Resort for two days before even setting foot in the city center. Not to mention the screaming little ones and strollers all around. Did I mention we are not ready for kids yet? On Saturday we finally ventured in on the RER A Train and popped up from the underground Metro beside the grandiose L’Arc de Triomphe and a bright sunshine-y day. It was a marvel to see the 8 unmarked lanes of traffic circling the 12-sided star of lanes spewing out from the circle around the giant arch. Next, we cruised down Le Champs Elysees and peeked in at the fancy pants shops that one day we will be able to afford to actually shop in. We meandered through to Pont Neuf and Jardin de Tuileries before sitting down to taste a crepe and a glass of red wine at a brasserie. Next, my favorite cathedral – St. Chapelle – where 1,113 scenes depicted in 15 giant stained glass windows tell the story of mankind through Christ’s resurrection in sequential order. I’m not Christian though I still truly appreciate this beautiful and stunning masterpiece built in 1247.

Now, let’s talk more about my favorite part of Europe…food and beverage. France is known for its fresh, local cuisine from specialty shops. After seeing a beautiful hilltop view of the city from Montmartre’s Sacre Coeur, we stopped into le boulangerie for a couple of baguettes, le fromagerie for Manchego, Chevre Rocamadour and Brie cheeses and le vinerie for a bottle of Cotes du Rhone. Picnic-style, we found a bench at dusk and sat down with our fresh goods. I can honestly say that this baguette was the very best I have ever tasted! Andy pulled off the first piece and I could see the steam rising from the interior, clearly fresh from the oven. Like a true gentleman, he handed the piece to me and it was doughy and holey in the middle surrounded by a crunchy and perfectly golden crust baked with just the right amount of oil and salt. The result was an absolutely perfect combination of flavor and texture. Magnifique! Manchego is a hard white cheese with a deliciously robust flavor and melted ever so slightly on the hot bread. After washing each bite down with a sip of the fruity yet dry red wine, our tastebuds were in heaven once more. I could eat like this every day.

The Louvre, the Seine and sipping kir at a French restaurant also made our time in Paris enjoyable. But the very best sight was the Eiffel Tower. Why, you ask? Yes, it’s just a bunch of metal. We arrived at dusk to just that – a bunch of metal. But as day turned into night, the tower was illuminated with colors of bright blue and purple. We strolled to the adjacent park to get a better view of this famous Paris icon and without warning it began blinking all over with white lights like a sparkler on the 4th of July. A wonderful gift from Paris we will remember forever.