February 1, 2011 by Amy Thomas
Jenny and David enjoying l’heure bleue in An Education
Once you’re familiar with the sweet life in Paris, it’s no easy thing to leave. After all, when every day is filled with arresting beauty, when all five senses get worked over like nowhere else in the world, when you’ve mastered the art of lingering for hours at the dinner table, the lunch table, on the river bank, beside the canal… well, where do you go from here?
Lucky for me, the answer is New York. And as loath as I am to leave some things behind (I’m talking to you, pain au chocolat), I’m equally excited to get back to certain creature comforts.
A stroll along the Seine and a vintage Tabac sign (pkabz, slimjim)
What I’ll Miss
Boulangeries
More specifically, the smell of boulangeries; of butter getting baked into millions of flaky croissant layers in the morning and of baguettes being pulled fresh from the oven each night. Getting smacked in the face with those delicious aromas is almost better than eating the warm, yeasty treats. Almost.
Velibs
It’s like being part of a symphony, riding around Paris on a Velib. You weave around delivery trucks, buzz past monuments, zip across bridges, and coast beneath dancing trees; your heart and legs pumping, spirits soaring, and then, the finale: you park outside Ladurée on the Champs-Elysées and reward yourself with un petit gateau.
L’Heure Bleue
What is it about this “hour” in Paris? Walking in the quiet side streets or staring out the window in the evening is nothing short of magic. It just doesn’t exist as beautifully, or linger as teasingly, anywhere else in the world.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Travel | 15 Comments »
December 8, 2010 by Amy Thomas
Amy Thomas, the sweets queen behind the God I Love Paris blog and one of our very favorite contributors, can’t seem to decide whether she prefers Paris or New York. Hard life? But really, we can’t blame her… because we can’t choose either. What do you think? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Quick: do you prefer hopping in a taxi or on a Velib? Would you rather wear Manolos or Repettos? Oversized sunglasses, or an oversized scarf?
These are difficult questions. Ones that I’ve personally been trying to answer for a year and a half as I’ve also tried cracking the bigger dilemma: Which is the better city in which to live? I know, cue the teeny-tiny pity violins. Whenever I lament feeling torn between New York and Paris, I get the “poor you” rolling of the eyes. But truly, it’s not easy choosing between the two best cities in the world. Let’s see you do it.
Beauty or Energy?
Notre Dame in Paris or Snow in Manhattan? (Karigee)
Paris is dazzling. All you need to do is watch a Godard film or see a Doisneau poster to know that. But to actually walk the streets—with the Plane trees and cobblestones; the rose-tinted street lamps, green bookstalls and golden limestone facades—well, the French know a little something about seduction, don’t they.
But in New York, you’re swept away by everything and everyone around you: pedestrians, taxis, buses, street vendors, blinking neon signs, little dogs, big dogs, and, oh the freaks everywhere! To walk the streets of New York is to know what it means to feel alive. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living, Travel | 33 Comments »
August 24, 2009 by Sarah Raymond
Photo Erica Berman
The nice thing about Paris is that it’s small for such a major city; a lot of things you might want to see and do are within walking distance of each other. The Louvre is not far from the Marais, from which you can stroll over to the Ile St-Louis & Ile de la Cité, which in turn are just next to St-Germain, and then perhaps you might want to keep going just a bit further – possibly to the Musée d’Orsay, followed by the Eiffel Tower? All of a sudden, though the distance between one destination and the next is relatively short, you’ve walked many kilometers. Of course, it’s always nice to stop for a break at a café… but when it’s time to move on, your feet may start to object. There is always the métro – but sometimes the route is not so convenient, or it’s such a nice day you simply would prefer to remain above ground.
This is where Vélib’ comes to the rescue. Continue Reading »
Posted in Green, Parisian Living | No Comments »
