paris walk no. 3: left bank

July 23rd, 2010

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I’ve been feeling pretty under the weather, crazy migraines and vision problems to the point where I’m essentially blind all day – I see double and can’t focus past a few feet from my face. Apparently it’s stress, but it’s so stressful to be mostly blind that it’s hard to relax. Hooray. So I’ve been coming home from my (totally insanely stressful) job & getting into bed and feeling downright un-magical and wishing I felt ok and could see.

But, many of you lovelies have mentioned soon-to-go-to-Paris trips, so I feel like I must must must get this one up because I want everyone going to Paris to have a day this magical! That totally sounds like mother-guilt! Ha! It is not. I’m hoping it will cheer me up, too.

This was my 2nd from last vacation day, which was hands down one of the most amazing travel-days ever. If you’re going to spend ONE DAY IN PARIS, this is what you do. Ok?
promenade1promendae2spigotYou wake up. You put on your favorite dress. You walk along the Promenade plantée on your way to lunch at Le Train Bleu which is basically the most lovely place, ever. You pretend it is 1922 and you are traveling from somewhere very mysterious.

train2trainbleu

Then, the Natural History Museum in the Jardin des Plantes. There’s so much to see here it’s almost unbearable. Huge, astounding greenhouses. Long rows of trees and paths. Tiny skeletons. The cabinet of curiosities. You walk and rest and look and your eyes fill up with everything good and you decide that if you ever own a house and grounds this is what it will look like, ok?

belljarloupnaturalhistorytete_noirearmiesfontYou also decide someone should make a font from these old signs.

carouseljardinstormpathcabinet& maybe the lady at the Cabinet of Curiousities will yell at you a little in French to not take photos, but you will ignore her and scamper out.

cabinet2shade

You find yourself in need of refreshment, and handily the tea room at the Grand Mosquee de Paris is right there, with tea and baklava, and is one of the most transportive (I just made that word up, apparently) experiences, ever. We need something like this here – serene even packed with people, so, so, calming.

teamosque2mosque3mosqu35

Then, your adorable guide realizes you are just RIGHT NEAR the Cluny, a medieval museum that actually houses the Lady & the Unicorn Tapestries. Which are breathtaking and magical and not at all Christian feeling but wild, wild, and feel like they’ve woven from the same things that weave us.

clunywellstained

When you’re done time traveling, you head to Bouillon Racine to sit in an art nouveau wonderland and taste one of the most astounding culinary confections ever – a waffle, filled with creme brulee. No, really, let’s stop and think about this – a waffle, with it’s little waffle holes filled with creme brulee, with it’s crispy creme brulee top. Too much amazing.

racine

Perhaps you still have time to browse in Shakespeare & Co, or explore the bookseller stalls along the Seine,

shakesshaks

Or stop at Notre Dame,

notredame2notredame

Or enjoy an ice cream cone at Berthillon on the Île Saint-Louis and shop for affordable linen and silk dresses at Nina Kendosa down the street.

Anyway, so there you are, the best day in Paris. My last day was pretty dang amazing too, I almost don’t want to write about it, because then it feels like my trip to Paris will really be over. I miss it now! Here’s the map of this walk, by the way.

Also, I started this post Wednesday night and now it’s Thursday night and I probably won’t have sorted through the 234783742 photos (adding the extra to flickr, it was getting a little crazy in here) for this post until Friday morning, but I just wanted to say that I have 2 time honored ways to fix the stressy-grumpens, one is to go to a cafe with a patio and sit in the sun and drink coffee and read until I’m fixed, and the other I just did and it helps so much: Get into the bath with an Apothekerri fizzy melt, a glass of red wine, a candle that gives enough light to read by, a clove cigarette (don’t worry, I only smoke like a pack a year), and a good book. It’s something I’ve been doing in extreme situations since college and I think the nostalgia enough is enough to take me down a notch. My eyes are still messed up, but whew. Not feeling as dire. Hope everyone has lovely weekends!

Tags:  tiny adventures