What a difference a decade makes.
The last time I visited Paris, I was an impressionable (read: sensitive) 17 year old and I left the city with a bitter taste in my mouth thinking the food sucked and the people sucked even more.
Fast forward 12 years, and after a short trip to Amsterdam, it was off to Paris. After having spent a week in Paris, I can confidently say that it is my second favorite European — after Barcelona, naturally. From the palatte-pleasing cuisine (highlighted by dinners at Le Derrière, Hotel du Nord, Hotel Costes) to the awe-inspiring exhibits (Federico Fellini at Jeu De Paume, ‘Art Nouveau Revivial’ and James Ensor at Musée d’Orsay) to the hands-down best shopping on the planet (see: everywhere), Paris was simply magical. Admittedly my daily averages of 13.3 café américains and 3.7 pain du chocolats a day didn’t hurt much. [Where else can you go and see half-naked joggers running thru the courtyards of 400+ year old palaces and museums at all hours of the day?] The only drawback to our trip was the fact that Paris’ main tourist attractions (Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, etc.) were shut down due to a worker strike — but all that did was force us to travel the less ‘touristy’ road. The results? Très magnifique.
Art Nouveau at Musée d’Orsay…
…and Art Nouveau in the streets
Inside this armoire? The ‘secret’ smoking room of Le Derriere (Open armoire door, push in the back of armoire, and voila!)
Workers strike outside Louvre. Translation: “F*ck you Gilberto, you uncultured American bastard go home!” Yikes.
View from atop the Eiffel Tower
Shok represented hard in Paris!
The tagger