Paris Diaries : No 4

I started my morning bright and early at the Trocadero for an exciting photo shoot. I have never had a proper photo shoot in front of the eiffel tower after spending so much time here. I was excited when my friend Anastasia offered to photograph me, especially since it called for a very early morning on a Saturday. I arrived early to people watch and enjoy the sunrise at Trocadero. I had a full belly of croissant and a cafè créme so I was off to a good start. I can’t wait to show you the photos from this morning. I had a sneak peak on the camera and it was very classic Paris with a little Audrey Hepburn. 

After the photo shoot we stopped for a pastry and a catch up over coffee and tea at the lovely Carette not too far from the Trocadero. Yes, if you are calculating I had two croissants today! But in defense I walked a total of 10 miles and climbed 30 flights of stairs. So I am totally even! right? 

I have friends visiting Paris at the same time as me so it was really important to show them why I love Paris so much. We started at the Bastille market where we picked up cheeses and my favorite apple the Rubinette and explored a bit. I took them to my favorite boulangerie where the baguettes came out pipping hot from the oven. We stood outside and took our first bite. I have shared this moment with so many people over the years. The first bite of a freshly baked, hot baguette on the streets of Paris is pretty perfect. We walked over to Place de Vosges to enjoy our snacks from the market and people watch. 

My friend Tanya asked me later in the day how I decided to move to Paris. The story is that I was visiting in 2011 and walked through Place de Vosges and it hit me. I think I am going to live here one day and I want an apartment right here… Little did I know the apartments in Place de Vosges are a little out of my price range. But just two years later I moved to Paris. I still think it is pretty crazy but so happy that I made it happen. 

The first time I explored Montmartre was in 2010 and I didn’t know much about Paris at all. I had a friend show me around and I remember it was pouring down rain so we sat and watched the rain fall at a Montmartre café. I had no idea I would call Montmartre my home just three years later. Today I brought my friends to Montmartre after the market to show them around rue des abbesses and a few of my favorite streets. We climbed the stairs to the top of Sacre Coeur which can explain why my stair count was so high. 

After a late lunch I set off to my hotel to quickly change clothes before dinner. I have friends in Paris that I call my “Paris Family” I will save the explanation for another post. They are traveling to Venice in a few days so we squeezed in a visit tonight. Dinner consisted off five types of cheeses, fruit, baguette, and wine. It was my perfect meal. We sat around catching up on life from the last couple of months. Their apartment is beautiful and they were the perfect hosts for the evening. We finished the night off with pastry from Angelina. 

Writing the Paris Diaries is a challenge because of my long days but I am so happy to be able to record what my days are like and sharing everything with all of you. It seems the posts will continue to stay at this time for the rest of the trip due to my schedule. Thank you to each and every one of you for reading and commenting. XO