Day One: Arrival in Paris

Despite a ridiculously early flight out of SFO on Sunday morning, both legs of our flight were on time, and surprisingly easy. I was doubly impressed with United as it is one of my least favorite carriers. On the flight from Dulles to Paris, we were upgraded to Economy Plus and were treated to a screening of “Midnight in Paris.” Almost too perfect of a start to what promises to be an equally perfect vacation.

We landed in Paris at 6:30am, Monday morning, bought our Navigo cards (similar to a Clipper Card, with the lovely exception that it requires a photo and will allow us to take any mode of transportation from Zones 1-5), and jumped on the train to central Paris. After a near fatal miss – Heather made it onto the M as the doors closed, leaving me behind. I jumped on the next train and met her at station Republique. As we rode the escalator to street level, we were greeted by a blue sky and a warm Paris morning. A few blocks later, we found our charming apartment in the middle of le Marais. *le sigh* Once all five flights of stairs were out of the way, our landlord greeted us with pan de chocolat – still warm from the oven.

View from our apartment

In an effort to ward of the jet lag that was setting in, we decided to take a walk through the neightborhood. We found ourselves at Bar du Soleil for a quick bite and glass of wine while we basked in the Parisian sun. 

Chevre Salad

Sun and wine began to tire us, so we decided to keep moving. We wandered aimlessly, passing the Pompidou, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, and Ile Saint Louis. 

Pompidou

Hotel de Ville

As we headed back home, we stopped at the Supermarche, the French grocery chain. I’m always fascinated by grocery stores in other countries. We picked up a few staples and also walked away with roasted chicken and thyme potato chips (sounds weird, but oh-so-tasty), blood orange juice, and a 9e bottle of Sancerre. After giving in to the inevitable nap, we rallied for a night walk through le Marais. Bustling and lively, I’m not sure how I’m going to get around to all of the bistros and brasseries. Lord knows I’m going to try my best. It amazes me that these brasseries are packed all day, and well into the night. If crowd indicates quality, then I daresay, there are over 15 brasseries in a five block radius which will require my patronage. I knew I should’ve packed my pants with an elastic waistband. Tomorrow, the Orsay. Right now, I have a bottle of Sancerre with my name on it.