Bastille Day! — Patti Part Two

Bastille Day is the national day of France celebrated on July 14th each year. It celebrates the storming of the Bastille - a military fortress and prison in a violent uprising that helped usher in the French Revolution, and is celebrated much like the US Independence Day with parades and fireworks. I am guessing this year will be a quieter day in France as in much of the world where we are still dealing with the challenges of Covid 19. But I will still be celebrating it this year with at least a croissant in the morning and a nice glass of wine at happy hour, and pretending to be sitting in one of my favorite cafes in the Marais arrondissement in Paris.

Having this abundance of time on my hands when I can’t travel out of the country has given me the silver lining of time to think about when I can travel again where will I go, and time to reflect on the places I’ve been that have given me the most joy. And without a doubt France and more specifically Paris is what I have decided is definitely my happy place. So when I can travel again, and while I think I am an optimistic person, I also consider myself to be realistic - I don’t see it happening before mid 2021. I would love to be wrong but I’m prepared to be stateside until then. What I do know is that while Paris might not be the only place I go - it will most certainly be somewhere I visit at some point on that trip - most likely at the end as the perfect finish to another great adventure. Which brings me to the main point of this post. I’ve been to Paris 6 times so far. And the past couple of trips have each been for more then a few days - closer to a week. Why? So instead of just saying it’s my happy place and I could and want to keep returning I’m going to give you my reasons.

Reason Number 1 - Croissants! I can expand that category to include bread. I know you might be thinking what is she crazy? I can get bread anywhere! And to you I say not like in Paris. In France a bakery is called a boulangerie, not to be confused with a patisserie which sells pastries, cakes, mousses and desserts. A boulangerie sells different types of bread and basic pastries that need dough or a crust like eclairs and tarts. In Paris alone there are more than 30,000 boulangeries - and Paris the city is not as large as you might think. So there is basically a boulangerie on every block. And I want to try them all.

Fairly typical but many are quite a bit smaller.

Number 2 - Museums. If you know me at all or have ever read any of my travel posts then you know I LOVE museums! In Slovenia I dragged my friend Julie on a wild goose chase into the Alps on a bicycle in search of a museum about bee keeping - and I’m not even a big fan of bees! Refer to my blog post from April 2018 for a recap of that adventure if you’re interested. Paris has arguably the best and largest amount of museums at your disposal of any city in the world - and I would like to visit every single one. And they are so reasonable and accessible especially if you take advantage of the Paris Museum Pass. You can buy a 2, 4 or 6 day pass for a reasonable cost and over that consecutive time period have unlimited entrance to over 50 locations - most of which are in the Paris vicinity. The only place not included in the pass and I wouldn’t consider it a museum is the Eiffel Tower. Definitely worth visiting but not included in the pass. I’ve been known to make 4 to 5 stops in a day using my pass - almost nothing constitutes a better day to me.

Is it a park or a museum? It’s both! The Louvre from the Tuileries Garden in spring💕

Top left - Musee D’Orsay, bottom right - Musee Rodin, bottom left - the Musee Du Louvre.

Number 3 - The beautiful architecture and neighborhoods (called arrondissements). The city was renovated to modernize it by a French official named Georges-Eugène Haussmann who was chosen by Emperor Napoleon III between 1853-1870. It was a massive urban renewal program of new boulevards, parks and public works to bring clean water and modern sewers. I’ve been to many of the 20 arrondissements and they each have their own personality and something they’re known for. I’ll keep going back until I know them all.

Haussmann architecture is characterized by facades made of sandstone with black iron balconies.

A typical street view with shops on the first floor.

Number 4 - a great transportation system and super walkable! I love using public transportation - at least pre - Covid I did - and hopefully once we have a vaccine will again. Paris has 16 metro lines and 5 RER lines that connect to the suburbs, so it’s very easy to get a pass or buy a carnet (10 ride tickets) and get anywhere you want in a jiffy. The system is clean, safe, well maintained and easy to navigate. You’re in Paris - act like a local!

Number 5 - Shopping. I’m not really a shopper but I turn into one in Paris. There are huge amazing department stores and small specialty shops in abundance. They line the streets everywhere and everything looks chic. If you can’t find it there I submit that it doesn’t really exist.

Paper stores, wine stores, jewelry, shoes, lingerie, etc, etc, etc!

Number 6 - Flower Shops. You might wonder why I give flower shops a separate category independent of shopping. Well it’s because I think they deserve their own listing because I find the number and beauty of them amazing. Almost like boulangeries they are on every block. I was so astonished I actually did research and found out that the French love fresh flowers and greenery. They live typically in fairly small places without gardens or green space so are especially drawn to have fresh flowers at home always. So you often see people heading home with a bouquet and a loaf of bread.

Number 7 - Parks and Gardens. The Tuileries! The Luxembourg Gardens! Those are two of the huge and famous gardens but in all the neighborhoods there are so many pretty little areas to sit on a bench and relax surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers.

Number 8 - The Food! I think it’s nearly impossible to eat bad food in Paris. Maybe if you try really really hard - but why would you when there is great food so easily available? Whether you just want a light bite or a 10 course meal you can find it easily. Reservations especially for dinner are highly recommended - but for lunch you can just stop in at a cafe or brasserie and get a salad, soup or my favorite - the Croque Monsieur - the best grilled ham and cheese you’ve ever had.

Julie and I eating our Croque Monsieur with a glass of wine of course😊

A typical dinner - always with fantastic bread.

Number 9 - the People💕 What? You heard the French hated Americans? Or that they were rude or unfriendly? That has never been my experience. I find the people lovely. They tend to be a bit more reserved than Americans - but very polite and helpful. Of course it should go without saying that being polite and patient to them and understanding that we are guests in their country and treating them accordingly is a given. And no one beats them - male or female - in looking more fashionable. They just wrap their scarfs around their necks and kill it!

The sweetest family that I met at a restaurant. Each of the children came over when their parents introduced them and kissed me on both cheeks. Lovely!

I know I’ll get there again. In the meantime I love reliving my memories and transporting myself back whenever I look at my pictures or eat a croissant. Happy Bastille Day! Vive la France! 🇫🇷