Orange Girl World

The other day at work,  I saw a girl who had a Paris Metro ticket in her purse.  I was suddenly full of longing and nostalgia.  I wanted to ask her something about it.  Did she just arrive from Paris?  Did she live there or did she visit?  I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to do or say anything weird, but the Metro ticket nearly brought me to tears.

Because of that I have compiled a list for you good folks of the things I miss most about Paris:

1. How Paris smells in the autumn – like roasted chestnuts, cigarette smoke and dry leaves.

2. The Louvre – not just the museum but the building.  I love how it has grown and expanded over the centuries.  I especially love the contrast of the 20th century glass pyramid against the older, stone wings. I could (and have) stared at it for hours.

3. The glamour Paris adds to everyday life – Whatever you do from your laundry to the food shopping is better because some amazing or iconic monument is right in your skyline.

4. The romance – A friend recently pointed out of much blood has been shed on the streets of Paris, and it’s true the city has an incredibly violent past.  I think that adds to the romance.  It’s romantic not just because it’s beautiful, it’s romantic because the streets have been the setting for so many great and important things.

5. McDo – I hate McDonald’s generally.  I stopped eating it completely after seeing Supersize Me.  However, every now and again I get a craving for it, and what I crave is the food you get in the Paris McDonald’s (or McDo as the natives call).  It tastes more real somehow.

6. Spring – it arrives literally overnight in Paris.  In the last week of March suddenly the rain stops, the flowers bloom, it’s warm and the sky is a amazing shade of blue.  It’s like the whole world has become Technicolor.

7. Crepes – especially those from the crepe stall on rue Cler.  Yum, yum, yummy!

8. Cafes – in Britain there is nowhere you can peacefully sit out the entire day reading and writing and drinking coffee peacefully.  Starbucks is too crowded and you can’t write in a pub.

9. Window shopping – with so many glorious designer shops (Chanel, Dior, Louis Vitton, Givenchy) Paris has the best window shopping in the world.  New York and London have got nothing on Paris.

10. Cinemas! – Going to the movies is fantastic in Paris.  There are so many cinemas and so many diverse offerings in movies.  I especially loved the morning shows at 10am.  It’s a great way to start the day.