La vie parisienne en trois mois

[33avenue]

Hi everyone! I hope you're all enjoying spring. I know we certainly are. My two-year-old daughter and I are currently living in Paris for the next three months. We've been here already for two weeks and absolutely enjoy it, albeit the rainy/grey/cloudy days. We even got caught in a thunderstorm while walking all the way from Avenue Montaigne to the Louvre. Regardless, that one-hour walk was a great way to experience Paris in the rain.

We have rented an apartment through My Paris Visit and so far have a very good experience with the agency. The apartment is in the 1st arrondissement and, at first, I was a bit skeptical because I was afraid there would mostly be clothing boutiques and so. Not that there's anything wrong with that but I also wanted to have some "vie de quartier" like in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. But anyway, it turned out perfectly! We're just next to the Louvre, Tuileries, Palais Royal, which have become my daughter's playgrounds. We ride the carousel almost everyday and also watch the Marionette/Guignol at Champs-Elysées. There are also tons of local boulangeries, epiceries, brasseries, traiteur, etc. I've also enrolled my daughter to ballet and music jamming courses (bilingual) and she's absolutely enjoying them.

I decided to temporarily move to Paris because I wanted to live my dream. I've been here many times before but mostly for only a few days. I thought this would be the best time to make my dream into a reality as I could still take my daughter out of nursery school back home. Once she starts kindergarden, it would be very difficult to spend three months here. The schools at home are very strict and summer vacation is only five weeks (the rest are broken down into ski vacation, autumn vacation, spring break and Christmas). I planned this trip since summer last year, saved up and informed my clients early on (before accepting any projects) that I would be working remotely this time and if they would be ok with it. My husband is also very supportive and is visiting us every two weeks from Switzerland.

I'm trying to update my blog everyday with images from Paris. My posts have been all about this wonderful city since May 1 (the day we arrived):

www.33avenue.com

Thanks for letting me share this wonderful experience with you.



At the Tuileries:



Ecole du Louvre and Montparnasse Tower as seen from Les Arts Décoratifs



Inside Musée d'Orsay



Sacré-Cœur from a different perspective

[framboiseetrose]

I haven't been in the forum for a while and the first thing I saw is your post. How delightful! You and your daughter will be very happy in Paris.

Be careful! You might want to extend your stay when your three months is up! It happened to us but that was a long, long time ago. My 2 youngest were much older than your daughter and they were brave enough to go to a French Parochial School in the 8th arrondisement! They both loved it.....

So happy for you and looking forward to read about your Parisian life!

[Shoesy]

We all have dreams, but we don't always make them come true. I admire you for your efforts to fulfill yours. Enjoy every moment!

[travelluver]

Beautiful pics! I'll be sure to read your blog. I second Shoesy's admiration of your move, and wish you a wonderful stay.

[denise]

:)Always good to read another blog, especially about Paris.. Enjoy your three months in Paris, what an experience! I am sure you will never regret following your dream.

Denise
Love from Helsinki.

[rachel]

How wonderful! I'm enjoying the blog and your unique aesthetic. Enjoy!

[33avenue]

Thank you everyone! About living my dream, I've always strived to make some a reality. I know it's not always possible, but it's still nice to dream. =) My favorite quote is from The Little Prince:

Fais de ta vie un rêve, et d’un rêve, une réalité. — Antoine de Saint Exupéry

We spend our days walking around, my legs hurt (ouch!), but it's such a great way to see the city and a great exercise. I hope to have toned legs after hahaha! Yesterday, we walked all the way from Pont Neuf to the Guignol/Marionette Theater at Champs-Elysées. Then, my daughter said she wanted to see the "big" Eiffel Tower so off we walked to Trocadéro, where we also rode the beautiful double decker carousel.

I've also mastered the bus lines, which come in very convenient when we're tired. Plus, I don't need to worry about the stairs going down the metro with my daughter's stroller. I also much prefer to see Paris at street level than underground.

I'd love to stay longer in Paris, it's just such a beautiful city. But I have engagements back home and my daughter is starting Montessori kindergarden ... at least I have my full three months here and I'm very thankful for that! =)

A couple of places we ate that might be of interest:
1) Claus
It's off Jean-Jacques Rousseau where they serve organic food. It has a very relaxed and cozy atmosphere and is owned by a German named Claus. He's often there. We go here mainly for brunch on weekdays. I heard it's packed on weekends, especially by the trendy/art/fashion crowd. I love how the chairs and tables are spaced apart (compared to most Parisian brasseries/cafes) and that one side is like a sofa. It's perfect for my daughter.

2) Pistacherie Paris
At the corner of L'Avenue George V and the Seine (but I think they have other shops). I bought a mix of pistachios ... a bit pricey but they're very good.

[33avenue]

Hi everyone!

I can't believe how time flies, we've been here for 20 days now! I also finally visited Canal Saint-Martin and I have to say I like it better in the movie Amélie. This weekend, the weather became slightly warmer, though there's still the sporadic rainfall. We also tried to enter some museums during the Nuit européenne des musées 2012 on Saturday but there were long lines everywhere. So, we decided to just enjoy and walk around Paris at night. My daughter especially LOVED the blinking Eiffel Tower.

Here are some photos/updates on my blog, including Parisian fashion.

1) www.33avenue.com/canalsaintmartin/
2) www.33avenue.com/elysee/
3) www.33avenue.com/repetto/
4) www.33avenue.com/bigbag/
5) www.33avenue.com/bohorock/
6) www.33avenue.com/neutralsandsandals/

A couple of restaurants we recently ate at:
1) La Procope
The oldest restaurant in Paris at Saint-Germain. Food is okay but we liked the ambiance and the staff were friendly, albeit slow (but that seems to be the case mostly in Paris anyway). We also think the lunch menu prices were decent for the food you get, especially the Menu Enfant (salmon, rice and dessert for €7.50).

2) Kong Bar/Restaurant
I love Sex and the City and finally got the chance to go to Kong's. Well, the view of Pont Neuf is excellent (we got seats just right at the window/glass cupola) but food is so-so. I also found it pricey for what it is.

Take care!

[33avenue]

It was absolutely pouring rain today but that didn't stop us from enjoying the city. After strolling a bit around Place Dauphine, we walked along Rue de Rivoli and found refuge at my new favorite bookstore, Libraire Galignani. I used to frequent Shakespeare & Co. but now I much prefer Galignani with it's elegant hardwood shelves, spacious layout (perfect for our stroller), friendly staff and a wonderful little corner with children's books. It's also less touristy than Shakespeare & Co. I bought my daughter a collector's edition of Babar with five stories.

Here are some photos and updates on my blog:
1) www.33avenue.com/galignani/
2) www.33avenue.com/padlock/

Places we ate at recently:
1) Angelina
There wasn't really a long line today so we had mille-feuille and hot chocolate. Yummy!

2) Minim's
Next to Maxim's, we went here just for a cup of coffee. It was quite empty so we had a nice table next to the window. The waiter was also nice enough to make a special "babyccino" ... it's basically milk froth in an espresso cup and my daughter enjoys it, she feels like a grown up. Back home, a restaurant gives it for free to children so I often ask for it here in Paris.

3) Berthillon
We were also lucky that even though we went on a weekend, there was hardly a line and we again got great seats next to the window. I had chocolate fondant avec framboise and vanilla ice cream on the side. I was not disappointed. For my daughter, I again ordered "babyccino" which the waiter was glad to make.

P.S.: I always need to explain to the waiters what "babyccino" is but I'm glad they could do it. So far, nobody has denied us. I think they should start serving this really at cafés ... they could even charge for it.

[33avenue]

Another week has passed and we're enjoying this beautiful city even more every single day. If anyone is in town, would love to meet up for coffee or cakes. Next week, I'm also starting French lessons (yay!) and found a program at the Sorbonne that suits my needs. As I can't go on super intensive lessons because of my daughter, the Sorbonne offers 12 hours/week for the month of June ... just enough for me to learn something while still being able to spend time with little Sophie. My aunt and cousin will be visiting us the whole month in Paris and they said they'll be happy to care for my daughter when I'm in French class. =)

My little one is still enjoying her weekly ballet lessons and music/jamming workshops. Last week, we also attended L'Atelier de Matisse pour enfants at the Centre Pompidou and she enjoyed making art. We've also been busy visiting the different exhibits at the museums such as Helmut Newton and Beauté Animal at Grand Palais, Da Vinci's Saint Anne at the Louvre, Degas at Musée d'Orsay, Matisse at the Pompidou, and Louis Vuitton/Marc Jacobs and Babar the Elephant at Les Arts Décoratifs. As my daughter loves Beauty and the Beast, we also visited the Musée de Moyen Age and pretended to look for Belle, the Prince and the Beast since the museum looks like a castle (we do this in Switzerland too, visit castles and look for these characters haha!). We've also been doing some movie trails such as Ratatouille and Sex and the City (the Paris episodes).

As often, we're hanging out mostly at the Tuileries. We've also been enjoying watching people at Place Dauphine and Pont des Arts. I also finally went to Rue Montorgueil. After all these years of visiting Paris, I've never been so it was nice to have a stroll around.

Here are some photos and updates on my blog:
1) www.33avenue.com/woody/
2) www.33avenue.com/happyhour/
3) www.33avenue.com/mime/
4) www.33avenue.com/closed/

In Paris, I'm really very pleased with how friendly people are towards my daughter and I. Some often complain about the Parisians, but we've rarely had problems. Sure, there were some rude ones, but I find it always depends how one reacts. Honestly, I found many tourists rude. They block the streets, never say "bonjour" and some are even rowdy, etc., etc., and I can actually understand if some Parisians become unfriendly towards them.

Places we ate at recently:
1) L'Avenue
I absolutely love this place. It's at Avenue Montaigne and for years, I always passed by it, looking at the people lol! It's often packed and this time we easily got a table and had very Frenchie stuff like escargot, foie gras, moelleux au chocolat and rosé champagne. They also served babyccino for my daughter.

2) Claus
Again we went to Claus. We go there at least once a week now. I like the cozy atmosphere and the good quality organic food. It's tucked away in a small street at Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

3) Le Pain Quotidien
We often ate here in Switzerland until they changed the menu, so we stopped going. But we liked the meals they served here in Paris (went to the one at Rue Montorgueil) and, the waiter was happy to serve babyccino to my daughter. =)

P.S.: Here's my little Matisse at work at L'Atelier de Matisse pour enfants at the Centre Pompidou. It's nice how they set up the room to look like Matisse's place.



Take care!

[mossie]

Many thanks for your reports and the links to your blog, which I really enjoyed. Your love and care for your daughter shine out, that is such a lovely age and they are learning so much, so quickly. It is so important to lead them down a good path as you are doing, and inducing a love of Paris at the same time, is really the icing on the cake.

[Shoesy]

Nice to see how your little girl is being exposed to Paris goodies at such a young age. Continue to enjoy !

[denise]

:)Really enjoying your blog. Great that you are introducing Sophie to Paris and what a great adventure!

An exalt for you!

Denise
Love from Bolton.

[geordy]

Wrote a reply yesterday but bro's computer wasn't cooperating maybe todat!

Just seconding...or whatevering by now!..that you are exposing things to your daughter that she may not consciously recall for a bit now..but will be in her brain forever..and you are both enjoying it! Keep it up..and telling us about it!

[33avenue]

Thank you Mossie, Denise, Shoesy and Geordy!

I do think being here and being exposed to the environment does help my daughter even though she might not remember it later. Right now at least she knows how to cross the street, how to behave in museums, recognizes the Eiffel Tower, and enjoys the parks, carousel rides and her ballet/music lessons.

[33avenue]

Another week full of activities. The weather has also been great, sunny most of the time and it has also cooled down a bit today so it was a pleasure to walk around. It rained the past couple of days but only in the late evening. We also visited Musee Carnavalet (to see how "Belle, the Beast and the Prince" lived lol!) and a couple of exhibitions at Musee Jeu de Paume. My daughter now starts to say, "Be careful, no touching" lol! We also staked out at the Trocadero a couple of times to wait for the Eiffel Tower to blink ... quite late at 10 p.m.

Here are some photos and updates on my blog:
1) www.33avenue.com/helmut/
2) www.33avenue.com/alone/
3) www.33avenue.com/mummy/
4) www.33avenue.com/weddings/
5) www.33avenue.com/heels/
6) www.33avenue.com/paul/
7) www.33avenue.com/minuitmoins/

A couple of places we ate at:
1) L'As du Fallafel
Apparently the best falafel in town (Rue des Rosiers in the Marais). After lining up in one long line, good thing one of the several "hosts" came and asked if anyone just wants take out and has a ticket. We raised our hand, he took our order, we went to another line, and just had to wait 2 minutes. I'm not a falafel expert but we were pretty satisfied with it. Even my daughter enjoyed it.

2) Le Loir dans la Théière
Cakes and a "babyccino" at one of our favorite cafés in the Marais. As with all cafés in Paris, they also served our special request of "babyccino" (milk froth) and for free. This place has a great ambiance though there's always a line to enter. We had to wait around 10 minutes.

3) Satoshi
I was craving for some Japanese food and stumbled upon Satoshi while walking at Rue des Petits Champs. My Oyaku Don was pretty good (or I was just starving for rice lol!).

4) Le Sud
All the way at Boulevard Gouvion Saint-Cyr, we went here to meet a friend who has been living in Paris for the past few years. She's from Toulousse so it's no wonder she chose this place. It has a Mediterranean flair, colorful interior, and lots of fish. My Assiette de poissons grillés du Sud, brochette de légumes, aïoli was very good and I would recommend this place to anyone.

5) La Fourmi Ailee
We had lunch here, near Notre Dame at Rue du Fouarre. I love the interior with books all around the shelf but my dish (market fish) was so-so but this place felt a lot less touristy than the other cafes near Notre Dame. I initially discovered this place while walking around a couple of years ago and was intrigued by its color (a blend between a robin's egg and Tiffany blue), which stood out from the rest of the concrete buildings, but I actually never ate here until now.

6) Berthillon
We went here (again) to have dessert after eating at La Fourmi Ailee. I ordered (again) chocolate fondant avec framboise and vanilla ice cream on the side.

7) The Smith's Bakery
Well, we often pass by this place while around Saint Germain for some ice cream. It's mostly because their cup for the ice cream (Berthillon) is high enough so the ice cream doesn't melt all around my daughter. We've also been to Amorino and Grom but just prefer the cup at The Smith's Bakery. I also enjoy Berthillon's mango sorbet anyway. =)

8) Le Bonaparte
I love the ambiance of this place, just right at Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I just had a cocktail and ice cream for my daughter but as we were sitting right at the front row of the terrace, we enjoyed the people watching. I also find it a very cozy place.

** In case you're wondering how "babyccino" looks like, it's just basically milk froth (mousse de lait) that I ask to have in an espresso cup. Here's my daughter enjoying hers:

[jo]

That last picture of your daughter is absolutely charming! I love your blog and I am trying really hard not to be too jealous of your 3 months in Paris!

Thanks so much for sharing with us, it must be hard some days to take the time when you have your little girl to care for. You are feeding our addiction well, lol

Jo

[Shoesy]

Your darling little daughter seems rather mature for her age. I bet there are many things about Paris that will remain in her memory. One thing for sure.......she'll never forget all that delicious ice-cream. ;D

[phread]

Weather has been great? In Paris? This June? Hmmm.... Which arrondisement have you been in, because where I live, the word depressing is being thrown about the zinc at the local café...

[33avenue]

Thanks everyone! My daughter now starts to speak a few French words by herself that she picked up from ballet and music class.