Arriving in Paris

Arriving in Paris

Enchanting Paris is always fun to come back to.  Even when it’s only a few days stopover on the way to Spain.  The grey skies and smells are unique to this city.  The perfume of shoots pushing through in the late winter days and the faint undertones of garbage from the Seine fill the air as always along the the more recent odors of roasting halal meats and incense.  The streets with their charming three and four story stone houses and winding lanes remain a constant in a world of change, but the people on them are no longer a distinct type but a diverse amalgam

OUr flight was an easy non-stop on Norwegian Air from New York and as usual we wrestled with finding our way into the city.  The RER train from the airport was a piece of cake but figuring out getting from the Gare du Nord to our apartment hotel was a bit confusing.  We made it however although because of a miscalculation I made we got off a stop earlier and had to walk a bit dragging our suitcases. It didn't help that we were a bit jet lagged. Not so much thought that we didn't set out to explore our neighborhood and go food shopping for a few necessary items.

We lunched as a little bistro where I had a Croque Monsieur and a  pastis thereby fulfilling my desire for a food craving left over from my earliest trips to the city.  Culinarily the place has moved on.  Ethnic restaurants of every stripe line the streets.  Asian, Middle Eastern, African:  they’re all here.