Paris Days 10 through 13: May 27th–May 30th

Time is a funny thing. Somehow the whole week has gone by, but each day passes wonderfully slowly and filled with new adventures. At home kin Oakland, I often blink and the next month has arrived. My weeks and months are marked mostly by work-related things—the deadlines, the paychecks, the weekly meetings. Here my days are marked by the unexpected, by walks, by discovery. Each day Cody and I head out into Paris, with a destination in mind (and sometimes with none at all), and more often than not we end up staying out all day, letting one place lead and direct us to the next.

This week was no exception. We meant to take it slow, especially earlier in the week after the tattoo (since that is a energy zapping experience), but of course we ended up here, there are everywhere. And that was ok.

Here are some of the things we did this week, in no particular order:

• Visited the 20th arrondissement and said hello to some of our hold haunts.

• Visited a Picard for the first time, and marveled and the white, frozen aisles, filled with ready to heat food.

• Scoured the stamp and ephemera market for treaures.

• Visited the Petit Palais and spent some time with the works of William Blake.

• Visited the Grand Palais and spent some time with some good and some not so good modern art.

• Walked the Marais eating ice cream

• Came home thorugh Place des Vosges almost every night.

• Paid homage (and Euros) to the ateliers and magasins on rue Pont de Phillipe.

• Went out to the 16th, where Cody stayed to see a match at the French Open (and I went home and an afternoon to my self)

• Ate Croissants, Baguettes, Sandwiches, Tartes, Salades, Falafels, Pastas and more.

• Went to the Richard Lenoir fresh market and bought cherries and salted caramels.

• Walked.

During the course of wanderings, the importance of these trips become clear. I end up with markers that are from life and adventures, not just from work. The entire trip be something that I will remember fondly and forever (and when I come to Paris, I often add an actual mark to my skin as I have done this trip), not just a marker that will fade into the weeks and months of every day existence.