The Beginning of a Three Month Adventure
After eight hours I arrived at Charles de Gaulle in Paris. It finally hit me. I am here to stay, for three months. Don’t scream I tell myself over and over again as I try to contain my excitement. People are going to think I am crazy and all I need is to get arrested. So, I take a deep breath and move forward. As I step off the plane I am greeted with a welcome sign “Bienvenue en France” yippee, I finally made it and now was truly the beginning of a three month adventure.
The temperature was cold, about 38 degrees Fahrenheit reminding me it was still winter and I was thrilled. I prefer the cold weather over warm climate any time. So, I was pleased to feel that brisk cold sensation on my face as I stepped outside the airport doors. It was absolutely perfect. Suitcases packed in the car and off we were to my destination. I will be staying in a quaint typical Parisian apartment for the duration of my stay located in the 2nd arrodissement
The trip to the apartment usually takes about 40 minutes depending on the time of day. My arrival was early in the morning so we thankfully avoided the rush hour and arrived just before lunch time. As we got closer to the city I began recognizing the familiar places. However, the moment we passed Offie Depot I knew we were close to our final destination. It is actually funny to me that I associate where I am staying with Office Depot of all places, hysterical but true. There goes Frenchie, one of the best restaurants in the city oh and Claudie Pierlot a French made clothing boutique. Oh my, I am back in my stepping ground. I still have to pinch myself because it is hard to think I am going to be living here for three months.
We finally arrived at the apartment. Luggage in hand I plug in the first code. Most apartment buildings in Paris have two doors that require your attention before you get to your apartment. The first one requires a code or you can press the button to speak with the tenant for access. The second door requires a key or again the press of a button to be let into the courtyard. From there if you are lucky you take the elevator. At this particular building since it was constructed in the early 1700s so for obvious reasons it does not have an elevator. Also, something I learned a long time ago what the French call the second floor is actually the third floor for Americans. This is where it gets a little tough because I am traveling with two huge suitcases, a carry on, a coat, two long formal dresses and my purse. All of this I have to take up to the French third floor. Needless to say it took me several trips before I finally arrived at the apartment.
Once I walked into the apartment and closed the door behind me I just plopped myself on the couch and just stayed there soaking in the cool breeze from outside as I tried to catch my breath and regain some kind of energy. It’s alright I thought to myself I have plenty of time to recoup. For now, I am just going to sit here and do absolutely nothing.
So, the first day was spent getting used to the new time zone. Here we are six hours ahead so I was debating whether I waited until evening Paris time to sleep or take a quick nap. I have previously done both and really have not found anyone solution better than the other. It usually depends on what activities I have already planned for that day or evening. This time I decided to unpack instead and put as much away as I could so that I would be easier to finds things than just keep everything in the suitcase and make a mess of my stay.
The next day I woke up early in the morning, headed out for a light breakfast and tea and reviewed my itinerary. My stay in Paris was going to be a combination of work and fun so I needed to make sure I planned my days accordingly. After breakfast I headed out to the publix library. I was hoping to get in some work in the morning before heading out to lunch at one of the local cafes. Then it was back to the library to continue working. At about 3:00 pm I decided to make it a day and head back home the long way so that I could take pictures of the sites that caught my attention. I just said “home”, I am already calling Paris my home, silly me. Anyway, follow me on my instagram account @parisinthreemonths to see all the sites as seen through my lens. If you like the postings, please press like and leave comments those are always appreciated.
It was now 4:45 p.m. and if I do not rush to the market I will have to settle on frozen food from one of the local grocery stores. That is one of the things I just love about Paris. Parisians stop by the market on a daily basis ensuring the food is always fresh. That I believe is one of the reasons they are so skinny. Besides the fact that they drink a lot of espresso, and they do not believe in snacking. They have a very strict rule about eating processed food. The French take their food very seriously as you can imagine.
Tonight I decided to make salmon with a little black pepper and lemon with asparagus, potatoes sliced very thin, and onions. I combined all of the ingredients and placed in a tin foil tightly wrapped to ensure there was no open spaces. I placed in the oven for about twenty minutes and Vuala dinner was ready. Of course I had to top the dinner with a French white wine. Did you know that you can buy boxed wine here in Paris from the best wineries. I would never have done that in the states, but here they take pride in their wines so they are just as good as from a bottle.
As I sit back and think about my first day I smile thinking it was a success. It is now time to catch up on some beauty sleep. As I try to adjust to the new time zone I know it will take me a few days, but that’s alright I am in Paris and that is all that matters.
Until next time, goodnight from Paris.
