A Few Days in Paris…
Paris. Just the word can spark up wistful thoughts of exquisite food, stunning architecture and luxurious fashion.
If you’re considering a short trip to Paris, which many of us will be contemplating coming up to the festive season, it would be wise to reconsider the casual clothes you’re packing into your suitcase before stepping onto Parisian soil. When you arrive in the city, you’ll notice Parisian-chic is ever prevalent and popular; something that my English ‘utilitarian’ based style just doesn’t quite match up to. Even the resident babies are clothed in fur coats, pushed along inside expensive buggies. When a toddler is outdoing your fashion sense, it might be time to partake in a popular Parisian hobby: Shopping.
Strolling along the Champs Elysees shopping district can feel intimidating next to the array of modelesque residents, so much so that my plain coat and flat boots were swiftly replaced with heels and a blazer. Whilst British style may be edgier than your average Parisian, it is no match for Parisian elegance.
The streets are bustling, and the shoppers — men and women alike — are busy. I notice the Parisians and how they still manage to look effortlessly chic amongst the frenzied, tourist shopping vicinity; not fraught or tired, but focused and alert, as if it were ingrained in their psyche. The pathways are as chaotic as the roads and our politeness and reserved English-ness belong in neither. So, with the stereotypical view of Parisians, will you discover a culture less polite than what we’re used to? Perhaps, but it’s quite refreshingly so. You don’t feel the need to keep to the British trait of over-apologising. However, as a customer, you will find that when you enter a shop, you are always greeted and made to feel welcome and valued.
So, what to do once you’re now dressed in these exquisite clothes? Eat exquisite food. You can walk into any eatery and find a bustling café with fine foods on offer. In fact, getting lost amongst the alleys is a wonderful way to discover many quaint bistros and old-fashioned bars. Yes, there are stereotypical cafes, often with a man in a beret at an outside table smoking — but isn’t that what we secretly want to glimpse in Paris, like a tourist visiting London and hoping to see a gentleman in a bowler hat?
If you happen to be dieting, Paris will encourage your sinful side to take over, to sample the beautiful pastries or the creamy cheeses. Eating in Paris is a feast for the eyes as well as taste buds; this is the home of fine dining. The beautifully displayed, rich food will tempt you from your city walks with its stunning window displays of pastries and sweets, looking just as beautiful when it’s served up on flawless china. And tomorrow? You get to do it all over again, discovering a museum, visiting an art gallery, or just more shopping and eating. Paris can be anything you want it to be when you embrace the joie de vivre!
