Back in Paris
I just came back from Paris. I used to visit this wonderful city regularly and I had my favorite restaurants, cafes, museums and shopping spots. Coming back after all those years, I was a bit anxious: Would it feel like it used to? Would my old haunts still be there?
Yes and yes. Arriving at the classic Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle airport was a bit of a disappointment. It was worn down and partially redecorated and both facts contributed to hiding the unique architecture, which would be just as cool today as it was back in the 60’s if only they had taken care of it properly.
In the taxi from the airport, we passed the impressive stadium built for the soccer World Championship in ’98. I was in Paris during the semi finals and even though I don’t care one tiny bit about soccer, I was intoxicated (that’s a good thing in this context ;) ) by the celebrations in the streets.
We stayed in the Passy area in the 14th arrondissement in the charming Hotel Nicolo. I could see the Eiffel Tower from my window! This hotel is a little gem and I’ll write more about it later.
Passsy is a nice place for shopping and for dining without all the tourists of Montmartre or the Latin Quarter. Don’t get me wrong – I love them both, but after a long journey, It is comforting and relaxing to go for dinner at a neighborhood restaurant. I recommend the Chinese Man-Lung or the thoroughly French Bistro Aero. I’ll write more about these two too.
