We arrived on the Eurostar in no time at all from London and were settled into our dorm room of an airbnb by 1 pm. Great location but really, a five star at an Airbnb is now meaningless to me. Remember- bring soap, hand towels, dishtowels, a few trash bags and a good attitude because this place is not nice. I like an apartment for a kitchen and I do know I am happier here than in a hotel, but now that I am under my sheets I do wish I was at the Mandarin.
The view however is amazing and I forgive myself for the choice. I didnt expect Brad would be joining me so cleanliness wasn’t my highest priority, location was. And I got a lovely location.
See… our lunch on the table and Notre Dame out the window. We are within walking distance of a lovely Saturday market, a fromageria, Charcuterie, Italian Market and a few boulangeries.
Aux Merveilleux de Fred 
I selected lunch carefully. Some drippy cheese, a fresh baguette, salami and prosciutto and a cake I don’t know what it was, but it melted, literally melted to nothing but flavor in our mouths. I am not sure if it all tasted so good because I was hungry? In Paris? Or if it all really was super good. I don’t care what anyone says, the food in London just isnt good. It could be the water, or the way I order, but I just think there is something wrong there.
Our dessert was described on the website thus “The Merveilleux is a confectionary whose lightness is only equalled by that of the Précieux and the Extravagants under the Directory regime at the end of the 18th century”. And it turns out they are available at 8th near Jane in NYC!!!
After our lunch we walked along the Seine down towards le Petit Palais, past the Louvre, through the park, past fountains and art add all sorts of wonderful eye-catching things.
It is all so big, and clean and honestly, full of tourists but there was just about enough space.
It turns out we are here for the White Nights Festival and enjoyed a parade…
We weren’t prepared completely prepared but we did find ourselves two fabulous seats for the parade. Granted we had to watch through treetops but we were happily not standing nor crushed by the crowds, unhappily we were the only ones without an umbrella… C’est la vie!
Then on to dinner…When in Paris not everyone goes for Chinese but we like our Xiao Long Bao and we wound up at a fairly good little Chinese restaurant. Autour de Yangtse, Saint Honore . The service could not have been worse but the soup dumplings and string beans were very good. Even if the dumplings weren’t hot and we were given only one plate and one spoon.
partial translation on google phone….
and we walked….
And while the crowds were up at the parade we were practically alone
Eventually landing in line to see an exhibition in a church…
We sat on the floor with the rest of the crowd and watched as the years counted up, the temperature counted up until at some point, the weather stopped. The soundtrack wasn’t easy to understand though the moral of the story was pretty clear as you watched the years tick past and the temperature rise.
On our way out….
As part of the White Night there was this wonderful screening against a building.. the music was beating and someone had matched the sound to an every changing motion of movie dance clips.
A day full of wonderful happy moments and some of our first photos ever taken together.
Best picture of the day…
Tomorrow we need to buy a pillow and to wander as the the first four arrondissements are car free so we are going to get out there and do something.