Finding Paris

Like Inspector Gadget, I only find things when I'm not looking for it. Paris was no exception.

I spent 5 days wandering the busy streets of Paris, always with my camera in tow. The Eiffel tower, snap. The Louvre, snap. Notre Dame, snap. My camera worked overtime during those 5 days so that I can capture my Paris memories. All these classic iconic structures served as evidence that I was indeed in Paris but I kept looking nonetheless until giving in on the 3rd day.  It sure looked like the Paris that is so often seen in postcards or movies but something was amiss.  It didn't feel like how I imagined Paris to feel.

Paris eventually came to me on the last day of the trip. We went off the map because Belynda was craving for Vietnamese Pho for breakfast. And so we took the metro then walked aimlessly around the outskirts of Paris in search for China Quai. Our little adventure was rewarded by a steaming bowl of Pho within 40 minutes. This is also when I tested the state of my acid reflux by ordering 2 iced vietnamese coffees, which was worth every burn in my esophagus an hour later.

After breakfast, we headed to Montmartre in hopes of seeing the only vineyard in the city. Instead, what I found were narrow cobblestone streets equipped with a sea of cafes, small art galleries that dripped out onto the streets and of course artists showing off their craft. Without looking for it, Paris revealed itself to me in Montmartre. Finally, I can drink in the bottles of red wine and savor the cheese plates in peace, which is exactly what we did that afternoon in Montmartre.

Coincidentally, Richard also found what he had been looking for that same day after we gave up on his search earlier that week. Leon, a chain that specializes in mussels, appeared before us in Pigalle. And like how all happy endings should be, we stopped in and ate.