Crepes and Paris

Important things first, this is my new new hair. Much better, don't you think? The hairdresser was really nice about it all (though I think he thought I was crazy when it was such a good colour) a few blonde foils through the front was all it took and I'm super happy with it. Ignore the pimple on my chin and the fact that I am in Coles. It was SJ's birthday yesterday and I took the opportunity to duck into Coles after my appointment to grab some dessert before rushing off to netball...we lost by the way...

Onto the true purpose of this post. Crepes and Paris.

I had this salted caramel crepe (I'm not doing the hat things over the 'e' too hard) in the city after a quick duck into DJs for some new OPI polish (Samoan Sand) during lunch.

I was hurrying along and saw this and literally stopped in my tracks. You see, I recognised it from Cat's Anzac Day Post and knew that it was the provider of incredible crepes. I have a big soft spot for crepes, so versatile...sweet or savoury, crisp yet soft, fancy yet casual (you eat out of cardboard after all) but most of all, they remind me of Paris.

The ONLY food I bought while wandering around Paris were crepes...I feel bad I didn't buy bread or cheese or anything else, but crepes called to me every time.

I ate crepes while walking back to the hotel after an evening at the Moulin Rouge.

I ate crepes while wandering from the Arc De Triomphe along the Champs Elysees.

I ate crepes after exiting the Louvre despite having finished one just before going in.

This is my favourite piece of art in the Louvre too by the way (The Winged Victory of Samothrace). Not very original of me as it is one of the most visited at the Louvre, but hey, it's not the Mona Lisa, right?

I was in Paris in January 2008 as part of that almost 'right of passage' Contiki trip most recent graduates find themselves on. It was winter so it was great and drizzly most of the day.

The horizon was difficult to see from the Eiffel Tower, definitely wasn't the best viewing.

This is from the second floor...from the third, the very top, you were in the clouds...all you could see was grey.

It was a really cold day for a Queensland girl too, temperatures were Min -1 and Max 5. Not that any of that bothered me, I was just so excited to be overseas. Paris was the first place I had been to where English wasn't predominately spoken...so far my travels had been to New Zealand and London only a few days before.

I loved that everything was in French and that somehow, everything just looked french. See those trees? Don't they look French to you?

My favourite parisian experience by far would have to be a late night trip to the Sacre-Coeur. Another girl and I left the hotel around 11pm and walked the few kilometres to Montmarte. It was a slightly scary experience knowing we were passing through the red light district and definitely looked like tourists (though we were careful not to talk English too loudly when we were feeling uncomfortable).

The midnight views from the top were incredible. It didn't matter that it was still sort of raining, we were in Paris! That's the Notre Dame you can see in the middle there.

And the Eiffel Tower though it is obscured by some trees.

We took a different route back and walked through this bustling square (well it was for midnight on a weeknight), Place du Tetra, where there was a small art shop open. We both bought a little canvas oil artwork which reminds me of that night every time I look at it. Despite owning more expensive and better quality pieces since then (like these) I know I will always treasure it.

And crepes of course, take me back every time.