Post #25 Paris, France
So people usually go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa and to shop on the Champs-Élysées. Not me, fuck that, I’m actively avoiding these spots. I want to hang out with friends, eat delicious food and drink a bunch of wine. I am proud to report that my mission was a resounding success.
I booked an Airbnb in close proximity to Marais, a formerly Jewish neighborhood, now a primary homosexual hotspot. I was amused at the name of the restaurant around the block from my apartment. Thanks, but ‘hard’ pass!
I spent most of my time this trip with Simo and Hajar, Moroccan friends of mine that I’d met in the DR. I’d expected them to show me around, but ironically, I think that I showed them more places than they did me.
I love visiting local food markets on all of my trips, so the first night Hajar was supposed to meet me at my apartment and we were to go to the Marché couvert des Enfants Rouges, an awesome market in Marais. She mixed up the address to my apartment and accidentally went to the market directly. I didn’t want her to wait too long for me, so I rented a lime electric scooter and whizzed down to the market. And so began my love affair with electric bikes and scooters. They are ubiquitous around the EU and you can hop from place to place quickly, and moderately cheaply. Fortunately, all of my rides went smoothly and I didn’t have any accidents like I did in the DR.
We got to the market too late for ‘fromage’ but there was still time to enjoy a few glasses of French wine. Afterwards, she spotted a Moroccan restaurant to eat at, but neither of us were digging the place, and I found a better Moroccan joint and we headed there. Not wanting to seem like a dick and leaving outright, we had some wine and discussed whether the two men next to us were father and son or a gay couple. I had suspected that it was a bear/twink situation, which was later confirmed.
A little while later we arrived at the top rated Moroccan restaurant in Paris. Surprisingly Hajar had never been there and was shocked that a restaurant in Paris can have food that is as good or better than Morocco.
After dinner she recommended that we go to this unique Arabic club that had hookahs, drinks, food and live music. It was really cool until the 2nd act that came on, and she totally killed the vibe, and we left shortly thereafter.
It was around 3am at that point, and Hajar invited me to some late-night party with her college friends. I declined, thinking that it would be pathetic for a 36yr old American to go to a party for college aged French kids. After some reflection, it may have been interesting and good content for the blog. Oh well, live and learn. And so ended day 1 in Paris.
The second day I did a lot of scootering around, stopping by places that interested me, inclusive of one place that I was convinced to sample near the Moulin Rouge. I won’t get into specifics, but I wanted to get out of that creepy place so very fast.
I met with Hajar later than afternoon and went all around town. I enjoy making her uncomfortable, and even got her to try one of the Lime scooters that I love. The fruits in Paris are amazing, and I had to try the biggest fig that I’d ever seen – it was the size of a damned grapefruit!
We checked out the Montmartre area, which was super nice, but a little too touristy for me.
The French aren’t the most active bunch, and she wasn’t used to that level of movement, so I wanted to bring her somewhere comfortable to relax and rest. A friend of mine (that has become a huge snowflake of late) recommended that I check out the jazz bar at some ritzy hotel called Hotel d’Aubusson. Unfortunately they didn’t have live music that day, but we had an over-the-top French dining experience with afternoon tea, fois gras and macaroons. I even ate a flower.
That night, me Hajar and Simo wanted to do dinner, and being that I’d experienced their cuisine and culture the night before, I wanted to take them to a famous Jewish spot called Schwartz’s. I hadn’t expected them to even be aware of this spot, but apparently it was Simo’s favorite restaurant. I took an electric bike there, and I wanted to see how fast it was compared to a car. Per google maps, a car was estimated to arrive at the restaurant in 20 minutes, and I wanted to see if I can hit that time on a bike. Ignoring traffic rules and going hard, I actually did it in 19 minutes, which made me happy.
We went family style, splitting a pastrami sandwich, burger and hot dog. It was quite good and a good time was had by all. Simo and I have the same tendency to pick up the check, so when I saw him leave the table, I signaled to Hajar that we should get the check quickly so that he wouldn’t pay. Little did I know that he only left the table to pay for the bill. Oh well, I’ll get the next one.
On day 3, it was Monday and it was raining, so I didn’t plan all that much. I worked in the morning and then headed to a boulangerie with the top ranked coffee in the area. I had an incredible coffee and quiche.
I really enjoy high-end cologne, so I went to this boutique called Nose. At Nose they have a huge collection of colognes and perfumes that you won’t find at your local Macy’s. They have you sit at a bar and give you coffee, while you fill out this questionnaire that’s intended to recommend colognes that the customer may want based on their preferences. It gave me 5 recommendations, of which I tried two of them.
With cologne, the fragrance changes with time, so I didn’t want to decide until maybe an hour from the time of application, so I left the store and got my head shaved. After the coiffeur finished, he shined and buffed my skull like a bowling ball. Was almost funny.
I met with Hajar and Simo for some wine and appetizers, in advance of the wine tasting that I’d scheduled using my banking app. We had an incredible spread.
After our meal, I decided which cologne I wanted, and opted for Aventus by Creed. I’m happy to add it to my collection.
We went to the cellar for the wine tasting, but alas, nobody was there. We called their number and they said that they weren’t open today, and even though I had the vouchers for today, they would not be able to accommodate us. It was a bummer, particularly because I’d invited 2 friends to what I thought would be a cool wine tasting in an underground cellar. I rushed to research the top wine bars in Paris and found what I believed to be a suitable replacement. Ultimately the experience was awesome; and probably far more fun than the snooty and educational wine tasting would have been. We sat on an outdoor patio and were served maybe 8-10 various excellent wines, most of which were paired with a delicious appetizer. The barman that served us was awesome and he narrated each of the courses and wines, and he really made the experience awesome.
At the end, we were all sufficiently full and drunk, and I threatened Simo that I would cut off his hands if he reached for the check 🙂 He insisted on covering the tip, which I graciously accepted.
Final Observations
I really enjoyed Paris, and I could totally have spent a few more days there without getting sick of it. I don’t think that I could live there, but it could be a normal spot to visit.
Off to Prague!!