The Weekly Recap #93
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We are coming to the end of our trip and the one thing I haven’t done while in Paris is worn my hat. Or any hat. I brought three very dorky options with me and had every intention of wearing one daily. I have worked hard at getting rid of my hyper pigmentation and hate sun on my face but wearing a hat just didn’t happen. After three days the sun spots under my eyes were BACK and I started obsessing. I showed my mom and grandma over FaceTime and they quickly responded with a short “who cares stop worrying about them and don’t let it ruin your trip.” For maybe the first time in my life I listened to them with out hesitation and that’s exactly what I have done. I have applied my amazing new tinted sunscreen everyday (details on that to come) and haven’t thought about it since.
This trip is the first big thing Marco and I have done since covid. Sure we have had dinners and gone out a few times but back home we have been extra cautious all around. When we arrived in France you needed to be triple vaccinated, which we are, and to go into any public space (restaurants and museums) you needed a health pass. It was a little paper with a personalized QR code that you could get for $30 at any pharmacy after showing your proof of vaccinations. The health pass was a thing until the 14th and now you don’t need it anymore. Masks are required some places, one being the metro, and we have worn them in crowded public places.
We had a moment inside the Louvre, during one of our first days here, where we both looked at each other and couldn’t believe how many people were around us. There were more people in the Lourve than we have seen in the last three years combined. It was wild to think about but just like the sun spots, I haven’t really thought about covid this whole trip.
Every day I have put on an outfit. I’m talking real pants, skirts, cute sweaters, and coats! Before we leave the house for the day I put on a little bit of makeup. That’s eleven straight days of make up…I’m lucky if I put on mascara once a week back home. I have walked many miles across this city in heels, HEELS! Getting blisters, slapping on bandaids in bathrooms, and continuing to walk, all because I look cute and feel great.
I have fallen in love with the old man that sold me a roast chicken from the boucherie, the shop owner who sold me fleur de sel and told me all about her new shop, and the server at Le Duc. All three communicated with me through broken French, minimal English, and lots of gestures. They were all nice reminders that you can connect deeper with smiles and intentions than with words.
Everyday I have had dessert, sometimes twice, and if I am being honest occasionally three times a day. Some days have started with a pastry from the boulangerie and almost every night is ended with a sweet treat. The same goes for bread. So…much…bread! But I eat bread back home anyway. Wine with every meal, not in excess, but neither of us have been able to pass up trying a new glass of natural wine once or twice a day. Then there is the coffee…two espressos or allongés a day. Why? Because I love everything about it, from the taste to the experience of drinking one outside a cafe with my husband.
The first two days here I blew my hair dry and it was another fun layer to getting ready. While roaming around I observed the women here and the first things I noticed was the hair. Curls, waves, and frizz. Most women were rocking their natural hair and they all looked beautiful. I haven’t blown my hair dry since and have embraced my funky waves. Each day the waves look different and have a personality of their own. It took me a while but I now love my natural hair.
The last few years I have been on social media, Instagram specifically, more than ever. I constantly struggle with how fake it is. Picture perfect photos that only show you a millisecond of the whole story. Everyday here I am reminded of what it means to be human. To be yourself swimming by thousands of other people each day and connecting when you can. How much the small things like blow drying your hair or eating a second croissant don’t matter at all. We are all doing our best and if you don’t enjoy the little things now, then what’s the point?
Marco and I are off to have a coffee and a pastry now. We are making a return visit to Huitrerie Régis to have oysters for lunch, buying some nice steak knives to bring home with us, and making a stop at a fun wine bar in between. When we get home in a few days I’ll start working on the sunspots again but I’m hoping to bring back this mindset and remember how they don’t really matter. I never want to leave but I have also never been more excited to squeeze my cats!
Jambon, Beurre, et Fromage Sandwich
First gather your ingredients…
Half a baguette
Spreadable creamy cheese like brie
Good butter
Sliced ham
Mustard
Next set up a picnic spot on a bench or nice patch of grass in Paris. Then rip your baguette right down the center, there is no pretty way to do this. Add a few pats of butter, enough to make you say “I definitely don’t need all this butter.” Attempt to spread the butter but give up when it starts to rip the bread. Follow this with grainy mustard.
On the opposite side, spread a ridiculous amount of cheese all over. Don’t be shy, cheese is the best part. Delicately fold a few slices of ham into neat ribbons. Close the sandwich and voila!
Do not forget to take selfies with your sandwich in front of the Eiffel Tower so everyone around you knows you are an American tourist in France!!
Thursday we were lucky enough to experience the omakase at Sushi Shunei. Every last detail was stunning. The design, ceramics, fish, and the best part was watching the chef prepare each bite. Watching a chef cook in their kitchen is like watching a perfectly choreographed show. I love it.
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This very normal and basic shoehorn changed my life. I decided last minute to bring it with us and I have enjoyed putting on my shoes with ease every day! Who knew the magic of shoehorn and didn’t tell me?!
Aussie on the metro.
Talk you next week when I am home back in Kansas City!
Xx M