Friday, July 3, 2009

Moi, flâneur

I was born to flâner. Whether on foot or bike, I prefer to stroll, unlike the anxious traveler who obligatorily shoots hundreds of photos, spends way too much on trinkets, or darts from here to there at a break-neck speed. Pas moi.
One particular rue to flâner the next time you are in Paris is near the boulevard Haussmann in the quartier de l’ Opéra. I discovered Rue des Martyrs quite by chance; I soooo craved an English scone! (I cannot eat yummy british food with a frenchman around) Within a few footsteps from the coude-à-coude crowds along Haussmann is a pocket of tranquility, a street where one can dawdle. There is une fontaine, une boulangerie, une poissonnerie, une boucherie, un fleuriste, and an English Bakery!
Mon Beau-Père once told me that Paris is full of surprises like this and it could take a lifetime to discover them and once you do, start over.

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