Travellive 7 - 2018

Let's eat! ("Ä table!")
The media has wasted
plenty of ink on
French food. But, in
my eyes, Parisians in
real life are different
than those at the 5 star hotels. They
are gourmand yet very dainty, taking
hours at the cafeteria restaurant
across the street. During these
moments, they discuss current affairs
while sipping wine, puffing cigarettes
and enjoying the sun.
A typical day in the life of French
people starts with breakfast at home,
in a cafä or just a sandwich bought in
a cafä or a bakery as to not arrive late
to work. But the ideal time for me is
the moment my mother-in-law makes
a flavoured coffee jug then prepares
another pot of jasmine or rose tea,
followed by a preparation of a set of
silver ware with cups and porcelain
plates so the whole family can eat
bread with jam, butter, or caramel
together. A sense of peace that is
most impressive.
Otherwise, we will go out to breakfast
at our favorite Le Bouquet d'Alesia
cafä. It's cold outside; inside we are
eating hot crispy croissants with
chocolate filling, sipping fresh natural
orange juice without sugar or ice and
watching people passing by. This joy
makes me feel extremely comfortable.
Paris in May is an ideal time for
weather: neither too hot nor too cold.
The cool air easily makes people feel
hungry. Speaking of lunch, I always
recall the stuffed mussels cooked
with butter, white wine and parsley,
accompanied by crispy bread served
at Au Pied de Cochon, which literally
means "pig's feet", a rather funny
name but it is actually associated with
the specialities of the restaurants made
from every part of the pig.
Parisians are gourmand yet very dainty,
taking hours at the cafeteria restaurant across
the street. During these moments, they discuss
current affairs while sipping wine, puffing
cigarettes and enjoying the sun.
114
For the gloomy Parisian days, I
love to ask my husband to have hot
Japanese ramen for lunch at Kintaro.
TRAVELLIVE