Paris, one year later

I was on a nine day trip in Paris this exact time last year.  Can you blame me for feeling a tad upset that I am here and not there? The city lives up to its reputation of being heaven on earth and I am struck by its beauty and surprising serenity every time I visit. This last trip was a trip for wandering. I did not make any plans, I did not go to a single museum, and instead spent hours a day simply walking around with a dear friend. If we wanted gelato, we had gelato. If we got tired of walking mid-day we went home to eat bread and cheese in the courtyard and let time pass at its own pace. But don't worry, our days were not lacking adventure - we got plenty lost on the diagonally running streets that fan out in all directions and have the uncanny ability to get one very lost, very quickly. Turns out Boston and Paris do have something in common! So my surprise this time around was Paris's many outdoor markets, there are flea markets year round and several farmers' markets daily. I was in the mood for something off the beaten track, so we trekked to the city's southern outskirts to Le marché aux Puces de Vanves. More antiques than junk, the items were all displayed in such a casual yet elegant fashion that it made for a delightful photo session. It's nice to truly feel like you captured the mood of your subjects. The day before I left for the U.S., I also stopped at the neighborhood organic farmers' market. I picked up some veggies to offset my fromage heavy diet. Here's to more day dreaming!