A Weekend in Paris

...A name of a really good Chick-Lit (ideal holiday reading) where a young, intelligent woman with an organised life-plan spontaneously quits her job (her boss was horrible) and goes on a weekend to Paris. Buttt I haven't spent the past 9 months or so writing about her. This is MY story.

Anyway, this is my last weekend -AS AN AU-PAIR- in Paris, so I couldn't just sit around doing boring things. I need fireworks and dancing at the top of the Eiffel Tower and buying tacky toys! Something to round off the whole experience. So I composed a list of things I wanted to re-see, (just in case I went home and felt I hadn't seen Notre Dame enough times...), and had a leisurely day around Paris. Ok, so no fireworks or Eiffel Tower-dancing, but all in good time.

 

I found another Space Invader at Place du Chatelet - so many people miss it, but it is right on the fountain. Mr Invader really is a sneaky little devil (but we love him so)!

  

 

Whilst the world is desperate for a piece of Paris, a piece of Paris is treasuring the iconic figure of Stratford-upon-Avon - my home town. I've known about Shakespeare and Co. for a while now - it's a famous English Literature bookshop and library on the Left Bank/Latin Quarter of Paris. And it is truly amazing. I think I have found my favourite place in Paris! It's alongside Notre Dame which I've always loved, so a brilliant view of the cathedral, and the Latin Quarter in general is just buzzing! It's beautiful - think narrow cobbled mazes of streets, cluttered with cafes, restaurants, shops, galleries... And inside Shakespeare and Co. was magical! It is LITTERED with books, and really interesting ones! (Not the old, dusty hardbacks no one wants to read which I expected it to have.) So DEFINITELY go!! And because it's so close to Notre Dame it won't even take out too much of your jam-packed schedule, although I think you'd actually end up spending more time in the bookshop than you would in Notre Dame!

 

I bought two books, 12€ total, one of which is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a book I've really wanted to read! So I was very happy, and the other book is amazing too - I ended up walking to the Louvre (more Space Invader searching) and sitting in one of the smaller gardens in the Tuileries and reading. It was so relaxing, and amazing. No fireworks but I sure had a good time! Sometimes the simplest things can bring the most pleasure and happiness.