Hello! We’re doing a two part post this time, a reflection on Tet celebrations will be part 2. First up, a little “Monday In Paris” compilation.
Since the moment we got here, friends have been saying to us “ahhh but ouiiii, Paris is a village”. The longer we spend here, the truer that feels. We were first struck by this when we got to Early June, where the 10th arrondissement was our initial “hub”. At that point, there was no rondeau (a large, wide pot) available at Early June, so practically everyday, Victor would tap on the back window of the restaurant across street (the iconic Verre Vole) and ask to borrow theirs (they have since purchased their own). If we stood outside the restaurant for longer than two minutes, Victor and Camille would say “ca va” to an average of 10 people walking past. If you make your way out on any given day/night/ go for a walk, you absolutely without doubt will run into someone you know- we know about 10 people and this is even true for us.
Now, in the 11th, on our block alone, we have an “epicerie”, a butcher shop, a boulangerie, a “speciality” coffee shop (Sadie’s American really shows when she buys a 3 euro coffee every morning, sorry! the French espresso is simply too strong for a delicate American stomach) and a wine shop literally all a stone’s throw from one another. Granted, we know that we’re spoiled and are living in a cushy neighborhood (thank you to Bertrand and Gwen), but from what we’ve seen, each arrondissement exists as such- it’s own micro town/village.
This is all fine and lovely, except of course, you are trying to purchase your speciality coffee or morning croissant or sausages on a Monday. Suddenly, our block has become no man’s land -nearly every business on the block is shuttered. On a Monday in Paris, if you are looking to have your quaint little routine, you’re shit out of luck. Don’t get us wrong, we love a work life balance- closing two days a week, how fabulous! The practice of this in New York is still extremely rare, and we will certainly be implementing a similar model if & when we open a restaurant of our own. However, we won’t lie, we are also notoriously prima donna’s, who revel in American convenience and complain often about the utter inconvenience of the “French way”- the slower pace, the lack of immediate availability. We want it and we want it nooooow. There’s an expression here that has become a running joke with us: “le temps au temps” or “give time to the time”. When we first heard this our response was “in New York we say ‘hurry the fuck up’”. We’re divas! We’re learning to adapt!
Like most restaurant workers, our “weekend” falls opposite to the 9-5ers. Where many are starting their week and perfectly happy to stay in, watch a movie, cook themselves a pot of lentils and broccoli (9-5 people is this true?), we are looking for a night out. Lucky for us, we’ve had enough Monday’s here that finding fun on a “MIP” (as we have come to call it) has become our favorite game. Below are some of our highlights.