Our Paris Dream... It's Time to Wake Up

As the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end."

Stupid sayings... <grumble>

Yes, our Paris adventure is nearly over. We moved to France almost two years ago and it has been an incredibly wonderful experience. Unfortunately, I'm a square peg and Pretty Simple was a round hole. We just didn't fit together, and so I must leave to find greener pastures a bit further North!

I cannot thank Corentin, Bastien, and the other folks at Pretty Simple enough for giving Melanie and me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We will never forget our time here, the places we've seen, the friends we've made... the food we've eaten!

I wish I had the words to express what Paris means to me, but I don't think I could do this city justice. So instead, I'd like to paraphrase something beautiful written by Anne Rice:

"Paris is a universe whole and entire unto herself, hollowed and fashioned by history, with her towering buildings, her massive cathedrals, her grand boulevards and ancient winding medieval streets--as vast and indestructible as nature itself. All is embraced by her, by her volatile and enchanted populace thronging the galleries, the theaters, the cafes, giving birth over and over to genius and sanctity, philosophy and war, frivolity and the finest art; so it seems that if all the world outside her is sinking into darkness, what was fine, what was beautiful, what was essential might there still come to its finest flower. Even the majestic trees that grace and shelter her streets are attuned to her--and the waters of the Seine, contained and beautiful as they wind through her heart; so that the earth on this spot, so shaped by blood and consciousness, has ceased to be the earth and has become Paris.”

Melanie's favorite bridge

What are we doing now? Well, I have received a very nice offer from a company in Berlin; we'll be moving there when my contract with Pretty Simple ends in September. In the meantime, we are planning some trips around Europe and I'm creating a to-do list of things to experience before we leave Paris.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

Visit the Louvre (Again) (Completed July 26)
This famous museum is only a few blocks from our apartment and it's probably my favorite spot on the planet! It transports me to another place and time on every visit.

Eat at Septime (could never get a reservation)
Septime was recently named the 35th best restaurant in the world, and the prices are supposed to be reasonable for a restaurant with one Michelin star.

Go to the Musee Marmottan (not going to happen, ran out of time)
This museum features a collection of over three hundred Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works by Claude Monet (with the largest collection of his works in the world), Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Paul Gauguin, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Take a Nighttime Cruise Down the Seine (completed September 1 - it was so COLD)
Paris is beautiful at night, so we're excited to see it from the Seine!

See the Eiffel Tower at Night (Completed the night we took our cruise -- BRRRRR)
The tower is lit up at night, and every hour it sparkles for several minutes. We definitely need to see this again before we leave!

Eat at Le Chateaubriand (completed June 16)
We first heard about this restaurant from Anthony Bourdain, who called the chef a genius! (We have reservations for tonight!)

Eat Once More at Frenchie (just didn't seem that important)
We love this restaurant so much we'd like to go back one more time. (At least.)

Have a falafel at "L’As du Fallafel" (completed June 17)
This Middle Eastern restaurant in the Le Marais area is practically an institution here in Paris!

See the Inside of the Palais Garnier (completed September 12 -- it was amazing!)
We live about a block away from the Paris Opera House, one of the most beautiful and impressive buildings we've ever seen. But we have never been inside! We want to remedy that.

Have Lunch with Friends (Complete... though I'd like to have lunch with a few more buddies)
Before we leave Paris I'd love to have one more lunch with some of the many friends I made here.

Visit Père-Lachaise Cemetery (ran out of time)
I toured this famous French cemetery while Melanie was back in the United States. I'd like to share the experience with her.

Go to the Musee d'Orsay (ran out of time)
This is another famous Parisian museum

Get Wild at the Moulin Rouge or the Lido de Paris (completed September 7 -- had a blast!)
I discovered the Moulin Rouge one morning, while taking a walk, but Melanie and I would like to catch one of the shows!

Spend the Evening at Bacteria Alley (decided it wasn't worth it)
Okay, this one needs some explanation. I was researching "fun places" to go in Paris one day, and I read about this particular street which is jam packed with fun restaurants, bars, and other food stands. Unfortunately, a review (from many years ago) called it "Bacteria Alley" due to poor food handling practices, and now that's the only name we can remember! (Okay, looked it up. The street is called: "Rue de la Huchette")

The cleanliness standards are supposed to be better now, so we want to go.

Picnic on the Seine (completed August 22)
This is perhaps the quintessential Parisian experience. You buy a baguette and a bottle of wine, maybe some stinky cheese, then take it down to the Seine and just... chill.