Paris diary

Last weekend was completely devoted to Paris and as Audrey Hepburn once stated: Paris is always a good idea. May-Britt’s Kadjar was my mode of transport and this time I tagged along my boy for the ride.

Off to the races

We left the office last Friday afternoon and I was hoping I could just relax in the passengers seat, pass as the car DJ, but alas, it wasn’t in the books. I was forced to drive and since there is nothing I hate more than driving stick. Especially when you hit traffic. But I’ll admit it, it all went way more smooth than I thought because this car has so many dandy tricks and devices; guaranteed a panic free drive for anyone who is terrified and bad at using the clutch.

The dandy tricks and devices

The best part of all is that on your dashboard you can see when it’s time for you to switch gears. It’s not only appeasing, it is economic too. The rear view mirrors on either side of the car light up when a car is driving besides you. You know: the blind spot. It no longer exists. Another clever trick is that the volume of your music dims when you drive on the rumble strip so incase you ever doze off (please don’t) then it’ll be your wake up call. Last but not least, and probably my favorite function of all, this car helps you park. Parallel parking, angle parking, perpendicular parking. This car will do it for you. Seriously.

In Paris

Driving to Paris is always longer than I think it’ll be (from Amsterdam that is). I think it took us about 7 hours to get there, but the great thing about this city is that no matter how late in the evening you get there, restaurant kitchens are always still open. And so we had a nice midnight snack at Café Madeleine, outside on the terrace with heaters and a bottle of Chablis, fromages and charcuterie. I was happy as a clam.

Ditch the velib, grab the car

Paris is a gigantic maze for anyone driving around in it, but a scary one at that if you aren’t a huge fan of driving. Take the roundabout by the Arc de Triomphe for example. Everyone zigzags there way through it and luckily I managed to make it out alive as well.

Here’s a short list of things you don’t want to miss, all in the Madeleine area:

• I dropped by Ladurée to buy some macaroons for the rest of the girls at the office. Personally I’m not a huge fan, I’d rather opt for a palmier. You know what I mean? Those cookies you eat for breakfast or dessert, shaped like a palm tree (hence the name).
• The Maille store (the mustard brand) is amazing. I almost went crazy in there cause of their vast assortment of things and their packaging is equally as amazing.
• Café Madeleine is one of those typical cute Parisian cafés with a cute terrace which is accessible all year round (thank you outdoor heating). And don’t get caught too off guard by the crabby waiters, that’s just a part of Paris.
• I discovered a great bagel shop which has shops spread out throughout the city. The joint is called Bagelstein. It kind of reminds me of New York.
• Cojean is the place to be for a green smoothie and a fresh salad. You can find this all throughout the city too.
• I like to alternate between shops and cafés. Take Colette for example (this store requires a bit of recovery since it is always jam packed): across from it there is a cute brasserie called La Coupe d’Or. The perfect place to hang out and watch everyone pass you by.
• We stayed at the Hôtel du Ministere. Small but very comfortable, great beds and a friendly staff. And the location is perfect. The cutest cafés and stores are all in walking distance.
• Drop by Hôtel Le Bristol for a cocktail if you want to be festive.