Flâneur

flaˈnəː,French flanœʀ/

Noun: A person who wanders around observing society.

I read about the flâneur in The Best Walk in Paris by John Baxter. It describes the way that I hope to take in France. 

Crossing the Street

Arc de Triomphe in the Rain

I arrived yesterday. It was a long trip, but I had the opportunity to ride the train from London to Paris under the Channel. So tired, the mesmerizing speed of the train lulled me into a short nap. As we left London, the train went underground, came above, and went below several times. I am not sure when we went below and into the Chunnel after all the ups and downs, but I woke up just as we came back above ground on the France side. Beautiful country sped by; cows, horses, farms, and within an hour into Paris.

From Gare du Nord, a wild unsanctioned taxi ride to the apartment.

Lesson 1: Push hard to get past all the fake taxi drivers to get to a real taxi.

I started out this morning on a walk for breakfast and to wander around.

Lesson 2: It's easy to take get in 10,000 steps walking around Paris, even at a slow pace as a flâneur.

Lesson 3: Take your map. If you travel down small winding streets, you may become a bit confused. (I did only a few blocks from the apartment, phone map helped be get back on track). 

Once back on track I found a place called Maison Pou. Lovely food, a long line to order, but worth the wait and nervousness or ordering in French.

Each treat wrapped in the perfect package

Layers of Goodness

For dessert: Macaron des Framboises du Maison

 The last package is a slice of quiche for later.

À bientôt: See you soon.

For more photos, check out on my Flickr Page .