1. DESTINATIONS, EUROPE
April! In Paris!
The mere phrase conjures up springtime romance, arm-in-arm strolls and Seine-side snogs, as Ella Fitzgerald sublimely bends the
notes of the Vernon Duke/E.Y. Harburg song (“Ayy-pril in Pahh-ris”) and an eager-to-please artiste channeling Gene Kelly whips up a
freakishly accurate canvas of your likeness, which is great, because your hair never looked better.
Because April. In Paris!
During my first April in Paris nearly 20 years ago, the closest I came to this romantic fantasy was a four-course, four-hour, white
Burgundy-fueled dinner at Le Procope with the ghost of my imaginary historical boyfriend, Voltaire, who used to frequent the
place. (It’s been feeding the Parisian public since 1686.) On subsequent trips in a later April and more recent autumn, I continued
my solo love affair with Paris, and with myself in Paris. But that all-aflutter amorousness that led so many others to buckle the
Pont des Arts under the weight of heart locks eluded me.
I returned to Paris in April of 2014. This time, the trip was all about love — my younger sister’s. After a long-distance courtship, she
was marrying a lovely, California-born denizen of the 11th arrondissement.
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2. And if gaining a brother-in-law meant traveling all the way to France during its most famous month, well… that was a sacrifice I
was willing to make. Plus, I wouldn’t be making the trek alone. And though the big, beautiful Franch love we were celebrating
wasn’t mine, family love—thanks to the happy couple and my vegan sister, omnivorous cousin and tween niece who came with
me—was all around. Pretty sweet!
Speaking of sweet, despite what you may have heard all your life, the best part of April in Paris is not love. Nor is it spring. It’s the
treats!
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3. frozen meals to unsuspecting diners—may be done in the service of food. And fresh daily bread is a human right subsidized by the
government and prized throughout the gluten-tolerant world.
To wit, pretty much every block in Paris has at least three bakeries, or boulangeries:
A bakery that serves delicious, flaky croissants and mouth-watering breads of all shapes and sizes.1.
A slightly better, probably artisanal bakery that serves delicious, flaky croissants and mouth-watering breads of all shapes
and sizes.
2.
The #basic bakery that no one goes to but is always somehow crowded.3.
Every morning of our stay, someone would bring fresh croissants, olive-cheese rolls and pains chocolats into the house we shared
with other members of the wedding party. And every morning, hungry, hung-over adults would quickly consume those baked
goods, leaving my slow-rousing niece bereft of breakfast. Thus, every morning presented an opportunity to be a hero.
For a handful of change and the fortitude needed to put on my shoes, walk out the door and cross the street after a vin-soaked
evening, I could buy a morning’s worth of tween smiles and goodwill from the best bakery on the block. Totally worth it.
(This isn’t even the best pastry shop on the block, and it’s better than you can imagine.)
A word about bakeries: In France, you’ll find bread in boulangeries. But if you’re looking for pastries, you’ll have to go to a
patisserie. Or a café. In fact, you can find a decent version of something from every French food group in a café. But if you want
the best version, go to a specialty shop. During our visit—probably because it was around Easter—filled pastel macarons were all
the rage. My niece sampled so many that she became an expert by the end of our journey.
So much of what the City of Lights is known for—smoking, mistresses, meandering intellectual discourse, al fresco day drinking—is
not appropriate for, or even all that interesting to, children. American tweens raised with images of the world’s artistic treasures at
their fingertips are not that impressed by coming face-to-face with Mona Lisa or gothic cathedral interiors (unless obviously
traceable to a Disney flick). But walk any child into a Parisian bakery and you will see the magic of April in Paris come to life.
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4. The Good Stuff
Place des Vosges – The gateway to the Marais, this small, beautiful
square has picnic benches, lounging lawns, spouting fountains and
ample, but short, dirt pathways for running off excess energy.
The Paris Metro – It’s not that cheap, and it’s not always clean. But
the Metro is fast, efficient and a great way to get around the city when
walking just won’t do. Plus, it affords a priceless opportunity to mix
and mingle with all walks of life, from chic Montmartre matrons to
hijab-clad students. Better than any ride at Disneyland, and ideal for
teaching young ones the importance of zipping up packs and purses
and putting away screens.
Good Going
The Roam Report – Paris
Travelers: The Sulkis Family – Karen, sister Paula, cousin Ian and Paula’s 12-year-old daughter, Ariel
Date: April 2014
Itinerary: Paris (7 nights). Arriving from London via Chunnel train and heading down to Bordeaux for a week on the TGV after. We
had wedding events to attend during the first half of the visit, with free time interspersed and after.
Budget: About $1,400 for a week’s lodging in a house share in the heart of the 11th for two adults and one child. (Cousin Ian
stayed in a rented apartment two blocks away.) We shared household grocery costs with the wedding party; expenses were low,
but not rock-bottom, as we tended to splurge on the better version of whatever we saw at the market, because Paris! Between the
supermarket, bistros and incidental/urgent café breaks, I’d say we put an average of 25 euro per day in our mouths.
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