Back in Brooklyn

A Perfect Brooklyn Saturday
Some days are better than others. Today was nearly perfect. We followed up a good night's sleep that chased away the last dullness of jetlag with brunch at a new neighborhood restaurant. From there we strolled to a book store on Court Street. I got the latest from Jonathon Ames, a local Brooklyn writer. Then off to a few different cafes for a few different coffees, shopping at the local market and a walk over to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to see a movie. I crunched some "Breakfast of Heroes" popcorn - a melange of bourbon-coffee caramel, popcorn and candied bacon. For dinner, we tried the new Mexican restaurant-slash-art gallery-slash-live music venue. Today was a particularly Brooklyn day, the likes of which you cannot find anywhere else.

Gimme a Three....Gimme a Two....

Someone is Pretending....
Today is someone's birthday. Someone is pretending she's still 31... Wahahahahahaha. NOT. Anyway, we celebrated this morning with a fancy breakfast at Laduree on Champs Elysees. These photos are a few days old - someone got welcome to Paris presents.

Paris - Another One Rides the Bus

The Preferred Way to Go
I ride the bus in Paris every day. There is much to love. First, the seats in the front of the bus face towards the back. I have no idea why. I try to sit in them whenever I can and ride backwards to work. It makes for great people-watching, both inside and out. I love the guy staring back at me. Nope, I don't care - I'll take your photo like a tourist with no shame. Another great thing - you can buy a ticket right on the bus and they'll even make change. Try that in NY.

Paris - Early Riser Buzzkill

We Open at 9am, but not Really....
Every weekend I wake up around 7am - I'm an early riser, I can't help it. It's horrible to wake up early in Paris, everyone else is on a different schedule. Nothing opens until 9am, and even that's misleading. Today I arrived at a restaurant at 9:15am but the "coffee machine wasn't ready" so I didn't get my coffee until 10am. In Paris, I'm forced to accept that type of bullshit as charming. I wanted to walk out but I caught myself. Where was I going to go on a Sunday morning? Most places are closed and those that are open are equally lame. On Saturday I walked to Galerie Vivienne in the 2nd to have breakfast. I'd double-checked the opening time of the cafe in question - 9am. I walked on purpose so I'd arrive at 9:45.

Paris - the Shittiest Ciry

Keep Your Eyes Cast Downwards
This is the most romanticized city in the world. You tell someone you live in Paris and their eyes glaze over as they visibly swoon. They can't imagine navigating sidewalks full of dog-logs and pee-pools. It's an epidemic here. This is a shot right outside my front door.

Paris - the Furniture 'Hood

Bastille, Back in the Day
In the old days Bastille was where all the furniture makers plied their trade. It's no longer the case but some still remain. A good example is along the picturesque Passage du Chantier.

Passage du Chantier
11th Arondissement
Paris

Paris - Just Another Day at the Factory

Or Is It?
Continuing a theme, a lot of Paris hides in plain sight. What you see from the street are the outer surfaces of more interesting inner courtyards. As I was on my way back from my morning coffee I caught a glimpse through some large wooden doors into the inner sanctum of an old factory. It's been beautifully maintained and is now used as office space mainly, it appears, by those in the digital arts.

74 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine
11th Arondissement

Paris - Another Hidden Gem

Park on Top of an old Viaduct
The Viaduct des Arts cuts a mile-long path through the 12th along Avenue Daumesnil. Built in 1859 by the Paris Strasbourg Railway company to elevate a stretch of tracks from Bastille to the burbs, it was converted into art studios and stores in the 1980's. The rails were replaced by a planted promenade, which is popular with walkers are runners alike. It's a beautiful, narrow park 30 feet up known as the Promenade Plantée.