Paris here I come!

I miss Paris so much! I miss the freedom I had there - I could come and go as I pleased - the ability to walk everywhere, the fact that there people still buy bread from the baker and fish from the fishmonger, I miss the markets, I miss my wonderful ex-colleagues and friends: in short, I miss the wonderful life that I lead when I was there. Don't get me wrong: I missed home. I missed Marc, my Dad, my friends and my London life. But I loved the French lifestyle and that's still something I hanker after now that I'm back home. Paris was my home twice, for a year and a half in total. It is unquestionably a part of who I am. I really need to go back every once in a while, to reconnect with it and of course to use my French. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love speaking French - and how scared I am to lose it.

Around this time last year I came home at the last minute to attend Sarah and David's Thanksgiving dinner. I was delayed by four hours and, as compensation, received a free return ticket from the Eurostar. I did make trips after that, but never used the free ticket for some reason. It expires on 30 November, so I decided to book myself on for a (free!) trip to my beloved Paris.

I leave tomorrow and will be staying with lovely Audrey. On the list of things to do are visit our favourite Japanese restaurant (I know it's Paris, but I want to revisit my Paris) as well as the little boutiques of the Marais. We may visit the Louvre on Friday (gotta love free entry) too. I'm going to pop in on my colleagues as well. After having left my firm job because I was so desperately unhappy there, being back in Paris and witnessing what a lovely atmosphere exists at the company to which I was seconded will definitely give me pangs of sadness that I can no longer be there.

The coolest thing about the trip? I've signed up for a macaroon class at LeNotre! I'm so lucky! I'm going to learn to make those stunning and delectable treats, and once I know how I will be sure to blog about it and teach you. You may be far from Paris but no-one should be far from its much loved macaroons!

Au revoir and see you soon!



Can you believe this was my walk to work? I saw this every day? Pangs, I tell you. Pangs.