nesting in paris

over the holidays, i spent three amazing weeks in paris (with a fun little jaunt over to england). i feel as if i'm still processing my experience, and flashes of memorable events - mostly food related - pop into my head while i go about my regular business back at home. i swapped my apartment in brooklyn with a lovely parisian couple, and so i was able to settle in and cook proper meals. it was a great experience.

some highlights of the trip:

~ midnight mass on christmas eve in notre dame: being inside the chapel with throngs of people as the bells chimed twelve and the priests began their procession was an incredibly special experience.

~ oysters at l'ecume saint-honore: a fish shop with seating provided a delightful afternoon snack of briny, slippery oysters and a silky sancerre.

~ warm, crusty and oh-so-light baguettes whenever and wherever i wanted. i seriously averaged a baguette a day.

~ le grande epicerie: david lebovitz recommends g. detou, and i visited both shops. i found that for sheer volume of french (and many other) goods, i just couldn't resist going back to le grand. the boy and i went crazy there - i was lucky to get everything home.

~ commiserating (en franglais!) with a shopkeeper about our love of the beauty and quality of liberty of london fabrics.