Friends in Parisian Places: Zoe Edition

Woo Hoo for More Visitors in 2012


Our first visitor in 2012 was my former coworker and friend, Zoe.  She was tough and risked coming in February when it could have been nasty weather, but she got lucky (for the most part) and her time here was  très  magnifique!  

Zoe had been to Paris before, but it was several years ago and there were some things they weren't able to see (like Notre Dame because it was under renovation - what a bummer that would be if you came all the way to Paris and couldn't even see the outside!).  We had the perfect mixture of sightseeing, strolling, people-watching at cafes, eating delicious French eats, rain, clear sunny days and lots of laughing and catching up, of course.  

Major excitement that Zoe brought REAL hot sauce

 Can't believe what a trooper Zoe was her first day. She didn't give into jet lag one bit.  We went walking all over to keep her going through the morning and afternoon and apparently that did the trick - we also went out for a delicious dinner at Au Petit Sud Ouest, walked to a microbrewery, then met some of our friends at a Top Chef bar/restaurant and stayed out til 3:00 am!  None of us usually do that on a normal day, let alone after long travels... not sure what got into us.  But it was really fun!

 I think the beautiful sights we passed on the way were enough to keep us energized :)

Les Invalides

 Saint Sulpice

Top of the Arc de Triomphe 

 Ile Saint-Louis

 Archaeological crypt under Notre Dame

 The oldest tree in Paris... let's all let out a collective "wooooooow"

 Dinner with Julie at Les Cocottes

 Julie's first bus ride!  Ummm who is that scary man behind us?? 

Cocktails and jazz at Cafe Laraunt. Just a little place that's been open since the 1600's where people like Voltaire used to hang out. No big deal. Apparently this is where the first version of a revolutionary drink was served for the first time, you may have heard of it - Coca-Cola.

When in such a swanky establishment, you must twirl your scarf and look sophisticated.  See below.

The next stop on our fancy cocktail-palooza was Bar Hemingway in The Ritz. It was named so because it is where Hemingway used to hang out. It's one of the world's most famous bars these days partly because of the amazing cocktails created by Colin Field - twice voted "The Best bartender in the World" by Forbes. The drinks START OFF at 30 euro and there is one that goes as high as 700 euro (yep, you read that right) because of the rare ingredients.  I'll take two.

To keep the joint classy they don't allow pictures, but I snuck this one in before I was aware of that.  

 After walking in the rain to get there and then consuming the fabulously pricey beverages, we all looked a bit disheveled and, well, drunk.  Oh well, it was a magical night.

 Is that a stumble on the way out?

 What are we doing?

 Oh, skipping through the streets.  Sure, why not?

 Look at my face. I should be ashamed of myself. But, I'm not. Had a blast. Like, I'll remember that night the rest of my life kind of blast.

Back to the activities that don't give you a headache.

Visiting Sacre Coeur and Montmartre

The Louvre

 Lovely walk home on a rare mild February night

 Having delicious Caribbean Creole

 From the Eiffel Tower

What would a visit to Paris be without a major I'm-so-full-I-could-burst-but-it-was-worth-it meal?  Nothing, I tell ya!  

Off to Chez L'Ami Jean for Zoe last meal in France.

 Not sure why they were filming there that night, but could this be the second television appearance for Julie and I in Paris??

 Really getting into our meal...

Behold, the treats!

Gorgeous ribbons of delicious cured meats courtesy of Chef Jego (aka Julie's admirer). FYI, that's butter, not cheese. Someone may have thought that was cheese and ate a huge chunk of it. 

 Swordfish. My favorite of the night.

 Kyle's main dish. Yes, that's what it looks like. That's the head and legs of the pigeon served with the rest of the meat. 

 My scallops

 Julie's veal

 Zoe's lamb

 Dunno? We'll just call this an enchanting dessert.

Such a great time!


Up Next


Justin and Keri arrive tomorrow!!!!  More fun with friends in Paris.  Can't wait!


Then, it's time for us to go to Houston!  It's crazy that we've only been back to Houston once in the year that we've lived here.  We are really looking forward to seeing everyone!  


I can't believe that a whole year has passed since we moved to France. The first few months seemed to drag on for ages, and now time is just whizzing past us. Gotta go make the most of it!


Bisous!
Maygan