Is it possible to love a place you've never been? Cause if so, I loooooove Paris. I've been to France and French Polynesia, but Paris is a completely different story. Fashion capital, City of Lights, by whatever name it is a place I've been to many times via books and movies, but never actually been. I've been spending the last month dreaming of Paris and trying to figure out how to get there.
Why, you may ask, do I love a place so much that you've never actually been? It's simple, really. I love fashion, history, art, architecture, collecting vintage ephemera, yummy food with lots of butter, black and white photography, and movies. Paris is pretty much fantastic at all those things!
Of course, not everyone can jet off to Paris whenever they want. So, to help you, and in honor of Bastille Day, I've compiled everything you need for a bit of Paris at home.
Movies:
I know purists are going to hate me because almost none of these movies are actually French... maybe it is a Dream Paris instead of a real one you'll love just like me. In no particular order:
1. French Kiss
2. Amelie
3. Sex and the City (series finale, both parts - not technically a movie but a must)
4. Ratatouille (okay, we're really stretching it on the realism here, but I love this one!)
5. Julie and Julia
6. Marie Antoinette (the Sophia Coppola film)
Food:
As Julia Childs would say, think BUTTER! Living in LA, I admit I'm totally spoiled and have access to some fantastic restaurants, bakeries, and other French goodies that those outside a major city probably don't have. Don't worry, I've thought of you, too!
1. French Restaurants - my favs in LA are Comme Ca and Annisette - if you don't live near LA you can look up in Zagat or Opentable.com to find a local eatery
2. Get fresh baked French bread from your local bakery. Preferably eat outside on your porch or something with a glass of red wine and some wonderful cheese.
3. OR you can DIY! Here would be my menu for at home French food dinner loveliness:
a. Steak Frite - 'nuff said.
b. As a twist, cook your Pomme Frite in a little truffle oil. Yum! Then add garlic and truffle oil to the mayonnaise you dip the fries in. Double yum!
c. Dessert: Macaroons. I'd order mine from Paulette's, but you can easily make your own. The French never skip dessert!
4. For breakfast or snack, crepes, my friend. "really thin pancakes" as Jean Girard would say - if
you don't recognize that because you haven't seen the Ballad of Ricky Bobby, just ignore.
Can you tell I look up recipes religiously on the Food Network online???
Books/Magazines:
I say, read up on some interesting French people (or people who lived there)!
1. Julia Child - My Life in France
2. Marie Antionette - Queen of Fashion
3. Coco Chanel - Chanel and Her World
4. Any travel magazine
Extra Credit:
1. You can view what's going on in Paris with their live webcams on paris-live.com!
2. See Les Miserables if it's being staged near you.
3. Window shop.
DO NOT:
I refuse to watch the Travel Channel shows of places I'm dying to go. It starts to make me angry - why can't I have a job that pays me to travel around? I'm telling you, you start looking at the host/hostess and growl, "What do they have that I don't?" and then get these grandiose ideas about writing to Fodor's or something and they'll hire you right away. Don't do it! Or if you do and are successful, tell me immediately how you did it!!!
Image from http://styleandi.blogspot.com
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