It’s official. Springtime in Paris has officially begun! The trees lining the “esplanade des Invalides” are in full bloom, the flowers in “les jardins du Luxembourg” are starting to wake from their winter slumber, and it’s getting warm enough to wear those adorable Parisian dresses
that remained untouched in the closet during the freezing January weather. There’s so much to do and see in Paris, but many of these activities are much more beautiful and enjoyable to experience once spring rolls around. “Oh, let’s save that until it gets warmer out! It will be SO much better then…” seemed to be our constant refrain when we first arrived. Now we have no more excuses. In our last two months here, it’s time to tackle everything we put on the backburner when the City of Light was more like the City of Gray and Rain.
This past week we began to check off the items on our extensive springtime in Paris to-do list. On Monday, my Madame told me how Wednesday and Thursday were going to be “absolument magnifique!” Since we don’t have classes on Wednesday, we decided to dedicate the day to outdoor activities. Carolyn, Mia, and I met at 1:30 outside of Sainte-Chapelle church. The church is known for its beautiful stained glass windows, and everyone recommends that you save your visit there for a sunny day when you can really get the full effect of the stained glass. The line to get into the church was extremely long when we first arrived, so we used this as an excuse to wander around and grab some lunch. After being away in London the previous week, I was in crepe withdrawal (after all, it’s difficult going from a crepe a day to not a single one for an entire week). I satisfied my craving with an enormous ham and cheese crepe, which disappeared in a matter of seconds as we headed back towards Sainte-Chapelle.
The church was well worth the wait. We were blown away by the size and beauty of Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass windows. The sunlight streamed through the red and blue glass, illuminating the room and making the Bible stories that each window depicted come to life. We took tons of photos and acted like total tourists as we “oohed” and “ahhed” at the magnificent site.
Satisfying a sweet tooth that we’ve all had since January was next on our list. Just as the best macaroons are at Laduree and the best hot chocolate is at Angelina’s (both of which we have sampled), the best ice cream in Paris is at Berthillon. Restaurants and cafes all over the city sell Berthillon ice cream, however the original Berthillon store is located on Ile St. Louis just a few steps away from Sainte-Chapelle. While the winter weather doesn’t exactly make you crave a cold dessert, on this beautiful spring day Berthillon was calling our names.
As we walked into the ice cream store, that intense aroma you associate with the freshest, creamiest homemade ice cream nearly knocked us down. Our mouths dropped as we looked at the unbelievable list of flavors. It included everything from the simple (chocolate and vanilla) to the outlandish (honey nougat and exotic cocktail). We immediately began studying the flavors to try and decide which ones to enjoy. Mia tried strawberry and raspberry, Carolyn ordered blood orange and pineapple, and I chose salted caramel and chocolate. We walked out of the Berthillon store with huge smiles on our faces and ice cream cones in hand. Trying not to inhale the delicious ice cream and slowly savor each lick, we strolled along the Seine and absorbed all of Paris’ natural beauty. We walked past the “bouquinistes” (the vendors in green stalls along the river who sell antique books, movies, posters, and other paper goods), examining the unique items each one offered. For the next hour we continued walking, laughing, shopping, and reminiscing about the unbelievable Berthillon while our sundresses fluttered with the warm breeze. It was the perfect end to what was only the first of many days in the beautiful Parisian springtime.
Photo Sources:
http://www.examiner.com/fashion-in-nashville/spring-2010-paris-fashion-week-schedule
http://www.icecreamspots.com/berthilion/
http://i2.photobucket.com/