As Joséphine Baker would sing back in her days: “ J’ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris “. Not that I needed any further confirmation that I am so in love with the place, but at this point, I’m starting to feel like Paris is my second home. Thalys is making some serious money out of me.


This time around, I’ll spare you the usual talk on how much of a beautiful city it is and go straight to the point. 
On a continuous quest to discover all the lesser known Parisian treasures, I can always count on the best guide ever: Eglantine. I warn you though, I’m afraid she doesn’t take any reservations.


Waking up with a view on these typical rooftops is quite a thing. Doesn’t it bring you back to Disney’s Aristocats? 

So, this week-end Eglantine took me to the Parc de Belleville. Located on a hill in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, it offers a lovely view on the city (too bad for the smog). 

It turned out we found the perfect spot to engage in a photo session: walls with big bright paintings. To me, this looked like a representation of urban dreaming and the desire for freedom. 

Street art is one of my favorite forms of art. It brings life to walls. It brings emotions to the streets. It makes us people be part of a masterpiece. 


Initially, we went there because Eglantine remembered a nice restaurant in that area. Oh la la, I’m so glad I followed her. O’Paris truly is one of a kind. I was instantly awed by the setting: a colorful and elegant bistrot on a paved square overlooking the parc. Absolutely charming.  

We both ordered the salade du marché. It was so damn delicious. 
Fresh products and perfectly seasoned. Salads actually are a tricky dish, it can often be very disappointing and tasteless. Definitely no salad faux-pas for O’Paris.

For dessert, I picked the Café Gourmand. This is the best compromise if, like me, you have a hard time making a choice in the world of sweet treats. See, I always want to try everything!

Now, you thought the outdoor terrace of the place was awesome? Check the inside! 

Beautiful vintage sofas and chairs, boxes full of books… But my very own crush goes to the wallpaper.

It was difficult to leave this little piece of paradise, but we had to. In fact, we had another artistic rendez-vous. 

Place de la République

After a walk through the streets and boulevards, plus a metro ride, we reached the Grand Palais, where an exhibition on French painter Georges Braque is being held. 
Le Grand Palais

You know how sometimes certain things from your childhood really become indelible? See, I had this super charismatic art teacher back in school. The first time I heard the word “cubism”, it was from him. As Eglantine and I were visiting the exhibition, I had small flashbacks of those art classes.  

The one piece of advice I might give is, if you’re planning to go and see the exhibition, avoid going on Saturday early evenings. Way too much crowded. We had to fight our way through the paintings. Almost. 


 
My guess is, I’ll be back soon in Paris.

Sara.