Weekends are never long enough. Especially those ones when you wish you could do so many things but at the same time just sit down and have a little chat over a cup of coffee.

That’s what it felt like this past weekend, when Mom came for a visit with my Bro & my Sis. Although I was sick (huge bummer!!) I tried to make the most of the time we got to spend together.

So let me show you what our family weekend was made of…

To start things off, we went for a bateau-mouche trip on along the Seine. Yeah, it is one of the cliché tourist attractions but still, it is an efficient way to see many Parisian landmarks. So we embarked on a one-hour cruise along the Seine banks and enjoyed the view.

I usually love to walk around the streets, but on that very sunny Saturday morning, the Seine became the best guide. 

 
By the way, ever noticed how Paris has the wonderful capacity to mix modern and classical art? Hello Niki de Saint Phalle!
 

With our feet on the ground again, we all decided to go for a short shopping spree, just before reaching our lunch destination. I couldn’t help snap another one or two pics on Rue de Rivoli.

Oh, also, if you don’t feel like going through the endless queue of the Musée du Louvre, worry no more, you can find the Mona Lisa – pixelised street art version – a few blocks away.

Now, food time! We stopped at a small restaurant called Les Petits Plats d’Emile, with its typical sidewalk terrace.

To be honest, I got very frustrated because my being sick turned my taste buds completely numb.
I was eating but not experiencing any taste. Thus I had to rely on my mom’s, brother’s, sister’s and Nico’s opinion. So, what do we have here?

 Gambas & Guacamole
 
Egg in cooker & foie gras
 
Sea Bass Ceviche & Salad

We got served with fine, delicate food for a very reasonable price. Given the area we were in, this is definitely a super good option, with a warm atmosphere and a touch of old Parisian café.
The magic of Paris also comes from the random encounters one can have just around any corner. 5 minutes after we left the restaurant, we were kinda hypnotised by the sound of violins & cellos playing.

 
It turned out to be a group of musicians, filling the surroundings with enchanting music. Violin probably is my favourite instrument, along with the piano. Anyway. We went on with our afternoon by heading to the Jardin des Tuileries.
 
 
The autumnal hues made the whole scenery absolutely gorgeous.
 
 
We then walked towards Place Vendome and Rue de la Paix … just for the sake of staring at more beautiful buildings and fancy boutiques.

 

I might as wall already warn you and cut the suspense. Dinner came out to be quite the disillusion. I picked the   on the internet, it looked nice and all. However once we tried our food, it didn’t feel as good as I expected. Or maybe Les Petits Plats d’Emile lifted our standards?

At least the setting had undeniable upsides! First of all, Mimosa Café has one boss, and one only: its cat. Of course, its name is … Mimosa. He just sat next to Nico, owning the place like nobody else was there. *Melting*.

Second, I just loved that neon sign hanging above the bar. But that turned out to be basically all.
I mean, the fried chicken and vegetables that I had were nice, and the burger my Sis received was pretty decent too, but the rest was kinda meh.

With that, Saturday had already passed. On to Sunday!

Sara