A Dream Day in Paris

In response to Miss Rachel Khoo‘s Go-Go City Guide Giveaway …

One dream day in Paris?

On a warm winter morning, I wake up wearing my freshly laundered jammies (the ones with the Eiffel Towers on them), open the shudders and breathe in the Parisian sun (yes, it’s sunny that day). I press play on the radio, and Indochine fills the air. I dance around the room as I shower with my verveine-citron gel and get ready for my day. Walking out of my courtyard door onto the bustling street, I say bonjour with a smile to the concierge and head straight to le café for a café crème and the perfect croissant (buttery on the inside, light and crispy on the outside). Waking from the trance of watching passers-by, I remember it’s time to meet Miss Khoo at the market for a bit of pre-party shopping. I pay the bill, flirt with the waiter, and dash off to the marketplace where she is just arriving. Perusing the stalls, the aromas tempt us trop and we’re almost at a loss. But the vendors are there to help, offer samples and assist us with decisions on what to prepare for our petite soirée entre amis. We gather our buys and head straight to our pal Raymond Blanc’s Paris pad, where he will prep our treats. A shared espresso-moment later, and we’re off to browse the vintage shops hoping to find that perfect gem. Our tummies are rumbling, so before enjoying a mâche salade with cantal and canard with a cozy Bordeaux, we splurge on treats from L’Eclair de Génie. We can’t resist. We have a little time to gather a few last-minute party favors before heading back to the flat and getting things, and ourselves, ready. Cocktail time! The cork is popped as our guests arrive. Jean-Paul Gaultier absoluement adoooores our new vintage finds while Guy Savoy and Alain Ducasse relish our small bites. But of course. Ooh la la, it’s time to catch a cab to the spectacle, an extravagant array of trapeze artists, jugglers, dancers and more, parfait for bringing out the kid in us all. A scrumptious onion soup afterward on our a friend’s péniche warms our cockles and lands us in a spot filled with guinguette tunes and camaraderie. Faites de beaux rêves, mes amis.