Paris: the Pilgrimage

a jewellery?

We were in Paris for three days. Of course we did what every sane woman and her husband in tow would do in Paris during the Fashion Week: We walked 50k around 7 Arrondissements in search of the best food in Europe. Funny that this involved so many chocolatiers. On the second day we had a conversation:

“Oh, there, across the street, look, I know I have said this often, but…”

“…this is one of the best chocolatiers/pâtissiers in the world, I know, I know…”

And then without hesitation he would start crossing the street to once again go into a shop, put up with me drooling for half an hour over the food on display after which he gallantly ignored how much money went over the counter for what small packages. It is great to have a food-loving husband who trusts you as a guide, who gets out of the train and just says “guide me to whatever you choose” and goes through the ordeal without any objections.

But of course I had my own guides in turn. The lovely Clotilde, a real Parisian; David, an American pâtissier who has made Paris his home and who is the chocolate-man; Pim, who has eaten at more Michelin starred restaurants than there are on a clear summer night sky (but who doesn’t say no to solid street food either); Louisa, who has lived in Paris while working in a two star Restaurant and guided even Anthony Bourdain through Paris… Who needs a guide book if the researched-and-put-together-in-a-whole-week’s-work print-outs in your hands have such credentials?

Today you can have a look at the shops we visited in our three days and make some guesses. The next post will show you the copious amounts of food we ate (or bought to bring back home) behind these facades. After another post, this time with a highlight, we will conclude with a philosophical discussion. Well, it is about food, people, so relax and enjoy…

This is part one in a four-part series.
read part two – Paris: the Food
read part three – Paris: the Highlight
read part four – Paris: the Tourist’s Dilemma