“America is my country, and Paris is my hometown” – Gertrude Stein
I share Ms. Stein’s sentiments whole heartedly. America is my (adopted) country (for now) but after after several visits to Paris, there is no doubt in my mind that The City of Lights is where my heart lives.
No sojourn in Paris is quite complete without a bit of Rive Gauche living. On this particular day in September, my friend and I spent the day enjoying some of my favourite haunts on the left bank, in Saint Germain des Prés. We strolled down Boulevard Saint-Germain and discovered a quaint épicerie fine, Aux Anysetiers du Roy, teeming with lovely fondues, jams and mustards– I have a chocolate fetish so it goes without saying that I did not leave empty handed. We stopped by Diptyque for Figueur and Baies candles and then sat down to a lovely lunch of overpriced but tasty American fare at Ralph’s, the restaurant attached to the Ralph Lauren Saint Germain shop. The terrace is gorgeous: relishing in its splendour is well worth the 32 Euro for a hamburger and fries. After lunch and more “ballade-ing” in the area that took us ofcourse to Le Bon Marché and beyond, we ended the day in line with our 3 year tradition, with a coffee at the Café de Flore. This time, we discovered their sinfully sublime profiteroles…
What I wore: Custom-made silk shirt, J Crew Café Capri, Maje sweater, Fendi Colour Block sandals, Céline luggage mini, Céline Audrey sunglasses, friend and designer Maryam Keyhani necklace, bracelets by Hermès and Kenneth Jay Lane