Discovering the Magic of France: From Paris Streets to Country Charm

“Mom, I want to go here!” My 7-year-old daughter, Skye, handed me a worn, grainy photograph of the Eiffel Tower lit up against a dark sky. In a rushed, breathy voice she said, “My French teacher Ms. Kelly said she went to the Eiffel Tower a long time ago and loved it. I want to see it and go to a bakery and buy a fresh baked baguette and take a bite while walking down the street!” 

Excited to fulfill Skye’s travel dreams (instead of mine for once), I booked a trip to France as a ninth birthday surprise. Skye, my husband Cody, and I, spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve in the heart of Paris, soaking up the city’s festive charm, before retreating to the countryside to stay in a delightful stone horse-boarding house surrounded by centuries-old ruins we explored on horseback. We rounded off the two-week adventure with a visit to Disneyland Paris.

Outside of the usual tourist must-sees like the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, Opera House, Seine River, Notre Dame, and Louvre Museum–where the lines had lines–this is what I found remarkable about Paris:

-People really do buy baguettes and take bites while walking down the street. 

-Cucumbers are as juicy as ripe lemons. When cut, the juice bursts out and puddles on the plate, so full of sweet, watery flavor. 

-Strawberries are still small and taste like candy. 

-Freshly squeezed juice is standard on most menus, for about $4.

-Food is not only fresher and tastier, but also healthier with France and Europe’s strict food policies on additives and chemicals.

-Locals shop at specialty markets for cheese, meat, veggies, and pastries–one meal at a time.

-Parisians don’t wear berets. Don’t buy and wear one unless you want to feel like even more of a tourist (Skye learned this through experience). 

-Residents of our apartment building left every morning and returned with coffee and a bag of pastries from the bakery across the street. So, we did the same.

-Restaurants are dog-friendly, even inside. 

-There are no cats to be seen in Central Paris, except on souvenirs. 

-Need to pee? Find one of the many free, robotic public toilets that self-disinfect between users. When I couldn’t figure out how to open the automatic door, a smiley man dressed in a black winter bike suit stopped and wordlessly demonstrated how it works.

-Parisians eat outside, even when it’s 30 degrees and raining. Probably to smoke cigarettes because it seems like everyone smokes. 

-Social media content creators stop traffic to take pictures in the streets. Often, and most aren’t French.

-Street performers don’t need talent or costumes. Just go to a touristy area, set up a portable speaker and a tip bucket, and start dancing! 

-Server Arazeki at Le Mondado cafe will welcome you like a celebrity if you eat there more than once. And the food is tasty, too.

-Paris is delightfully diverse. Wander up and down streets and find cultures from all over the world represented in the residents, restaurants, stores, and products. 

-French people are among the friendliest on Earth!

One of my favorite experiences happened at a grocery store in the small town of Pringy, an hour south of Paris. While staring intently through my phone’s Google translate lens to decipher the ingredients of the dairy-free milk in my hand, a silver-haired woman approached and asked about “banani,” which I interpreted as “where are the bananas?” I pointed in the direction of the produce section I’d just come from and smiled. She shook her head and looked determinedly around, zeroing in on a man walking by. She spoke rapidly to him in French– “banani” this and that–and he responded in English, “Happy New Year.” She turned back to me and said, “Happy New Year!” loud and proud. “Merci! Same to you!” I exclaimed and gave her a hug. 

Traveling is not about getting to the top of the Eiffel Tower, or seeing the Mona Lisa, or crossing “France” off your bucket list. It’s about Arazeki the cafe server taking the time to make us feel special, the bike-suit man helping clueless tourists use the bathroom, the silver-haired woman shouting to the world, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Indeed, I am happy when I travel.