I loved it!!

Paris was absolutely fantastic! I loved every minute that we were there. I had been to Paris before but it certainly was a different feel to be there with my husband. Everything seemed to be a little more romantic and a little more charming.

Everything we did was definitely awe inspiring; there’s so much history and culture at every corner that it’s almost hard to absorb it all. The Eifel tower is amazing; it was humbling to stand at the base of it and look up. Hearing about the Arc de Triomphe is one thing but to stand right at it and look at the “tomb of the unknown soldier” allows you the opportunity to take that moment of silence to revere all that it represents. Seeing the “Mona Lisa” in the Louvre or “The Thinker” sculpture at the Rodin Museum or Monet’s “Water Lilies” at the Orangerie Museum among other fabulous art pieces was absolutely breath-taking. It was fantastic to be in the presence of art that has been admired by many.

I loved everything but most of all I loved strolling down the streets to look up and see the most incredible ornate lamp post or water fountain that I’ve ever seen in my life . The Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur are amazingly beautiful but so were the other churches that were not as famous but just as ornate. It really was about walking around and just taking in all the incredible art and architecture that was everywhere.

I especially loved sitting in cafes and restaurants. The French have it figured out; they chew their food slowly, enjoy sitting with their friends and generally do not feel the need to turn a table over. The French aren’t in a rush to give you your bill either. I think we had to ask for our bill four times at one of the restaurants. We were forced to slow down. We were forced to enjoy sipping the wine and chewing our food rather than gulping and inhaling. By day three we had figured it out; we sat down to eat at a fantastic Lebanese restaurant called Noura where we were tempted to gulp and inhale because we were hungry but instead I told my husband “let’s eat like the French” to which he answered “you mean let’s enjoy it.” And we did! It was awesome!

It got me thinking as to why I don’t allow myself that simple pleasure in the United States. My youngest son is not feeling well today so he got to stay at home. I took him to Whole Foods with me where I picked lunch up for him. My thought was that I would bring it home for him to eat while I did laundry and got things done so when he asked to eat in their outdoor seating area I had to think about it. I thought to myself that if I was in France I would sit down, enjoy the sunshine and let my kid enjoy his food. I also thought that I’d like to teach my boys how to slow down and enjoy life as well so I’d better set the right example. So we did and it was fantastic!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

To sign up for “An Evening of Meditation” on May 20th at 7 pm you may email me to mary@marysalfi.com or call 303.478.1642

Chewing and sipping from now on!
Mary