We left by train on the morning of my birthday. When we arrived at the apartment we reserved through Airbnb, we were half an hour early for check-in hence we explored the neighbourhood. The apartment was situated a three-minute walk away from the Alma-Marceau metro stop, which was close to Trocadero, Eiffel Tower, and Champs-Élysées. We were also steps away from Tokyo Palace and we could literally see Eiffel Tower around the corner of each and every building. Ahhhhh~~~ <3
After settling down a bit, we headed out for lunch at Ladurée. **Exciting!!
I ordered one entrée (ou plat en français parce que entrée en français est “appetizer”) + one dessert for the price of €40 (approximately $58 CAD). And I escaped the trap of ordering expensive Evian water! Hah! Never again! Tap water for me s’il vous plaît.
Jessica’s order of foie gras.
The food was heavenly. I could hear bells ringing inside my head with each and every bite. I ordered «Filet d’agneau» which was lamb fillet with roasted acacia, millet croquette, and watercress. The lamb was divine. It was a teeny weeny bit rough (overcooked) but paired together with the glistening fat that was seared with sea salt, the two melted away into perfection in my mouth. The croquette was a bit of a disappointment though, but I think it was because the lamb was so rich that following that, the croquette tasted rather bland.
For dessert, the waitress recommended me to try their signature “Ispahan”.
The subtle rose and lychee flavoured ganache paired with raspberries balanced out the sweetness of the overall rose macaron. Mmmmm! Totally worth gaining 5lbs for. I’m drooling all over my keyboard now, ugh!
Having satisfied our cravings, we headed along Champs-Élysées for some luxury brand shopping.
For dinner, we dined at Il Carpaccio, the only Michelin-star Italian restaurant in Paris.
Throughout the night, there were different waiters and manager (or managers? there were so many men in suites!) tending to us. There was one guy in particular, however, that I really remembered because the first thing he said to us was “so I heard you ladies speak fluent French” (this was, of course, in French). And then went the humble “oh no we’re still learning” and small talk, etc. I guess the staff must’ve been gossiping in the kitchen about how two Asian girls were trying so desperately to speak French LOL!
For the perfect ending to a birthday in Paris, we headed for Trocadero. Our whole schedule got delayed because the check-in lady was late, so we missed the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower whereas the next illumination would be in one hour. I totally didn’t mind waiting since I could sit there all day and night just to enjoy its incredible beauty, but I felt bad making Jessica wait with me especially since we’ve already been to Trocadero so many times, it was evident that she was sick of it.
And I just realized I forgot to make a wish on my birthday! But I don’t believe in birthday wishes anyways. If I really wanted something, I would do everything myself to achieve and accomplish it. Pftttt ain’t need no wish upon the stars. I’m too old for all that fancy fairytale crap.
It still hasn’t hit me yet that I am 21. It’s funny because I just realized I am now legal in the States! Whoohooo next stop Las Vegas!!
But the truth is, nothing feels different. I still have no idea what I am doing with my life, still running away from reality, procrastinating, and of course, spending big bucks on alcohol. How am I supposed to make life choices when I still use my fingers to count and sing the whole alphabet to see what letter comes next? I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that as you grow older, it’s really not as simple as sharing cookies and crayons anymore. People have walked in and out of my life, some leaving deeper footprints than others, but for those who have remained, they have really helped shape who I am today. Yet if you were to tell me to describe myself with one word, I would simply be speechless. How am I able to explore and uncover the universe when I alone can’t even define myself? It’s questions like this that makes me fear the what ifs, the future, and me. But what the heck, that’s enough deep thoughts for the day. For now, I will just dance like no one is watching, love like I’ll never be hurt, sing like no one is listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth.
And so enough of my cheesy clichés, this concludes today’s recap of my wonderful time in France.
The servings look so small, but definitely classy. Can we get full eating those? We have voracious appetites. LOL! 😀