Day 6 of 21
I made it out of the apartment earlier than I have since I arrived here. A whopping 2PM. My ear is still bothering me. But I had a great day.
I spent last night going through my guidebooks (which have way too much information btw). I found a company that does city tours and I signed up for a gastronomy tour with Context Travel which I found through my Luxe Paris Guide. I thought that might help me get over being afraid to go in places and order things to eat.
I bookmarked Le Bon Marche (department store), Deyrolle (for taxidermy), and Pierre Herme (for macaroons) as places I would try to walk to today. I made it to two of the three. Unfortunately Sunday is a day that most stores are closed. So I walked along and around Boulevard Saint Germaine des Pres and observed all the fine shops even though they were fermee.
But I know how to get there now! And I know how to get home from there! Easily an hours walk. But it was so lovely. I felt to a certain degree, liberated.
I had read in a guide that the Winter sun in Paris is the prettiest light for the city. Today I recognized that. As I walked, I felt buoyed by the sun–following it all the way from the 4th to the 6th arrondisement.
Eating out at a restaurant or cafe has been like the elephant in the room for me. If I could just conquer this fear, other things might come more easily. So I finally did it. I had dinner alone at 7:30 PM at Vins de Pyrenees.
Also, I realized yesterday that although my simple meals at home were satisfying me…. I hadn’t had greens or cooked meat in almost a week.
Previously, when I’ve tried to go into restaurants, I would linger out front, pacing back and forth, growing more and more timid. As I approached the restaurant this time I told myself that I would just walk through the door without hesitation. I thought of Caesar Millan and the idea of being calm and assertive. My fear is behavioral. I know I’m brave. I know I’m competent. I had to just go in.
Which is what I did. And it all went fine. I barely said anything. I asked for a table “pour un” and the hostess immediately started speaking to me in English. From then on I just pointed to what I wanted.
I had a huge plate of greens, steak tartare, and a bad glass of chardonnay. Earlier I had downloaded Patricia Wells’ Food Glossary onto my phone. A tip I had gotten from a forum I found when I looked up ‘eating alone in Paris’. It came in handy because the whole menu was in French. Despite the glossary I ended up ordering tartare because I recognized it as something I loved. My meal came to 36 euros. It would have been better for me to get some cooked meat. But alas!
A first: I was very clearly able to ask ‘l’addition?‘ when the waiter came to clear my plate. AND HE UNDERSTOOD ME.
I am happy.
Tomorrow: THE METRO.
Paté and Heartbreak 