first stop

After a very long, cold, dark, grey, wet, and windy winter, Paris does turn into magic when spring appears. The famous hedonists and indolent come out of hiding , the colors pop under a pretty sky, cold drinks are ordered at terraces , the parks are filled with sun and leisure seekers, the bikes for rent are taken up to zigzag through a more relaxed traffic and new produce appear at the local open air market.

I had to buy some of these morels, when they look so big and so fresh.I sauteed them sliced in butter with shallots and chives, and served them mixed with fresh pasta, topped with grated Comte ( a type of gruyere from France): phenomenal and so simple....
This is a view of the park that I had to cross to go to the market.It is also the park where I spent my childhood afternoons, first at the sand box, between the two lawns and then, on the paved paths with my scooter or roller blades.When I was a child, the lawns were fenced up and forbidden, now, teenagers from a nearby high school have made them their lunch time pique nique area, or fathers play ball with their children.There is more freedom now, and that is good.

Here are a couple of snapshots;
One is at the Tuileries gardens, next to the Louvre, where parisians strolled and soaked the sun on the first sunny and warm week end.The other made me smile and I hope it will make you smile too.