Last Sunday Parisienne

I started this Sunday the same way I started my very first one (and second, and third) - heading to the market at Bastille. I went there on foot, determined to enjoy walking through the city as much as possible and took a different route. I wound up crossing the Seine and walking through Ile St. Louis and as I wandered down the street I saw several people with ice cream cones, slightly bizarre for 11 a.m. I then realized I was only a block away from Berthillon's, the famous Parisian ice cream store. I had walked by the other day only to discover it's only open four days a week, and although I hadn't even eaten breakfast yet, I decided to take advantage of likely my last time on the island and the fact that there was no line. Last time I can with my family I enjoyed the ice cream but didn't think it was anything special. This time was amazing. I had a single cone of chocolate ice cream with orange peel and it was one of the best ice creams I've had. Well worth the reputation.

After my ice cream cone I continued to the market, where I purchased mangoes, apricots, and nectarines. The fruit is amazing here...not that expensive in the markets and very tasty. Apricots are hugely popular in the last few weeks and I've been enjoying them. For lunch I had a sandwich from a Lebanese vendor...my third Lebanese sandwich and absolutely delicious. I took my fruit and my sandwich up to Canal St. Martin and walked along the entire canal. The weather was beautiful today and it was a fantastic walk. After relaxing by the canal, I discovered my new favorite Parisian park - Buttes Chaumont. It is a park on a hill that is the best replication of nature I've seen in the city. It actually has several hills with amazing views, plus a stream running through the entire park, complete with waterfalls and areas for kids to play in the water. Plus, you're allowed to sit on the grass in the entire park, a rarity in Paris.

After reading in the park, I took a bus back to the center of the city, where I met a friend in a cafe to watch the French Open final. Sports bars are hard to come by here, so we sat in your typical Parisian cafe, and it was a classy way to watch the final, which turned out to be an excellent match. after the match I went home and ate dinner with the fam, then started to pack up my room...