Sunday Brunch: The Park NYC

Another weekend. Another opportunity for brunching with friends.

Have I mentioned before that brunch is my favorite meal ever?

Yes, I think I have.

There is something about this lazy weekend meal, served up with some fruity cocktails and spending a few hours munching and sipping with friends that warms my heart.

Maybe it's the bubbly-induced babble about life that makes us feel like budding philosophers.

Maybe it's the fact that no one is {usually} rushing you through the meal. It's the accepted practice that this is the time to sit back, enjoy what you're eating, and take advantage of catching up with the people that busy schedules prevent you from talking to during the work week. One thing about Paris that I absolutely love is that all meals are expected to be hours long.

Brunching has turned into a generational norm in the US. And it looks like it's been taking over Europe little by little too.

In honor of my trip to NYC this week, I thought I'd share a little from my brunch at The Park last summer.

This is easily in my top 5 bunch meals to date. A big statement to make, I know, but it's true.

Take some spicy pulled pork, some sweet potato hash, perfectly poached eggs, a side of avocado and mix it all together. Y'all, this is the meal that dreams are made of. I'm certain.

Not to mention there were so many other scrumptious dishes on their menu that I'm sure are equally delicions. Not pictured: my dear friend Kimberly's mascarpone stuffed French toast. Hello, heaven.

I'm already dreaming of brunch next Sunday before I hop back over to Paris!

Bon dimanche, mes amis.

Jardin des Plantes

And just like that, the week is almost over. Almost.

I spent last Saturday wandering the Jardin des Plantes. And I think for a few days, Paris forgot that summer was over. Temperatures were almost summer like, families were having picnics on the grass, and so many people were out strolling around the gorgeous flowers that somehow were still in bloom. It felt more like late August than the middle of October. And I didn't hate it, as much as I love fall weather. It was a welcome change and the last scrap of summer we will probably see until next year. 

Flash forward a week, and I'm walking out of the house wrapped in an almost winter coat and scarf the size of a picnic blanket. I'm the first to embrace crisp temperatures and grey skies, but a small part of me hopes the weather people are wrong, and we might get another Indian summer weekend again.

Bon weekend! 

Mostly Settled

And just like that, I am settled in Paris. Mostly.

There have been highs and lows. More highs than lows. Thank goodness.

We can discount the groping in the metro. And the fact that after 3 months I still don't have a PIN number to use my debit card from my French bank. And that time the people at Zara thought I was a shoplifter.

Editor's note: I am not a shoplifter. You can check the security footage yourself.

On the upside, I have a truly wonderful {I could do a lot more gushing, but I'll keep it to myself} group of friends that I was lucky enough to meet just a few weeks after moving here. I can hear the bells of Notre Dame from my tiny, continually dusty but altogether charming Parisian apartment. The kind people of Paris are usually ridiculously forgiving of my subpar attempts at French. Also, the best pain au chocolat I've tasted in my 4 months here is a dangerous three minute walk from my flat. 

I just had to pause because I realized I wrote that I've been here for 4 months. I feel like I've been here 4 minutes. Mind blowing.

Moving on, there is much to tell. Funny stories to share. Adventures that have been had. Adventures that are yet to come. So to get this saga started, a few pictures from my first 48 hours in Paris back in June.

Bon dimanche, mes amis.