Flaner - to walk around aimlessly

For the first time since August I really took a walk (last week). The french call this habit of walking around Paris without a real purpose 'flaner,' and I, for one, love to have a bit of a flan around. The dessert is good too. So last week I finally changed my bank to my address (only three months late) and I went to the old apartment to check the post box which was empty so...viola. I'm starting to feel that that part of my life is almost over and things are moving forward one step at a time. Just spoke to Bouygues and my internet will be fixed after the weekend and they are reimboursing me 63 euros so life is good! Anyway, back to my ambling aroud Paris.

Even though I spent so much time of time last year around Notre Dame I somehow missed the wonderful little road of Rue Saint-Louis en l'Ile. I guess it is named as such due to the fact that it rests between Ile de la cite and Ile saint louis, the only two remaining natural islands on the Seine. It's the centre of Paris and the location were the medieval city was refounded. It's not a large street and on a Friday morning it avoided the disturbance of tourists. Actually, even though it offers some slightly touristic shops (like pylones) it seems to successfully avoid most of the gangs of tourists that surround Notre Dame. It's probably why it's one of my favourite streets, undisturbed and unaffected by les etrangeres (literally the strangers from overseas - foreigners). There are lots of little chic stores, restaurants, brasseries, bakeries, butchers and most importantly fromageries - cheese shops. I have never seen a cheese shop quite like this one. The door is always open and when you walk past the strongest whiff of cheese sweeps through your nostrils. I'm desperate to go in but although I've mastered many things in French buying cheese in measurements is NOT one. I live in fear that I will order and leave with a year's supply of goat's cheese. One day cheese shop, one day.

I also stumbled upon butchers with so much meat in the window that my eyes nearly popped out. My eyes were immediately drawn to an entire pig's leg (including the foot and complete with trotter), a whole turkey and the insides of maybe 5 different animals. The shop was full of people with their hands in the air who looked like they were trying to win something at an auction. Again I failed to have the courage to go in.

Lastly I entered a petite boulangerie to savour the delights of my first Galette de Rois. Admittedly it was not my first ever galette but the first since last year. Galettte de Rois is a traditional French pastry eaten on the day of the epiphany. The cake or pastry normally has a sall trinket inside (last year it was Harry Potter characters) and the person who receives the piece of galette with the trinket can also wear the crown ad becomes King for the day. The pastry is light and fluffy with almonds, butter and a hint of marzipan. It is truly delicious but very sweet. I chase a simple galette individuelle but still only ate half! If you get the chance to try this delicious cake, try to buy a larger one (for 4 people for example) and warm it up a little when you get home. Just be careful not to swallow the trinket!