Barefoot in Paris

Micah and I arrived in Paris today! We took a direct flight from SLC to Paris, only 9 hours!! It was such an awesome flight and I can’t believe we got here so quickly. I keep pinching myself to make sure I really am in Paris! It is so gorgeous here. It truly is a special city, especially for those of us who have a passion for the sweeter things in life☺ I can hardly wait to show you what I have been up to today! The first thing on my agenda was go to Laduree. I couldn’t stop thinking about it on the plane. There was one relatively close to our hotel so as soon as we checked in we were off. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw the green Laduree canopy. The window displays were gorgeous. Micah and I got 6 different flavors of macarons (don’t worry, we will be back to try more!). We got vanilla, caramel fleur de sel, chocolate, pistachio, citrus, and raspberry. A luscious rose and raspberry pastry caught my eye so we got that too. It was a whopping 17 Euros for the macarons and the pastry-but it was worth it! The first macaron I decided to stink my teeth into was the vanilla; I couldn’t wait to taste for myself if the macarons of Laduree were all that they were cracked up to be. As soon as the flavors permeated my mouth, I was sold. It was literally one of the best things I have ever tasted. I was actually embarrassed because the macarons I make are sad compared to these masterpieces. My husband was also in heaven after trying it. Next we split the rose and raspberry pastry-let’s just say I thought I died and went to heaven as soon as I tasted it. How am I going to be able to go back to the states without these luscious pastries at my disposal? I guess I will have to deal, in the mean time I am going to scarf down as many pastries as I can this week!

One of the many gorgeous window displays at Laduree

The rose/raspberry pastry we got was the fourth one in
from the left, you can see it has a rose petal on the top mm
mmm....deilish...I might go and get another right now!

Holding proudly my first purchase from Laduree!Look at how gorgeous and perfect those macarons are...

Vanilla and caramel fleur de sel were my favorite

Not waisting any time with the pastry!

Ok so some of the macarons got crushed on their way over
to my hotel, but I wanted you to see the difference between
Laduree macarons and others. The top macaron (vanilla) which is not
crushed is from Laduree, and the bottom far right is from Gerard Mulot.
Ladurees are perfect-I just can't find anything wrong with them!

I read recently of a few of Ina Garten’s favorite spots in Paris. Of course I had to check them out. She said one of her favorite places to visit was Gerard Mulot, a delicious pastry and chocolate shop, which also has savory items like cheese and quiches. Micah and I got a few macarons to compare to the Laduree ones. They were good, but Laduree's are in a whole different league. Right down from Gerard Mulot is one of Ina’s favorite flower shops. The flowers were gorgeous. I wish I had a reason to buy 5 dozen of their roses because they were absolutely breathtaking.

Display at Gerard Mulot

Pastries at Gerard Mulot

One of Ina's favorite flower shops, and I can see why!

To top the night off Micah and I went to a restaurant right across the Luxemburg Gardens. Micah got chicken skewers and I got a delicious ravioli gratin with two different cheese and crème fraiche. It was delish! One of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. I am perfectly content with gaining 10 pounds this trip! With all of this delicious food somehow I think it’s worth it☺ Maybe I will take it easy tomorrow and have 4 macarons instead of 6, and maybe I will cut it down to just one LITTLE pastry….or maybe not☺ I will keep you updated on my daily adventures in this beautiful, romantic, and delicious city!

Enjoying my pasta...really enjoying my pasta! It was so delicious!