Small Town Paris?

I made my way to the 13th arrondissement yesterday and it was surprisingly cool. It didn’t really start out so great - First I walked from Gare d’Austerlitz to Boulevard Vincent Auriol and then to Place d’Italie, which was definitely a reality check. It was mostly modern buildings with major businesses but mixed with random discount stores and very diverse people. It was really industrial in some parts and definitely lacked the typical Parisian aesthetic. I ended up going there because there were some fashion shows happening, but the only sign of them was a huge traffic jam and a few ultra-stylish people. But there was a hidden gem not far from all this.

Just southwest of Place d’Italie is a neighbourhood that used to be a village before it became part of Paris and (amazingly) has retained some of its small town charm. It felt like walking down country lanes - there were even cottage-like homes! It was hilly with cobblestone paths and low buildings, and seemed a million miles away from Paris - so quiet and peaceful.

The best part of the walk was stopping at the Laurent Duchene patisserie. There was a pretty long line but it was so worth it. Its definitely a neighbourhood institution and I’m pretty sure they get very few tourists - as evidenced by the lady behind the counter pointing out my accent! I got two desserts (and, yes, I ate them both - for dinner, no less!) because I knew I probably won’t go back to that area anytime soon. The first was lemon cake with lemon cream and strawberry filling, and was definitely my favorite (its even fair to say that it rivals Pierre Herme’s version!) The second was a white chocolate mousse with raspberry filling on a layer of cake - also delicious, but too chocolately for me.

After that, I made some plans with my brother for his trip here, which I’m getting super excited about! We booked our tickets for Disneyland on Halloween and applied for a cooking class at the Cordon Bleu! Its going to be fun...

Today I just went to class and walked around Montparnasse. It was such a nice day today! I’m sure it reached 25 degrees at least and was super sunny - hopefully it stays that way. I’m planning on going to the Louvre tomorrow morning and then walking along Rue St. Honore and maybe making a stop at the Lafayette salad bar...

These pictures are from yesterday - they’re of nothing really noteworthy, just the random streets I walked along and, of course, the food I ate.