#cafe kitsume

[0806cafe]

[chantellehere]

A rainy day in Paris

I have been very lucky with the weather in Paris. I remember when I visited this time two years ago, the weather was much colder and wetter. Yesterday, it rained for only the second time since I arrived one month ago, and having lived here for 1/12 of the year, I finally figured out a good and relaxing way to spend a rainy day in Paris, which hopefully will brighten up the gloomy day for all those who are travelling to this beautiful city.

Rainy days are the best excuse for a lazy morning. I had a lie in and woke up just before 10. I made myself breakfast - the classic fruits and yoghurt. For those who are travelling, I suggest you head to any of the boulangeries around you - any of them will have plenty of pain au chocolat or croissant in store. Many of which also do a brunch menu during the weekend. You can enjoy your morning meal slowly with a cup of coffee or have your food and drinks on the go. I always take mine to a park nearby and have my breakfast there. 

After my meal, I met up with a friend and headed to the Louvre. I mean, if you did not visit the Louvre, did you even come to Paris? The Lourve, famous for being the biggest art collection in Europe, as well as the residence for the small but mighty portrait of Mona Lisa. Every time I walk into the room where the painting is, I immediately feel bad about the rest of the art that are so unfortunately placed in the same room as Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, as they often get little to no attention from the museum visitors. I always find it ridiculous that people try to get a picture of the painting, or any paintings as if they would go home and look at them. Let’s be honest, 90% of us would not even look at the pictures we took not of ourselves once after we have left the place, am I right?

Wandering around the Louvre, you can find windows looking out to the exterior of the museum. Some of them are right next to the benches and I find it rather meditative to sit down after an hour of hectic art education, to look out at the ever-busy and touristy street, while sitting quietly in one of the most magnificent archives of the world.

Do not expect to see everything in the Louvre. It is ginormous and frankly, not everything is worth seeing. The best way to do it is to have a plan to tackle the few major pieces of art that you must see, then spend some time in the Jardin des Tuileries just outside of the museum. It is so wonderful even in the rain - walk through it to get to the metro station or to your next destination if the weather does not permit you to sit down leisurely around the fountain.

After spending two hours in the Louvre, we headed to one of the cutest cafes in Paris for a quick bite and some drinks. To get there, you have to walk through the Jardin du Palais-Royal, which is another beautiful place to be whatever the weather decides to be. If the weather permits, I highly recommend sitting in the garden, again, around the fountain/ pond, with your friends, or simply to read and spend some quality time alone and enjoy the view. As you reach nearer the end of the green tunnel, you will find several cafes on your left, and Cafe Kitsuné is the one in the middle.

This cafe is the perfect independent coffee shop for all parties. You will see elderlies, friends and families sitting outside of the coffee shop underneath the big umbrellas, chatting away whilst enjoying their pastries and hot drinks. The cafe itself is fairly small, with only several stools along the right side of the wall for customers to sit and enjoy their beverage. Nonetheless, it is decorated nicely with many of its own merchandises that are available for purchase, like sweaters, reusable cups, stationaries and coffee beans.

We got ourselves some hot chocolate (€5), a chai latte with almond milk (€5,50) and a chocolate chip cookie (€3,50) and sat outside facing the garden. Our drinks, even the hot chocolate, came decorated with latte art. The waitresses spoke in English, which was helpful as I was reluctant to showcase my broken French in public.

Beware of the pigeons! They are everywhere, especially if you got yourself a pastry from the cafe. They can be like your annoying child, hovering around your ankles, waiting for you to drop that piece of brownie or cookie crumbs! But I suppose this would make the perfect Parisian experience, no?