Nearly all the best things . . . have been unexpected, unplanned by me. ~ Carl Sandburg
The last gold rush began in 1896 when George Cormack went fishing for salmon but found gold nuggets instead. Or so the story goes.
Just like that prospector, you often come upon some of the best things when you’re looking for something else, especially while traveling.
Here are a few “gold nuggets” I stumbled upon in unexpected Paris you might like to find “on purpose:”
I was on my way to late-night at the Louvre and wanted a little dinner first. So I looked around for a restaurant where I was at the time, on the left bank. I spied this pastry shop across the street and knew “take out” was the way to go. I bought slices of quiche Lorraine and a cake with fruit filling, then hurried across the Seine to a bench in the Tuileries Garden to enjoy them. And at first, I did, taking one, two, then three bites of the most amazing quiche Lorraine I’d ever tasted.
The only problem is the birds caught on and began to gather, eyes fixed on my quiche. The Louvre would have to wait. I packed up my pastry and went home to the studio to eat in peace. That’s how I was able to take this photo of the dessert pastry and what remained of that exquisite quiche.
The gorgeous collection of Renoir paintings at the Musée de l’Orangerie bowled me over. Especially since I had gone, principally, to see Monet’s Water Lilies (Nymphéas). What do you think about this portrait of Gabrielle Renard and the artist’s infant son, Jean? It’s my favorite of the works on display.
If you like “quirky,” you’ll love this group of metal musicians in the city of Rueil-Malmaison. You’ll find them performing on the lawn in front of City Hall 24/7. I happened upon them while looking for where to catch the bus back to Paris after a full day of touring the Empress Josephine’s château.
This white chocolate and macadamia nut cookie from Millie’s was SO good! I grabbed it with coffee at the Gare de Lyon metro station while rushing to catch an early morning train to Fontainebleau. And just when I thought I’d end up with no breakfast at all.
