Indulgence.

Maybe France is having more of an effect on me than I thought: I plan days and weeks around meals and coffees.

Meroe, who is my oldest friend, came to pay me a visit this week and turned out to be a fabulous excuse to get out and enjoy Paris, and eating. We managed to pack in lunch at Cosi (salad, amazing bread and crumble), a burger at Breakfast in America (it being Sunday,) then lunch at Le Loir Dans La Théière (quiche, then coffee and the most ridiculous amount of meringue to ever be put on a lemon tart- photo to follow.) Croissants and coffee chez moi, courtesy of Paul; mint tea and sticky pastries at the Mosquée de Paris; a road-side crêpe, and more boulangerie treats sweet and savoury for tea while babysitting. 

Indulgence for 3 days! And we didn't stop at food, gorging also on art at the Centre Pompidou and Musée d'Orsay, fashion and jewellery at Les Arts Décoratifs on Rue de Rivoli, and at the Dior exhibition in Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche. 

(Incidentally, having had no internet access I hadn't heard anything about Galliano before going- obviously the clothes were still amazing but it did lead us to wonder why geniuses seem to be prone to being not very nice.)

And -writing this down makes it seem even more ridiculous- we even had time to watch the rugby and do a pub quiz at the pub up the road, and try some extravagant mojitos at the Bacardi Mojito Lab at Bastille. Mine was transformed into sorbet and very strong, Meroe's was classy with Prosecco and 'caviar' made of jellified cassis.

A pretty great few days really, and it doesn't get much quieter in the next few weeks, what with planning for my trip home with the wee one, birthdays, and finding the time to catch up with friends who have somehow managed to avoid me since Christmas. 

Bye for now, xx

p.s. As I always go on about how great places are and forget to 'reference' them in any way, here you go: 

Cosi, 54 rue de Seine, near Odéon.

Breakfast in America, http://www.breakfast-in-america.com

Le Loir Dans La Théière, 3 rue des Rosiers, near Saint Paul.

Café Maure de la Mosquée de Paris, 39 Rue Geoffroy St-Hilaire, near Jardin des Plantes.

Wos Bar, 184 rue Saint Jacques, near Luxembourg.

Bacardi Mojito Lab, 28 rue Keller, near Bastille.