Paris Encore

Wet. Cold. Overcast. This, was the Paris I arrived in today. Clothed in gray, there was a certain gloominess that blanketed the City as the cab drove into the périphérique intérieur, markedly different from the warm, sun-struck days I had spent here just this past summer. 

Has it really been two months already? I've been enjoying the time at home tremendously so much so that I dreaded leaving for Paris again;  leaving the convenient comforts of home, gorgeous Californian weather, having a car to drive anywhere I want to, my Kitchen Aid mixer, the weeknight TV routines - it's a pity that I'm missing the finale of Dancing With the Stars and Top Chef Just Desserts, not to mention Thanksgiving, the mad rush on Black Friday, the merry X'mas jingles blasting in the malls.......having to leave all that behind to return to Paris again. What a dread.

Now, who am I trying to kid? Who in this world would ever not want to be in Paris? To be in magical Paris during the holiday season, learning the craft of French pastries, gorging oneself silly on all the special holiday desserts, drowning in enjoying delicious sips of vin chaud while meandering through the charming Christmas markets. I feel blessed and so thankful to be here. Nevermind the awful sewer-like stench (I'm not joking) that welcomed us at Charles de Gaulle baggage claim area, nor the wonderful French travelers who cut in front just so they could take up that six inches of space between me and the edge of the baggage carousel, or the gentlemanly cab driver that drove away and left my baggages on the roadside while I was rolling the rest in. Nevermind all that. This, is Paris afterall. Believe it or not, I'm excited to get back into action in the kitchen, working with speed, efficiency and high organization, alongside other students and under the watchful eyes of les Chefs, well, those that I don't want to throw my whisk at. I especially look forward to all the layered cakes, plated desserts, chocolates and breads that we'll be covering in the advanced program. Friends have told me that the cakes in the next-level program are like none other, and way more exciting than what we've covered in the basic program. That is, honestly, the main thing I look forward to this time. Classes start next week and since I'm doing the intensive course, we'll have demos every single day, sometimes even twice a day so I'm bracing myself for an extreme sugar-high week!

But for now, let me leave you with something tantalizing, something sweet from this afternoon. Our original destination was Angelina's but judging from the long weekend-tourists queue outside, it would take a good hour and a half before we could get our hot chocolate fix.

Regardless of how spectacular their chocolat L'Africain may be, I could not put my jet-lagged self through that kind of wait so Regina and I strolled further, and ended up at nearby Louvre.

This is always a good reason to check out the restrooms: view from upstairs, hallway just outside their WCs. 
While the hot chocolate there was not as thick nor as delicious as the ones at Café Flore - my favorite - the place had great ambience with seats overlooking some of the finest works of sculpture showcased in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre.

 A lil' something sweet from this afternoon.

It was an excellent spot to take shelter from the rain, relax and spend some wonderful catch-up time with a dear friend.
Paris. It's great to be back again.