Summer in Paris? I tricked you, I’m sorry. Paris only sports those palm trees in August when over 6,000 tons of sand is hauled in for Paris Plage, the capital’s makeshift tropical getaway along the Seine.  In case those majestic palm trees didn’t give it away, this photo was taken in Santa Monica though it could have easily have been Palm Springs, Santa Barbara or even San Francisco – places I’m still thinking of two months after our trip.

I might also add that the title of this post is a bit misleading. Paris is indeed sleepy in August but that’s not entirely what this is about.

What I’d really like to be doing this month – availing myself of the lighter crowds to test some of the city’s storied sweets (so many left to try) and new tables – is at odds with what is actually possible. I couldn’t fight off my disappointment when the first “en congés” (on holiday) signs were haphazardly fastened to shops fronts and bakery doors nor could I stave off the pit in my stomach at the thought of how meager my meals would be for the rest of the summer. My trusty bakery, most of the farmer’s market…

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