The habitually languid month of August ran its course as it usually does. Parisians returned from vacation in one, thronging swoop, rush hour metro squabbles commenced where they left off and the specter of fall (and the temperatures that go with it) loomed large before it was officially back to school. Then, September rolled in hard and strong, effacing the hard-earned zen of summer but thoughtfully bringing with it balmy, blissfully sunny weather. The key to a painless rentrée, I find, is making the most of every moment, rain or shine. Here’s how I fared the last two months:
6th Wedding Anniversary Tea at Hotel Le Meurice
The threat of rain showers botched our plans of spending our sixth wedding anniversary in the gardens of Vaux le Vicomte for their candlelight evenings (la visite aux chandelles), when 2,000 candles illuminate the estate and precede an impressive fireworks display. Skipping town last minute in August wasn’t an option so we opted for a leisurely afternoon over high tea in Le Meurice, the rococo palace hotel overlooking the Tuileries Gardens. Tea sandwiches, bite-sized desserts and champagne did the trick and we were pleasantly surprised by the gigantic raspberry millefeuille the wait…
