“He’s already discovered a love for pain au chocolat and is itching for more!” my father beamed upon arriving at his Paris rental apartment earlier this month. He was referring to my 6-year old brother who was about to embark on his first trip abroad and had evidently adjusted to local tastes quite nicely, straight off the plane.
Everyone had a mission on this trip – my father and step-mother were intent on spending time in museums and cathedrals, my little brother was keen on eating, seeing the Eiffel Tower and meeting my cat, and I was ambitiously hoping to take them to some of my favorite haunts, from coffee shops and restaurants to parks and passages. I wanted them to get a sense of how we live, abstract as it may still be for non-urbanites.
Everyone had some concerns about how the little one would fare with the jet lag and robust activity but much to our surprise, he soldiered through each day with energy to spare most evenings (thank god for snacks!).
On the downside, we were pummeled by rain on eight of the nine days of their trip and while the cooler temperatures were a welcome respite from the cloying…
