Monday Moods: I feel... like an insider.

In these quiet days of February

that fill the lull between holidays

and warmer tourist seasons...

the city of Paris is a bit dimmer.

These pictures can't show the freezing temperatures,

but trust me, they are there.

Though while the windy streets are empty,

the foyer to the Louvre a bit quieter,

and the line at Laduree historically shorter...

Don't be fooled.

The city of lights is still twinkling

with the everyday beauty 

that is woven within this place.

You see it in the old women walking by in their fur coats,

the husband & wife chatting to each other as they stock their store,

or the family rushing to unlock the entry door to their home...

In these cold and quiet days,

I feel like I have stumbled upon Paris off-stage...

the Paris before me is in a natural state of la vie quotidienne.

I get to see Paris with her hair down...

and it's beautiful.

PS. Lauren Smith- you won the giveaway!

Who wouldn't want to try coffee in Ethiopia?

Email me and I'll have some cute espresso cups 

sent your way from France!

*all images original to aspiring kennedy