Falafel in France

L'as du Fallafel 

(Paris, France)

Tucked in the narrow, cobbled roads of Paris' 4th arrondissement, L'as du Fallafel stood out among the neighboring thrift shops and coffee stands. Maybe it was the pop of green paint or the line that extended down two blocks of the already congested Rue des Rosiers, but it shared none of its foodie patrons with the falafel competitor directly across the street. For those who hadn't checked the site's stellar reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor, the line must have been an indication that this falafel was well worth the thirty-minute wait.

Falafel Sandwich

Roasted chickpea falafel, red cabbage, harissa, tzatziki and cucumbers all wrapped up in a warm pita, this sandwich is even messier than it looks! Be sure to grab extra napkins for your standing lunch-- much like everyone else, we crowded below the eaves of surrounding shops, quickly gorging on a meal I would usually prefer to eat alone, as globs of rich sauce made it on the ground, my pants and all over my face. Worth it.

French Soldiers

Top of Arc de Triomphe

When visiting the Arc de Triomphe in Paris we got incredibly lucky, bumping into few present-day French soldiers. My sister and I snagged a photo-op when they were taking a picture with a little girl. One of them made a joke, saying: 'Don't go home and post this on Facebook.' Facebook, no. My blog and twitter? Yes.

 Arc de Triomphe 

The Arc, completed in the 1830's, is a monument celebrating and honoring those who fought and died during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Inscribed on the inside walls are the names of over 500 generals who died at war.

Eiffel Tower

View from the middle level of the Eiffel Tower

Typically, photos from the top of the Eiffel Tower are aimed at the surrounding cityscape. On this night, halfway through our descent of the legendary tower, our attention was caught by a few lone voices singing a holiday song in french. We watched as more and more by-standers turned participant, joining the growing clot of singers at the base of Paris' most famous site. While the view of the city was far from over-rated AND we witnessed a tearful proposal at the top (I don't know that you can visit Paris without seeing a proposal, put that on your list of 'Must-Sees' and 'To-Dos' while there), this group of impromptu singers and their collective energy is what struck me most of all. Only in Paris.

View of the City from the top of 

the Eiffel Tower