Fallafel Attitude

So we're going to assume that you took my previous advice of paying a visit to Stuart in his wine shop in the 5th arrondissement. I will guess that, if this is indeed the case, you may have been somewhat 'inspired' to make a night of it. So today, feeling slightly less gleeful and perhaps a tad regretful (blame that 4th bottle of rosé - or hell, just blame me) you awoke this morning feeling significantly less than sparkling. Well, as ever, I am your girl.

After numerous occasions as described above, having abandoned myself selflessly to the roll of guinea pig (hangover included), I can safely attest: get thee to Fallafel Attitude. As soon as you are able to roll yourself out of bed and steel yourself against the idea of the frenetic electricity that ignites the Marais district, you need to eat falafel. Lots of it. A big serve of it, dripping with harrisa, juicy with freshly roasted aubergines, with loads of fresh vegetables crammed into the pocket of pita that will completely engage your full attention for the next 10 minutes as you attempt to stuff the delicious morsel into your mouth without loosing any of it to the pavement. This is your cure, people. Heal thyself.

(OK, these falafels are also really great when you don't have a hangover but you do have a handful of loose coins in your pocket and a rumble in your belly that loudly says 'lunch'. It's just that a hangover makes everything taste that-much-better. I've had the falafel at Fallafel Attitude in both states, and trust me - they are great either way).


Fallafel Attitude / Chez H'anna (indoors) / 54 rue des Rosiers / 75004 Paris / Ph: (00)01.42.74.64.99 / Open daily except Monday / Metro: St-Paul


(NB: no guinea pigs were harmed in the aforementioned exercises)

(NB #2: yes, I have two different spellings for falafel here - both the French and the English. It's not a typo - it's the name of the business... don't shoot the messenger...)

Marché aux Fleurs - Ile de la Cité

The last few days in Paris has seen the barometer jump up to the mid 2os, and as a result everyone is beginning to shed their winter skin and do more 'outdoors' things. This automatically means that the streets are busier, the parks are packed, and the number of quiet spots to get away from the maddening crowd are becoming fewer and further in between.

I know that not absolutely everyone is as keen on flowers as I am (they look good, smell good, and are fun to photograph), but I guess I am a bit of a sucker for sweet-smelling things (that goes for cakes, perfume and certain people I know, too). And whilst I acknowledge that there ain't much sexy about roses, there is something very old-world Paris when you detect their scent lacing the warm Spring breeze.

To this effect I highly recommend to anyone who wants to spend an hour or so taking a break from partaking in the other urban or urbane delights that Paris has to offer, to cart yourself off to the Marché aux Fleurs in the Place Louis Lépine on the Ile de la Cité for an hour or two. This is the oldest flower market in Paris - it's been here since 1808 - and on Sundays it transforms into a bird market.

Literally a green oasis in the middle of the city, this is a good place to get away from all the hordes of traffic and the constant pressure of looking chic and nonchalant in the heat (it's a strange phenomenon but Parisians never seem to sweat). It's also a good place for people watching, as this is where the locals come to fantasise about the plants they'd like to buy to put in the gardens they will never have (most Parisians don't have gardens but they do take their flowers very seriously - there are whole rule books regarding the etiquette of giving flowers, but that is the topic of another post to be written on another day).

The market is also the site of one of those emblematic art nouveau metro signs - worth going to have a look at if you haven't stumbled upon one before.


My preferred stall is run by Christophe (it's located right next to the metro exit):

Vertige
Ph: (+33) 01 44 07 04 20

Marché aux Fleurs / Place Louis Lépine / Ile de la Cité / 75004 Paris / Hours: 8am - 7pm Monday - Saturday / Bird market hours: 8am - 7pm Sunday