Not surprisingly, the Chancery of the American Embassy is grand. Located on the Place de la Concorde (see first photo below), its style matches many of 18th century buildings in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It was first built in 1768. It was torn down and reconstructed in 1931, but the building's facade was designed to fit in with the surrounding buildings according to 18th century law. Another interesting fact: The Chancery was the last building to be constructed on the Place de la Concorde (source: US Embassy in France)
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| Place de La Concorde. Louvre on the left. Eiffel Tower in the back. American Embassy over my right shoulder. |
I peeked in people's baskets to get an idea of what their can't live without items were- Big red chewing gum, Altoids, marshmallows, JIF peanut butter, Tabasco sauce, chips and snacky items, Nestles chocolate chips, cake mix, and mayonaise. With the exception of the cake mix, I question some of the enthusiasm. Having been shopping every week since getting here, I can honestly say that Paris is a 1st world country. Not only do they have open air markets, but they have several grocery store chains. Super markets have things like marshmallows, honey, ramen noodles, and tortillas shells. There have only been a few items that I wanted to find but couldn't - chicken broth during today's shopping trip. But I've manage to find most things I've wanted. I guess if you really like Tabasco sauce or JIF peanut butter or Cheerios and the fake French version just won't do, then you better start making some friends at the embassy.
The actual happy hour was nice too. The embassy had a thoughtful spread of hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizzas (thoughtful because I cannot honestly say it was tasty). And walking up to the a bar that had a beer selection of MGD, Corona, or Sam Adams did make it feel like home. There was also an additional perk of talking to folks who have lived in Paris for awhile. I got some good information. There is a Chipotle in Paris as well as ONE food truck and a banana republic. The bi-annual sales last for about 4 weeks, and the social group at work has a 10% discount card for two big malls in the city! I felt like I was absorbing years of information by just listening.
I left the happy hour around 9:30pm, and it was still light outside. I decided to walk along the touristy Rue de Rivioli (it passes the Louvre) to around the Notre Dame area. From there I can take the bus home. Walking in the center of Paris always reminds me about how beautiful this city is. The avenues are wide enough so that you can be on one side of the street and still have a great view of the buildings across the way.
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| Rue de Rivoli |
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| Louvre in the back. Random carnival rides in the Jardin Tuleries. |