An Unforgettable Night
I’ve recently been a bit all over the place (physically and mentally). I just ended my two week vacation which led into my birthday party and ended with Passover Sedar leaving just one day before starting my new role. I am by no means complaining but wow… my mind is RACING.
All I can think about is the night I had in Paris while on my vacation.
Per my last post, I decided to take a last minute trip to London and Paris as a gift to myself before starting my next adventure in life. London was the original plan but then a friend of mine mentioned the “Chunnel” which is an undersea tunnel linking southern England and northern France (hence why I spent a day in Paris). Without that piece of advice, I would have missed out on one of the greatest nights I’ve ever had.
I did all the touristy things during the day which honestly, I couldn’t love more. I rode a city bike throughout the city, stopping at Le Marais, L’As du Falafel for lunch, Place des Vosges, Palais Royal Garden, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and some cafes because I needed all the coffee in the world to keep me going. The night came and the whole trip was made…
I had a reservation at a highly recommended casual french bistro but I was craving meats, cheeses, bread, and wine so I was open to something else. As I was walking to my reservation, I was casually looking at other restaurants nearby just incase something caught my eye. As I was walking around, I saw 2 local Parisan guys, Leo and Othmane, smoking cigarettes and drinking a glass of wine outside a small (maybe 10 seats total) and full restaurant (with the exception of one seat at the bar) called Pratz. Luckily both guys spoke English when I approached them to ask if this restaurant had meats, cheeses, and bread. They said, “But of course. That’s all they have!” I asked if it’s any good and Leo said, “It’s the best place in Paris.” I was sold. I went straight into Pratz, grabbed the only seat open at the bar, ordered a glass of red wine from the owner and the only guy working at the restaurant at the time, and tried to google translate the chalk board menu hanging above him behind the bar. As I was doing so, the two guys come back inside and asked if I wanted to join them for dinner instead of eating alone. Of course I said yes and Leo then handed me his plate of appetizers to taste what they got... I just met these guys and they are treating me like a member of their family. We spoke about anything and everything. American and Parisian lifestyles, politics, entertainment, writing, relationships, history, etc. I spent the next 6 hours with them at this restaurant. They turned out being very close with the owner who shut down the restaurant around 11pm but allowed us to stay and drink his favorite wines, eat the best meats and cheeses he had to offer, listen to our own music, invite others to the restaurant, dance, drink some more, etc. Around 2am, I went with a group of 4 at that point to their favorite bar around the street (didn’t get it’s name) where they of course knew the owner who greeted us with a round of drinks. We stayed out until 4am laughing, dancing, singing, and it was a Tuesday. These local Parisians embraced a stranger from America and provided me with one of the best nights of my life.
There is no shift in perspective in this story. Only a big smile on my face when reliving this experience and a desire to be as welcoming and genuine as my new friends.
Have a great week everyone!
Matt