Spotlight on a Perfectly Parisian Day

(Aug 20, 2023) What does “a perfect day in Paris” mean? How does that happen; what does that look like? For me, it means filling my day with just the right balance of planned activities and free time. As somewhat seasoned Paris tourists who have seen and done all the typical touristy things, what I crave now is la vie quotidienne—the activities and experiences that punctuate the everyday lives of real Parisians, for better or for worse.

Today we have it in mind to stop by our favorite neighborhood haunt, The Auld Alliance, to watch the Women’s World Cup soccer final between Spain and England. Even though technically it’s a Scottish pub, it’s pretty clear that the enthusiastic crowd in the packed place, with the exception of one table of Spanish fans, is leaning heavily in favor of the English team. We locate one open stool at the bar upon which I gratefully perch while Bob stands to watch the game, sipping his favorite beverage, a cold draft beer.

An hour and a half later, Spain having soundly defeated England, we step outside into the beautiful Sunday afternoon, the sky a striking blue adorned with fluffy, cumulus clouds. We wander south toward the river and onto Île St. Louis, the smaller of the two large islands situated in the middle of the Seine River in the city center. Largely residential, with block after block of gorgeous, historic townhomes, Île St. Louis is an architect’s paradise. The island is also densely populated with tourists, who can’t seem to get enough of its beautiful charm.

Another thing that now seems pretty much synonymous with Île St. Louis is Berthillon, the iconic ice cream shop, whose influence is abundantly evident, as it’s nearly impossible to walk a block without spotting happy tourists industriously licking away at their ice cream cones. I succumb to the temptation and order a small cone, my favorite: espresso bean with chocolate chips.

Next, we pop into a tiny épicerie packed to the gills with fresh-looking fruits and vegetables as well as a decent selection of cheeses and wines. We immediately start filling a basket with berries, nuts, dried meats, cheese, a baguette, and a bottle of wine—all of the things one needs for a classic French picnic. This is because we have a picnic planned for later in the evening--in fact, a picnic and a movie, to be more precise.

Cinéma en Plein Air, a program offered by the Paris Office of Tourism, is an open-air movie festival that takes place on the green lawns of Parc de la Villette in the 19th Arrondissement. The festival includes twenty-five nights of free outdoor movies; a nearly-impossible-to-resist draw for thousands of movie fans every summer. There are new films and classic films, French and international films alike. This evening we will be seeing Steven Spielberg’s 2021 version of the classic “West Side Story.” (https://parisjetaime.com/eng/event/open-air-cinema-e017)

Back at the apartment, we pull out the nifty picnic backpack that one of our thoughtful co-owners has purchased for us to share, complete with all of the accessoires, including a blanket, napkins, a Thermos, plates, cutlery, even a corkscrew and champagne glasses. We pack all we need for the evening, and head out for the subway at about 7 p.m. We’re anxious to get to the park in time to claim a spot for optimal movie viewing.

Within a half-hour, we have arrived at the very spacious Parc de la Villette where we see crowds of people making their way toward the large, grassy field. Thanks to a forewarning from one of my favorite YouTubers in Paris, a young Canadian woman named Arielle D’Ippolito at Get the Margarita, we have poured our bottle of wine into the handy Thermos, thereby adhering to the festival’s no-glass policy and avoiding having our wine confiscated. As we observe, while negotiating security without a hitch, quite a number of moviegoers sadly were not aware of this rule.

The field is already half-full of enthusiastic, mostly very young people, who have come prepared for a fun evening. Blankets have been spread, picnic supplies have been arrayed, and all are cheerfully chatting, catching up with friends, welcoming new arrivers, and, in typical French fashion, enjoying the experience to the fullest.

At dusk at around 9:30, a huge inflatable screen begins to rise from the ground in one corner of the field, and we prepare for the show, having thoroughly enjoyed our French-style picnic. A few minutes later, evening has fallen; the chatter of the crowd subsides and the movie begins.

While, of course, the storyline is familiar, I am quickly caught up in the beauty of the film, the colorful costumes, the romance, and the pulsing energy of the soundtrack. But, by 11:15, with 45 minutes left in the film, Bob and I agree we’ve had enough and it’s time to go home. We pack up discretely and head back toward the subway entrance, feeling completely content. We have had a full day--an unforgettable Paris day, one could say--about as close to perfect as a day could get.