Cherishing Paris

As a Turkish woman deeply rooted in my country and culture, I find myself yearning for my hometown every single day. This longing has inevitably made my life in Paris quite challenging. Recently, I confided in Okan about how, even after more than 15 years, Paris still feels transient, like a “rental” - actually, and told him I often daydream about living in Turkey.

Okan’s reaction was to offer a thoughtful suggestion: he suggested compiling a list of my favorite places and routines in Paris, believing it could help me rekindle my connection with the city—a city that many dream of living in.

So here are a few of the things I hold dear.

Firstly, after enduring four apartment changes during Covid, my - now - husband and I moved to the 18th arrondissement in mid-2021, and it is one of the best decisions we ever made. I quickly fell in love with this neighborhood, enjoying strolls along the pedestrian-friendly corners and Avenue Junot pausing to admire Dalida's former home and imagining her singing "Gigi l'amoroso" from the beautiful balcony. I relish my afternoon golden lattes at Two Doors (bobo assumée), indulging in cocktails at Hotel Particulier or Chez Ginette, pain aux noix and croissants at Atelier P1, savoring a delightful dinner at Loulou Montmartre, devouring the "18e" pizza from Il Brigante, and experiencing culinary excellence at L'Arcane or l’Arpaon. Above all, the simplest joys, like Sunday grocery shopping on Rue du Poteau, have become cherished traditions.

A true sanctuary for me is my florist, Maison Mirabilé, where we celebrated our marriage after the official ceremony at the city hall. The array of colors and shapes in that store is simply extraordinary. Catherine, the owner, is delightful, often showcasing creations from mainly female artists during pop-up events.

Living close to Marché aux Puces de St Ouen has been another highlight. When we first moved here, I couldn't resist a weekend without browsing my favorite shops and enjoying a coffee at La Crème. We've adorned our home with beautiful and unique finds from the Marché. I am eagerly awaiting sunny days to return and perhaps hide another few purchases from my husband.

Venturing beyond my neighborhood, I find joy in exploring open markets, with Marché d'Aligre being a perennial favorite. Marché de Breteuil holds a special place in my heart - which may or may not be due in part to the Turkish gözleme stand. When it comes to food and markets, it’s impossible not to enjoy le Marché des Enfants rouges. So many good stands – les Enfants du Marché stands out as a personal favorite.

Paris boasts an abundance of incredible restaurants. The list is long, and my favorites might not be too original for viewers of this blog. But here are a few experiences that I cherish. First off is Ellsworth, not just for its cuisine (which is great) but for the memories of date nights with my husband. Hutopi, founded by childhood friends Hugo, Thomas, and Pierre, is always a gastronomic delight (you can see their picture together exposed in the bathroom dating from pre-school). It particularly resonated with me due to my own very close relationship with my childhood friends and hence felt very close to home. Special mention goes to Amagat, favorite terrace for sunny weather, currently showcasing the talents of Turkish chef Sahin Erdal.

Ultimately, my favorite place in Paris is our home, and my favorite meal is whatever my husband cooks that day. Reflecting on it all, I realize how fortunate I am to call this magical city my current home. While it may feel like a rental, it's certainly worth the price.

Ceyda Cengizer

How to keep the Paris love alive?

I came to Paris as an Erasmus student in 2011. I had a limited time to spend, only 5 months in this beautiful city. Having visited for short weekends before, I knew I wanted to explore Paris a little more in depth.

I have to tell you, being a student living in Paris, especially when studying at Dauphine is not the best way to get the most out of this city. but sometimes you cannot choose your luck. You have to create your own luck. I spent 5 magical months and when it was time to leave, well I have to tell you my mom and the taxi driver had to carve me up from the pavement as I was sobbing like crazy.

In the taxi to the airport, I said out loud “ i'll be back. I know i'll be back”.

Took me 8 years.

I moved back to Paris, this time with a CDI contract, following my dreams, taking a leap of faith. 

One thing I have to tell you, no amount of French (my french was already advanced), no amount of knowledge of wine, no amount of extroversion , no amount of “Oh i have been in a french school I know how french can be” prepares you for an actual move in Paris.

Paris, as beautiful as it can be, is not necessarily international in its mindset. 

You have to be ready to be immersed in French culture, and not try to find your own culture, or expect people to think like you.

Compared to London, New York, the people you will encounter in your daily life, they will most probably not be immigrants. 

With a lot of things in life, you don’t try to change what you can't control, you learn to adapt.

Because the beauty of the French system is, you are treated equally with any other French person, so you are not less, you are not more special than anyone else. 

Once you see that, everything gets easier.

It took me 6 months (and that is thanks to the book Culture map by Erin Meyer) to understand that French only comments on the negative because positive does not need to be pointed out. It took me around a year to learn that being very precise, very “ferme” (firm) in your choices of words will take you anywhere in both professional and personal life. not necessarily how we do things where I came from.. 

After 4 years of being here, having been through lockdowns, having married here, and collected a beautiful amount of friends that I get to call family (one being the owner of this blog),  how to keep the love alive?

Did I already say “you need to create your own luck”? 

If you are a foodie, there are amazing openings in Paris every week. I have around 250 restaurants in my Google maps that I still have yet to try. Also, having a friend like Okan helps.

If you love wine, there are thousands of types of wines, different cepages, and different regions. I don't think my lifetime will be enough to try them all. One tip: having a good “caviste” helps. He will not only try to sell you good wine, but also you will find yourself drunk while buying wine. My personal rule for wine is to spread them around weekdays so I can drink one glass each night rather than 5 glasses at one go. remember “one glass of red wine is medicinal.” (i forgot where i read this but who cares its convincing right?)

If you love cheese, and please see a doctor if you don't like cheese, try to set a goal for each week / each month, to try a new cheese. gives me so much joy to see what French are capable of doing with just cow milk or goat milk. Pure magic.

if you love walking, I think you will just need to click on other tabs on this website, he’ll be able to tell you more.

If you want to make friends, there are amazing supper clubs like “twenty two” or “club du souper”. I cannot guarantee these friendships will last a lifetime but you will have one hell of a great time.

if you love traveling, it's just a matter of knowing which SNCF website to use.. Once you do that, France will have all the climates, all you need based on your holiday style.

It is just a matter of setting the sails a little loose, having a little serendipity mindset, going out of your house without a reservation for once, strolling a little and finding a cute little bistro, a terrasse with some sun, taking a big inhale (except for in the metro), having a glass of wine and fall in love with Paris all over again. 

Also seeing Tour Eiffel at night in all its beauty helps a lot. 

Just enjoy the small things, don’t stress about the strikes!

Pelin Cankurt Chlabovitch

I was never an “Emily” or a “Carrie” in Paris.

When Okan asked me about my Paris I was smiling inside. I thought to myself, having a Paris account, wandering around Paris and smiling on the photos he must be thinking we have always had a great relationship with Paris.

My story is a little bit different, and I am happy to share it with you.

I was never an “Emily” or a “Carrie” in Paris. Respected the culture, loved the books and writers, was a fan of movies because of the realness, bluntness… but I was never a oh my Goood I have to go to Parisss type of gal.

To tell you the truth I was dreaming of Kefalonia, Ischia, Florence, Rome, Amalfi or even clubbing in London more than Paris 😊

Then a coincidence brought me to Paris in 2002. I didn’t like Champs Elysées, I didn’t like Foquet, I didn’t like Café de Flore I found the coffee cold, the famous hot chocolate too sweet,overpriced and even then I asked about Les Deux Magots the café nearby, which I still love by the way. If I weren’t a huge fan of Simone De Beauvoir Café de Flore was like another touristic café where no one speaks French. I hate shopping so Galleries Lafayette besides the marvelous architecture meant nothing to me, by the way again no one speaks French in there. I loved Musée du Louvre and went directly to see Italian paintings hence my real wish of going to Florence and Rome. My first impression of Paris was: “the city is beautiful with magnificent buildings but too much “made” everything is prepared like a movie platform” That was exactly the reason why I literally ran away to Naples, Rome, Athens soon enough to find real life.

Years later when I came back, I told people guys don’t take meto those touristic places, I don’t want to do that Champs Elysées, Eiffel Tower, Avenue Montaigne cliché, take me to a breakfast where you would usually go, show me what you do in real life. I am sure none of you goes to Queen and dance in bubbles which is by the way really 90s.

One of them said I know where you will go and fall in love directly and we went to Place des Vosges, started walking around little streets, took a coffee in a real French café. I discovered Jardin des Rosiers where people with naked feet reading a book kissing their “amoureux” I sat on the street and enjoyed a falafel 😊 And for the first time I enjoyed being in Paris far from the “I came to Paris so I have to go to Ladurée” crowd. I discovered Bastille, Oberkampf, Cour du commerce, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Maison d’Isabelle, Passage de l’Ancre, Musée Rodin, all the small streets of Montmartre.

I discovered the word “caviste” from a friend who used to say Mon caviste told me to drink this with that each time he brought wine to an apéro. Never I had a caviste before 😊 I met the guy and he was like for me a savant, a magician 😊

I learned that in Paris people love talking about food, men love cooking and most of the time they are the ones who give you a great receipt. I also learned that in Paris women don’t talk about their beauty secrets like a Turkish girl would talk about her coiffeur, her intermittent fasting schedule but that doesn’t mean that they don’t care. I started to have great massage, hammam, beautician, hairdresser addresses and that they are all for Paleo diet. They wake up at 7 to brush their hair and pretend like they just woke up and left the house in a hurry.

I found out that they don’t like chain supermarkets much they love going to the local markets, touch and smell the food they want to buy.

I discovered Balzac’s home, my father loved Balzac and mom and dad’s flirtations were all about the Lilly of the Valley😊 It became my happy place very quickly.

I discovered all the streets where my favorite French movies were taken. I fell in love with the bridge of Alexandre III, had a girls night out on a péniche and played babyfoot, read a book lying on the sofa of Shakespeare & Co bookstore, waited at the waiting rooms of the doctors who are always late, I met French administration where you have to ask 5 people at least to have one right information, I had a bank person who is in charge of my account! I have never entered in a bank in my life before, we just did everything online. It was such a funny experience. 

I waited in line because that boulangerie is the best in town for baguettes and that fromagerie has the best goat cheese. Eating is not a joke in Paris. You can’t go to a chain coffee shop to drink coffee because it is not real coffee, you can’t grab a sandwich for lunch you should savor whatever you eat, these match me so well. I learned that Parisians are also like me not a real fan of I love Paris wouuuww exaggeration and don’t really go to all those Do it in Paris stuff.

The more I met them the more I liked them. Like me they are against everything, they express themselves loudly, I love the strikes, manifestations, the fact that they never let go off anything.

I love that life stops at 4 o’clock for a huge Pavlova or Religieuse because it is goûter (tea time).

I love the doors in all the colors and shapes and sometimes I stop by to take photos of them. I love taking a walk towards St Germain, asking advice to my caviste (oh yeah, I have one) and on my way seeing my neighbors and gossiping about the politicians. 

All this is to tell you that Paris and I shared lots of fun and sad stories, sometimes melancholic sometimes sunny after all those years still a lot to uncover and always very beautiful in Septembers my dear Paris you are home. 😊