There’s something about that French girl lifestyle that us American girls envy. Maybe it’s the baguette in hand, the ever-present glass of wine, or the love of dark chocolate and cheese without a thought of calories. That fearless relationship with food is so sexy. This isn’t to say it is mindless munching. The approach is absolutely about eating high quality, flavorful foods, but the key is to recognize when you’re full and then push the plate away.
This summer I spent a brief period of time in Montreal and I truly fell in love. No, it is not Paris, but it does have a strong Parisian influence and is the second largest primarily French-speaking region in the world after Paris. I logged 16,000 steps (about 7 miles) the day I flew in, and walked darn near every inch of Old Montreal, Downtown, Old Port area and Mile End. It is truly a “walkers’ city”, which is a plus for me while on vacation. The more I move around, the more I can enjoy delicious food guilt-free. That goes for all of us.
Some of my favorite moments were my visits to cafes over the 12-hours I spent exploring the city. I popped into one called Cafe Bistro Mon Plaisir and enjoyed the local newspaper, a piece of quiche, and un café crème. Yep that’s right- real milk and not a question of “do you have soy or almond milk?”. Like I said, I was feeling the French girl vibe of fearless eating.
Another of my favorites was lunchtime after visiting the Musée D’art Contemporain and Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal. I had that sort of natural high that you get from being in a new place and wanted to find a relaxed spot to continue my feel-good experience. Some locals I met suggested I visit Cafe Parvis for a glass of wine and a small bite to eat.
It is not my usual to drink at noon (or at all really) but what the heck. I ordered two glasses of rosé, a couple slices of French country bread (fresh baked of course) with butter and jam, and a side of eggs. My broken-French speaking attempts were accepted during bar conversation and I left feeling warm and satiated and ready to take on the city for a few more hours.
As I made my way to the airport for my next vacay destination, I reveled in my good feelings over the day and was grateful for the long layover and opportunity to visit. It was a wonderful reminder of how I felt on past visits to Paris years back- feeling like there’s a little French girl in me as well and wanting to carry some of her lifestyle back home with me. Plenty of their habits can simplify my life and still keep me healthy- long walks to clear my mind, a nice meal with no thoughts of “will this make me fat?”, and just enjoying a nice conversation with friends. I wonder will people look at me strolling along happily with a treat in my hand and carefree. I want that certain je ne sais quoi too.
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