Bonjour! I’m going to reminisce a bit about our trip to Paris! We had a beautiful week in the City of Lights in April 2018 and I still dream about our days there.
We experienced a charming culture filled with so much history and tradition. We saw some of those most gorgeous architecture and ate some seriously delectable food. Usually when we return from a trip we reflect on our time there, discussing the cultural differences we really enjoyed. One of our favorite things was the pace of meals at dinnertime. Whenever we went out to eat people seemed to dine for hours. They would order wine and appetizers, then more wine and soup, then more wine and dinner, then dessert with coffee or a cognac. People just sit back, relax, and keep dinner casual. They seemed so focused on the friends around them, never rushing to get somewhere. When you have dinner, you are giving your whole night to your friends. It is lovely. There’s something so peaceful about slowing down and enjoying the company of others uninterrupted. No one is checking their watches and calling for the check.
We wanted to incorporate some of this casual dining into our routine at home. We knew we couldn’t swing regular all night 4-course dinners, but we could incorporate a happy hour! We started when we got home. Now we have happy hour every Friday night when Tom gets home from work. I put on my ‘French Cooking Music’ pandora station, fix us some snacks, and make cocktails in our fancy glasses. We sit back and talk about our weeks. This is an hour with no screens or distractions, just the two of us (and any guests who may come over) spending time together and winding down with a fun beverage. It’s a great way to connect, slow down, and love each other. When the weather is good we enjoy our drinks out back on the patio. There’s really no wrong way to have a happy hour. I’ve started experimenting with unique drinks (link). It’s fun to try new things and you don’t need a ton of ingredients.
