now that's what I call comfort

Autumn is my favorite season. For the longest time I thought it was spring, but then literally missed it while I was living in Chile and instead went from summer to winter to spring to winter to spring. By the time I was able to enjoy fall again in 2009, I reveled in it. And I've loved it ever since. It's such a special time in New York.

Unfortunately, it's somewhat less so in Paris: Only recently have the leaves changed color, and it's already pretty chilly. Apple-picking is hardly a pastime and pumpkin-flavored anything is harder to find. Blue skies are also a rarity. My favorite season here has been marked by rain, lots and lots of it.

It does make it easier to stay in and do schoolwork though! Or venture to a café (Australian-inspired) and discover that although it may not feel like fall to me, Paris appreciates seasonal menus as well.

[butternut squash & carrot soup]

[salad of fall greens, persimmon, and fingerling potatoes]

Not to mention that the walks to and from whichever café are always scenic, right?

And when it gets to me--the grey skies, the wet shoes, the cold winds, and above all else, the grad school stress--I can always meet a friend at a local brasserie for a glass of wine and the most comforting of simple French comfort food (in my opinion): the croque madame. 

Sometimes all it takes is a step back to find there's a particular beauty in Paris' autumn, too.