By Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home writer
Growing up, it seemed my mom's definition of travel was how many cultural sites we could visit in a day. Once, in Paris, we did the chateau de Versailles, the musée d'Orsay, and the Louvre in one day (though as you may know, each of these three sites easily warrants its own). (In all fairness to my dear mother, I admit there was also an economic advantage to this triumvirate, as we had entry to each of these sites with a single fee day pass).
Perhaps as a post-traumatic reaction to that event, my idea of sight seeing is a little milder. Though not immune to the occasional museum or cathedral, I’m more likely to be found sitting at various cafes with picturesque urban views while scanning fun French décor magazines, sipping a latte (or espresso or café crème, depending on said country and culture) and exercising subtle, but directed, people watching.
On my recent adventure down France’s west coast, I became enamored with café chairs ubiquitous to the charming coffee shop facades.
Below: Café chairs in coffee shops and gardens in Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, and Toulouse.
Above left: Café chairs available through Ballard Designs here in the US.
