En Route to Bamako

It's happened, at last: I've started my first overseas assignment with the Foreign Service! Hooray!

It was a somewhat tense beginning, as I heard about an attack in Mali while at the airport in DC. Then I arrived in Paris to hear about the Belgium attacks. I can't deny that nerves were kicking in.


However, I spent a nice twenty-four hour layover in Paris, checking in to a boutique hotel down by the Louvre gardens. Jet lag kicked my butt, so I didn't explore as much as expected, but it was lots of fun anyway. Cheese, sorbet, Notre Dame, good food, and French: what could be bad?!





For example, my one full dinner, at Ardoise. I staggered out of that restaurant!

Appetizer was a crab broth soup with homemade ravioli. 

Dinner was a beef roast with pureed potatoes.

Dessert was a roasted chestnut souffle. 

The morning of my flight to Bamako, I went cheese shopping. I found a shop within walking distance of my hotel and arrived before it opened. The wait was worthwhile, however, since my Bamako apartment kitchen is now well-stocked with French cheeses, a chorizo sausage, and a duck sausage (because, why not?!).

Ah, Paris!