Just Like Home

I miss lakes. I've missed lakes ever since I moved to Washington, DC in the summer of 2006. Growing up in Minnesota (or, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, as it is often called) instills in you a love for the sight of open water. We might not have an ocean, but nearly everyone can walk to the beach just the same. Lakes are everywhere. They freeze in the winter, making suitable spots for ice fishing, ice skating or ice hockey, and they are sparkling blue in the summer, perfect for picnics, boating and sunbathing. I didn't go to the beach at all when I lived in Washington, refusing on principle to drive two hours in order to find the nearest sandy spot.

Paris isn't known for it's lakes either, but as I discovered last night, ex-pat Minnesotans need not despair. Instead, they should simply head north out of Paris to the small town of Enghien-les-Bains. There, nestled between the odd combination of luxury hotels and a run-down suburban landscape is where you'll find the beautiful Lac d'Enghien. Its paddle boat rentals, wide promenade and lake front homes were a sight for sore eyes. While eating dinner on the terrace of the Pavillon du Lac restaurant, I snapped this photo of the sunset, almost forgetting that Paris, not Minneapolis, was just a short distance away.