From Paris to Epcot: A Lesson in Contentment

I have loved France—especially Paris—since I was eight years old. That was the year I started taking French in school, met a student who had just returned from a junior year abroad, and dreamed of doing the same. Over the next several decades, I spent a month in Arcachon, studied French in college, and took a two-week solo trip to Montmartre, fully immersing myself in Parisian life.

These are but a few memories I cherish: 

• Meandering along the Seine admiring the Bateaux Mouches scenic boat ride
• Strolling through the Tuileries Gardens as children play with toy boats in the fountain
• Standing in the center of Monet’s water lilies at the Musée de l’Orangerie
• Savoring a Salade Niçoise at a streetside café while watching the world go by. 

But when overseas travel isn’t possible, I find similar joy in a place much closer to home—Epcot’s France Pavilion. While it isn’t Paris, it beautifully captures the city’s essence, inviting both nostalgia and delight. Here I have learned contentment comes not from longing for what isn’t, but from embracing what is.

The Artist’s Corner

Nestled along the water’s edge in Epcot’s France Pavilion is a charming scene: an artist’s easel, a bicycle leaning casually against the wall, and a small canoe resting nearby. Every time I see it, I’m transported to two places at once.

First, to Montmartre’s Place du Tertre, where artists gather in the square to paint en plein air. I imagine Renoir and Degas capturing the shifting light with the stroke of a brush.

And then to the Seine, which winds through Paris past iconic landmarks like the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, and Notre Dame. It peacefully bridges the city’s two halves—the academic Rive Gauche and the bustling Rive Droite into a cohesive whole.

Epcot’s small tribute to the artistic life may not be Paris itself, but it holds that same sense of creative wonder. And that is enough.

Les Bouquinistes

One of my favorite Parisian sights is the row of green bookstalls along the Seine, run by the bouquinistes—second-hand booksellers who have been part of the city’s landscape since the 16th century. Overflowing with old books, vintage postcards, and artistic prints, they invite pedestrians to pause, browse, and discover.

At Epcot, a smaller version of these bookstalls lines the pavilion’s cobblestone path. The sight of them never fails to make me smile. In an instant, I am back on the Pont Neuf, green stalls guiding my gaze toward Notre Dame.

The Taste of Paris

Simple pleasures are the best. My favorite meal in Paris consists of a fresh baguette, soft goat cheese, a crisp apple, a handful of walnuts, and a glass (or two) of wine—especially when enjoyed picnic-style on the Champs de Mars with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Even a humble jambon-beurre—a crusty baguette dressed simply with butter and ham—tastes like perfection.

To my delight, these same flavors can be found at Les Halles Boulangerie-Pâtisserie in Epcot. The bread has the same crisp exterior. The pastries are buttery and indulgent. One bite, and I am home—even if home is an ocean away.

Gardens and Galleries

One of my favorite walks in Paris is through the Tuileries Gardens, the beautifully manicured space stretching between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Beyond the gardens lie three of my favorite museums:

• L’Orangerie, home to Monet’s water lilies.
• Musée d’Orsay, a treasure trove of Impressionist art.
• The Louvre, an expansive palace filled with artistic masterpieces.

While Epcot does not have these museums, it does offer beautiful gardens filled with colorful flowers. Plenty of benches invite weary travelers to pause, perhaps enjoy une boule de glace, and savor a moment of stillness.

Embracing the Beauty in What Is

It would be easy to walk through Epcot’s France Pavilion and focus on what it isn’t. It isn’t Paris. It isn’t Montmartre. It isn’t the Left Bank or the Tuileries Gardens.

But when I slow down and truly take it in, I realize that what it is—is something beautiful. A reflection, a memory, a taste of a place I love. And in that, I find contentment.

Epcot’s France may not be a replacement for Paris, but I am not looking for that. As Marcel Proust once said: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

And through those eyes, I find joy.