A Soothing Bedtime Story: The Cozy Dog Café in Paris

hello my friend welcome to your sleep story my name is Steven Dalton I'm an Irish Storyteller and it's my great privilege to be the voice that you listen to as you go to sleep tonight tonight we return to my series wonderings of an Irish man and in tonight's story I go with two of my favorite beings of planet Earth to visit a Dog Cafe in Paris with my wife Rebecca and our little dog Timmy it's a cozy and sweet day that really happened in my life recently and I'm really happy to share it with you

one small thing if my work is helping you and you'd like to support me you can do so through patreon the link is below this video okay let's do the relaxation session now which will take a few minutes before tonight's sleep story I'm going to count down from 10 to one and as I do allow yourself to let go more and more 10 feel the support of the bed beneath you or the floor or whatever you lie upon tonight but beneath all of that feel the Earth the earth that is always supporting you always there

for you our home and as you become aware of that constant support see if it allows you to let [Music] go a little bit more now to ease into this moment a little bit more now nine you are safe you are okay and in this feeling of safety in this place of comfort allow my voice to be an anchor of safety tonight know that my voice will only ever take you to Safe places to Safe destinations to a safe Refuge of deep sleep8 feel into your body now just notice anything that's all you need to

do maybe it's a tingling maybe it's a slight pain whatever it is just notice maybe it's in your feet maybe in your legs maybe your belly your chest or your face and as you notice whatever you notice see if you're holding anywhere and if you are just let go a little bit more now seven the day is done whatever has been has been whatever will be will be but right now in this moment you don't need to think about the past or the future allow yourself the luxury of embracing this very moment and of course

thoughts will arrive and as they do don't fight them know that they are a part of being a human being just see them for what they are thoughts and watch them [Music] go like leaves on a moonlit River or clouds passing in a star l Sky six this is your time this is your moment nobody else's we are best when we give ourselves time when we allow peace to be a part of our experience of life so allow yourself to let go to be kind to yourself to know that you deserve this moment and this

opportunity of rest five peace lives within you it's just waiting to be found see if you can find it tonight and if you do where does it live in your heart in your head have a look for it and notice if you can sense it for perhaps allow a little gratitude now gratitude for the simple things the shelter you have tonight the Peace of this moment the opportunity of rest three begin to engage with your imagination now imagine Paris on a beautiful autumn day the sun is shining and all of the people are relaxed and

enjoying a special kind of day see the beautiful architecture feel the sun on your face and step into this world with me Rebecca and Timmy as we go on a walk together two feel into your body one more time now and just let go of any residual tension or anything you're holding on to your body has worked hard for you today it deserves rest one completely letting go now as I tell you tonight's sleep story we are taking Timmy to the Dog Cafe in Paris also known as Leona part I'll tell you why later it's

a beautiful day in Paris Rebecca and Timmy and myself have recently come here for an extended time and we are trying to settle in one of the things that is important to us is to make sure that our beloved little dog Timmy is happy here I've found a nice park nearby with a dog park and Timmy's made some friends and also Rebecca has just looked up dog cafes in Paris she has found Laona part and we have decided that today is the perfect day to walk there we look it up on the map it will

be a 1hour walk through Paris and why not we have some free time the sun is shining it's the Autumn it's not too hot it's not too cold it's just perfect so the three of us get ready I put Timmy's new color on with his new little name tag that says Timmy I tried to put on his bandana but it seems he's not feeling it today and so I leave him looking Simply Elegant in his cute little collar and off we [Music] go the three of us leave our building and begin to walk along the

grand boulevards of Paris Paris is a busy place and it is a beautiful place there is beauty to be found at every turn I often find when walking through cities some of the greatest beauty to be found is by looking up in a way you feel like you're seeing what most of the people around you are not seeing hidden Beauty right there in plain sight of course I don't look up all the time especially not when I'm walking Timmy but today the streets aren't too busy and I enjoy walking along with my wife and my

dog looking up and around at all that is going on in this amazing place there there is a shared Affinity a shared complicity a shared love that myself and Rebecca and Timmy have together we are a little family and we just understand each other if Rebecca walks ahead and Timmy is enjoying a particular smell he will notice after a few seconds and then run to catch up with her he does not like the three of us to be aart he does have Shepherd dog in his jeans so he is a little Shepherd and he likes

to keep his flock together you know I recently heard that letting a darkg smell is incredibly important I've always lingered and let Timmy smell almost as much as he wants but for Timmy it's like reading a book or watching a movie he gets so much information through his nose and so we let him smell where he wants to As We Walk and Walk and Walk some more eventually we arrive arve in the maray district of Paris this is a beautiful part of Paris located in the fourth Arend desmont it is kind of what pre-revolution Paris

looked like everywhere it is the closest you will see to what medieval Paris looked like here the streets are winding and not logically thought out like the grand Long boulevards that Napoleon and housan built in the 19th century so this is an area of real charm where you can kind of take a break and a big breath within this Metropolis we are walking past a particular doorway that looks inviting I see what looks like a courtyard through the other side of the building and a lady walks out and tells us in French that there is

a puty park po Lea or a little park for the dogs we say Mery Buu a b Jour and go through the building to find a little Park filled with little dogs we let Timmy free for a minute and he makes some new friends running around around and enjoying this very safe little Park where the owners of the dogs are standing around and chatting and give us a little nod and smile of Welcome as our dog joins their dogs it is sh lady here and offers a little moment of Rite for myself and Rebecca Timmy

loves meeting new friends I think it's so important for dogs to meet other dogs they need each other like we need each other after a few minutes of play we leave the little park and resume our walk to the Dog Cafe then we have another little stop to make before arriving at the Dog Cafe it is to our favorite pet shop in the maray a place that is very important in the life of Timmy for it is where we purchased his b a bed that he is very much enjoying sleeping in we stop there and

get him his food and various other little treats today is all about Timmy and you can see him almost smiling he makes another friend in the pet store and they have a little runaround before we continue on our way nearly there now not far Timmy you're in for a treat today he has no idea that we are going to the Dog Cafe Laona part we walk through a beautiful Square called plus Deo this is the oldest Square in Paris it really is spectacular here this was one of the squares where the nobility lived in the

17th and 18th centuries underneath the great buildings are beautiful colonades you really feel like you're in Paris when you stumble upon such stunning architecture the atmosphere is lovely not too many people and those that are here are really enjoying this day it is a nice day to be alive I think to myself we turn a corner Rebecca still looking at the map directs us down a little alley just off PL deage and onto a Street behind it she says it should be just up here on the right and there it is Leona part the Duck

cafe I am eager to see inside and so is Timmy Rebecca finds us a seat outside in the shade and I go in with Timmy to see what all the fuss is about we are welcomed by a group of dogs lying around on couches and Shea laes like a gathering of French Nobles before the French Revolution here we are welcomed also by Rebecca not my Rebecca the Rebecca who started Leona part who I will hence forth refer to as the proprietor so as to avoid confusion she is a friendly American lady whose story I will

tell you in a [Music] minute but first she introduced prod es the Dog Cafe to us and offers Timmy a puppet Chino which consists of what I believe is unsweetened whipped cream in a little cup just for him although when the proprietor of offers it to Timmy it isn't just Timmy that thinks it's his and his new doggy friends come for a taste and so the proprietor suggests that we go outside and let Timmy enjoy his puppuccino on the Terrace my Rebecca has a nice little table for us outside and we sit down and enjoy

people watching and enjoy this moment of relaxation after such a long walk Timmy loves his puppuccino he seems to understand why we are here that today is all about him Rebecca and I laugh at ourselves sometimes how we love this little dog so much but he brings us great joy and we hope we bring him great joy as well he is a special little dog a kindhearted little dog [Music] and he didn't make us take him into to our lives we chose to have him and it is our philosophy that if we have this little

life in our lives that it is our duty to give him the best life that he can have I take great joy and pride in giving Timmy a good and full life there is a reason why dogs and humans are so connected it is so deep within us and Timmy has indeed changed my life for the better and I know Rebecca's too the proprietor comes out and tells us what is on offer there are all sorts of treats here for Timmy specially made beautifully prepared little treats for dogs of all shapes and sizes Timmy can

have a beef cake a turkey bow something called a Boop or a Quon cookie all of the food is made with lovely ingredients that are kind to the dogs tummies and I can tell that the proprietor has taken great care over what she does there are of course human treats as well as she talks I look inside for a moment moment and I see the people with their dogs enjoying each other's company I see the beautiful old stonework on the walls I see photos of dogs everywhere it is a cozy place this Dog Cafe the

proprietor who as I mentioned is American tells us her story she explains that she used to work for a big company traveling around the world and coming to France on occasion then through various happenings she stopped working for that big company and settled in France and by a series of fortunate events a dog came into her life a dog that she initially wanted to name Kevin but this was not the French way her friend insisted and so she went through other names in her head and eventually came up with Napoleon she tried and tested the

name and she found that the French were quite receptive to this name and found it quite amusing that she would call her dog by the name of the man who once called himself emperor of France and in case you did didn't know Napoleon's second name was bonapart and so not too long ago named after her beloved dog the cafe [Music] bonapart came into existence it is in these types of moments that one really enjoys being a human it is in these types of moments that one remembers is reminded of the fact that most humans are

good most humans have deep Wells of kindness within them sometimes the wells are hidden but they are there and sometimes they are filled to the brim I felt like I met kindness in the dark Cafe not just from the proprietor but from all the people sitting around with their Ducks they were welcoming friendly laughing and joking and as Rebecca and I sat outside and enjoyed our moments with our little dog Timmy we reached across the table and held each other's hands and felt good in that moment connected at home for like we always say we

are each other's home and Timmy is a part of our home as well a very big part and we honor that every single day so the pro proprietor brought us Timmy's treats and he devoured them served on little gold plates Timmy ate from the table he really enjoyed himself smiling away watching the world go by enjoying his little meal and his puppuccino what a funny world we live in one might think but isn't it great that we don't always have to take everything so seriously isn't it great to have fun it is a word that

I have sometimes forgotten in my life but no matter what our age surely fun and joy is an essential ingredient and I said as much to Rebecca as we sat there at the Dog Cafe I said fun is important let's have more of it and So eventually all good things must come to an end we thanked the proprietor for her kindness and Hospitality Timmy said goodbye to his new friends including Napoleon bonapart who by the way was a black black and white dog I think some sort of gray Hound or lurcher and you might be

interested to know about the other dogs that were there a little puppy spaniel a little Terrier a little Jack Russell and a few others that I can't remember anyway they were all friendly and kind and welcoming just like their humans to Timmy and so we bid them all goodbye and went on our merry way Rebecca Steven and Timmy the dog a little family now happily content after our visit to the Dog Cafe yeah [Music]