Paris and future travels
Paris was...wonderful. I love that city. Everything about it is great. It's easy to navigate, easy to get around, tons to do, see, tour, eat, buy and experience.
Hotel Des Grandes Hommes- we stayed here for 3 nights in an average room in the 5th floor, on the inside overlooking the courtyard vs. overlooking the Pantheon. It was quieter this way, and we could leave our balcony windows open all night for the breeze without worrying. This is literally right next to the Pantheon, which is a good central location. The hotel itself is quite nice, the bathrooms are HUGE for Europe, and the staff really make this hotel. They are so nice and helpful, gave us recommendations on tours and restaurants, the maid even folded our pajamas when she made our bed!! It's on a hill, with the Jardins du luxembourg at the bottom, and beyond is a good view of the Eiffel tower. The street is lined with cafes, and it's quite nice to sit outside at a cafe and have a drink at night with the Eiffel twinkling in the background. I would absolutely stay here again.
Rue St. Severin- This street is jam-packed with restaurants. You really can't beat it for lunch or dinner. Nearly every restaurant has a fixed menu, usually 3 courses for around 10-12€ for lunch and 15-18€ for dinner. We went to a place called Flagrant Delicto (or some such variation of that) the first night, where I had THE BEST STEAK OF MY LIFE. I didn't realize I liked Steak au Poivre until I had one there. And it was bloody! And delicious! I never eat red meat, and if I do it has to be shoeleather, but France has made me see the light [of Beef]. I also never realized I liked pate, until I had it here. On St. Severin there are a variety of places including; French, Spanish, Mexican, Lebanese, and seafood places, and also a kebab shop and crepe/sandwich shop. At the end of the street is a church with a little park and pond which is nice to have lunch in.
The Paris Metro system- Okay, at first I was so intimidated by this system. There are so many different lines, the map looks like a confusing maze, and I really wondered how we were going to find our way around. BUT- it was surprisingly easy. I think I'm just spoiled by our metro here, which is just a big loop. We bought a carnet of tickets (10 tickets) for I think 18€ at the airport before we left, and that was the perfect amount for us for 3 days. Many stations have free entry, confusingly, and it seemed like we could reuse our tickets on different lines, so we got many more journeys out of them than just the 10 we paid for. Also, from the airport it was just a 30 minute ride on the RER B train to the hotel.
Notre Dame- This cathedral is infamous. What can I really say? It's beautiful and magnificent and really awe-inspiring. The detail in the architecture is breath-taking. We took communion here on Sunday as part of their Latin mass, then toured the building.
Bateaux Parisiennes- The boat tours along the Seine. Will and I *really* enjoyed this hour-long tour that leaves from the Notre Dame, goes up, around the Ile St. Louis, back down all the way to the Eiffel, and back. We embarked right around sunset and watched the sky change color until night fell. It was the perfect time to take the tour, everything was gorgeous.
The Louvre/Pantheon- There is this nifty little rule now that all EU nationals between 18-25 get in FREE to all these touristy places in the city. I was quite pleased to spend 4+ hours roaming the Louvre, and Pantheon, not having had to pay the 9€ fee for each place. I didn't realise just how big the Pantheon was until I went inside. The crypts are really neat, I saw Voltaire's resting place, and the paintings covering the walls inside are really beautiful. The Louvre was... well it's huge. HUGE. We saw so much in there, we went to nearly every wing and floor, saw statues (Venus de Milo), paintings (Mona Lisa-- but my favorite was the Dutch wing), medieval artifacts, etc etc. Oh, but don't climb onto one of the dormer windows to look out because apparently the staff discourage that..... oops. The whole building is a work of art, and I can't even being to fathom how much that place is worth, because first there is so MUCh art contained in the Louvre, and second it's all so... irreplaceable (duh). The history of Europe is contained in those walls, it was a really nice way to spend the early afternoon.
The "Paris Eye"- This is just what Will and I called the huge ferris wheel at the fair by the Tuileries (gardens outside of the Louvre). We went up, Will was petrified of the height, but I was in awe. You can see the entire city from the top, from Montparnasse to the Sacre Coeur, from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. It's an incredibly vantage point and nice for pictures as well. Oh, and the breeze feels quite nice in late August when its like 35 degrees in the sun!!!!
Arc de Triomphe- Impressive in it's size. I wasn't expecting that it would be THAT big. They were raising the French flag on the day we went, it was quite a picture.
Eiffel Tower- Yes, its huge and pretty and such an iconic Parisienne staple. But the lines were ridiculously long (over a 2 hour wait at each of the 4 towers), the prices were ridiculous (22€ for us to go up), and it's filled with street vendors peddling little statues of the tower, roses, and whatever other crap they can think to hawk. We got off the metro at the Trocadero and walked over to the tower, which was the best view I think.
Champs Elysees- Overrated. We walked up and down the entire street, and it's just a glut of designer, overpriced shops, exorbitant cafes, and people eager to blow wads of cash on Louis Vuitton and similar ilk. Definitely not our scene.
Les Jardins du Lexembourg- The gardens are quite nice, and it's a favorite place for runners and joggers. Nice to take a stroll here in the morning after un cafe & croissant. Be careful though; the sprinkler system turns on mid-morning.
I could write an entire post on just the food & wine in Paris alone. After living in England for 8 months, you could not know the joy I felt at going out to eat in Paris. I love England, but good food can be hard to find here.
Fondue- Okay, I'd never had fondue before we went to France. One night, we got back near the hotel late after a day of traipsing through the city visiting nearly every tourist attraction there is to see. It was nearing 10, we were both tired and hungry, and wanted to go some place near the hotel. So we walked down the Rue de la Montagne Sainte Genevieve which has quite a few places along it, and stopped in an place that was dark, cozy, and breezy. We ordered the fondue (cheese, and beef) and a bottle of house red (delicious Bordeaux). And then... I fell in love. I never knew beef could be so good. We were brought two fondue pots; one filled with cheese, and one filled with boiling oil. Then a basket of bread chunks, a plate of raw beef pieces, and a plate of roasted potatoes (and salad and cured ham on the side). Oh, and of course 4 skewers. So the bread chunks get dipped in the cheese, and the beef gets stuck on a skewer and put in the oil until cooked to your liking. It's fun to eat, and tastes so good. And I am definitely a fan, now. They had chocolate fondue for dessert but fondue is actually a big meal and I was really full (and drunk on wine) so I passed on that.
Berthillon- Some of the best ice cream in the world. The shop itself is on the Ile St Louis but every restaurant/patisserie serves it. I tried the hazelnut & milk chocolate version in a cone which was delightful, and later on a scoop of mocha, and a scoop of dark chocolate in a bowl. Fantastic. It's a good thing I don't live in Paris, because I think I'd want to eat that ice cream daily. They have some interesting flavors including cinnamon, nougat and honey, and rum raisin, and they also make sorbet.
Wine- I don't think there is such a thing as bad wine in this city. Every house wine we got was great. Mostly it was Bordeaux, served at room temperature. We chose to stick with house wines because 1- they are cheaper and 2- Honestly its the same as the stuff with a fancy name and price tag. We stuck with reds at dinner because we had steak every single night (Will had duck one night though). But after dinner while sitting at the cafes outside, I stuck with un kir peche (chardonnay with peach). Mmmm so delicious, perfect for pre- or post-dinner drinks.
Crepes- Whether it's jambon et fromage or Nutella, crepes are delicious, cheap, and easy to eat on the go. At about 4€ each they make a good lunch on the days we spent walking all over town seeing the sights. I also love to watch them being made, I need a huge round griddle like the vendors have!!!
Breakfast- Since we went in August, and on a weekend, the boulangeries and patisseries were all closed, unfortunately. We found a cafe near the hotel though, (The Columbus cafe- its a chain in the city) where 2 croissants, 1 pain au chocolat, and 2 cafes ran just under 9€. Which is reasonable for breakfast. Loads of places offer breakfasts, including the hotels, but they are expensive and mainly consist of coffee, orange juice, croissant, baguette, and meats and cheeses. One morning we did sit down and have crepes (I had a Nutella crepe and orange juice & coffee) which was really tasty.
L'As Du Falafel- The best falafel shop in the entire city. It's located in the Marais (the Jewish district) in the 4th Arrondissement. Easy to get to, and a good price for an over-flowing falafel, salad, and extra tahini stuffed inside a pita. Everyone orders at the outside window, and eats these in the street (I ate most of mine with a fork).
I cant wait to go back to Paris, and neither can Will. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, didn't have one bad experience, and were very pleasantly surprised by just how nice the city is, how friendly the people are, and how relaxed the atmosphere is. Best birthday ever. In 9 weeks we are taking the ferry to Amsterdam for Will's birthday. Yay!
Hotel Des Grandes Hommes- we stayed here for 3 nights in an average room in the 5th floor, on the inside overlooking the courtyard vs. overlooking the Pantheon. It was quieter this way, and we could leave our balcony windows open all night for the breeze without worrying. This is literally right next to the Pantheon, which is a good central location. The hotel itself is quite nice, the bathrooms are HUGE for Europe, and the staff really make this hotel. They are so nice and helpful, gave us recommendations on tours and restaurants, the maid even folded our pajamas when she made our bed!! It's on a hill, with the Jardins du luxembourg at the bottom, and beyond is a good view of the Eiffel tower. The street is lined with cafes, and it's quite nice to sit outside at a cafe and have a drink at night with the Eiffel twinkling in the background. I would absolutely stay here again.
Rue St. Severin- This street is jam-packed with restaurants. You really can't beat it for lunch or dinner. Nearly every restaurant has a fixed menu, usually 3 courses for around 10-12€ for lunch and 15-18€ for dinner. We went to a place called Flagrant Delicto (or some such variation of that) the first night, where I had THE BEST STEAK OF MY LIFE. I didn't realize I liked Steak au Poivre until I had one there. And it was bloody! And delicious! I never eat red meat, and if I do it has to be shoeleather, but France has made me see the light [of Beef]. I also never realized I liked pate, until I had it here. On St. Severin there are a variety of places including; French, Spanish, Mexican, Lebanese, and seafood places, and also a kebab shop and crepe/sandwich shop. At the end of the street is a church with a little park and pond which is nice to have lunch in.
The Paris Metro system- Okay, at first I was so intimidated by this system. There are so many different lines, the map looks like a confusing maze, and I really wondered how we were going to find our way around. BUT- it was surprisingly easy. I think I'm just spoiled by our metro here, which is just a big loop. We bought a carnet of tickets (10 tickets) for I think 18€ at the airport before we left, and that was the perfect amount for us for 3 days. Many stations have free entry, confusingly, and it seemed like we could reuse our tickets on different lines, so we got many more journeys out of them than just the 10 we paid for. Also, from the airport it was just a 30 minute ride on the RER B train to the hotel.
Notre Dame- This cathedral is infamous. What can I really say? It's beautiful and magnificent and really awe-inspiring. The detail in the architecture is breath-taking. We took communion here on Sunday as part of their Latin mass, then toured the building.
Bateaux Parisiennes- The boat tours along the Seine. Will and I *really* enjoyed this hour-long tour that leaves from the Notre Dame, goes up, around the Ile St. Louis, back down all the way to the Eiffel, and back. We embarked right around sunset and watched the sky change color until night fell. It was the perfect time to take the tour, everything was gorgeous.
The Louvre/Pantheon- There is this nifty little rule now that all EU nationals between 18-25 get in FREE to all these touristy places in the city. I was quite pleased to spend 4+ hours roaming the Louvre, and Pantheon, not having had to pay the 9€ fee for each place. I didn't realise just how big the Pantheon was until I went inside. The crypts are really neat, I saw Voltaire's resting place, and the paintings covering the walls inside are really beautiful. The Louvre was... well it's huge. HUGE. We saw so much in there, we went to nearly every wing and floor, saw statues (Venus de Milo), paintings (Mona Lisa-- but my favorite was the Dutch wing), medieval artifacts, etc etc. Oh, but don't climb onto one of the dormer windows to look out because apparently the staff discourage that..... oops. The whole building is a work of art, and I can't even being to fathom how much that place is worth, because first there is so MUCh art contained in the Louvre, and second it's all so... irreplaceable (duh). The history of Europe is contained in those walls, it was a really nice way to spend the early afternoon.
The "Paris Eye"- This is just what Will and I called the huge ferris wheel at the fair by the Tuileries (gardens outside of the Louvre). We went up, Will was petrified of the height, but I was in awe. You can see the entire city from the top, from Montparnasse to the Sacre Coeur, from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. It's an incredibly vantage point and nice for pictures as well. Oh, and the breeze feels quite nice in late August when its like 35 degrees in the sun!!!!
Arc de Triomphe- Impressive in it's size. I wasn't expecting that it would be THAT big. They were raising the French flag on the day we went, it was quite a picture.
Eiffel Tower- Yes, its huge and pretty and such an iconic Parisienne staple. But the lines were ridiculously long (over a 2 hour wait at each of the 4 towers), the prices were ridiculous (22€ for us to go up), and it's filled with street vendors peddling little statues of the tower, roses, and whatever other crap they can think to hawk. We got off the metro at the Trocadero and walked over to the tower, which was the best view I think.
Champs Elysees- Overrated. We walked up and down the entire street, and it's just a glut of designer, overpriced shops, exorbitant cafes, and people eager to blow wads of cash on Louis Vuitton and similar ilk. Definitely not our scene.
Les Jardins du Lexembourg- The gardens are quite nice, and it's a favorite place for runners and joggers. Nice to take a stroll here in the morning after un cafe & croissant. Be careful though; the sprinkler system turns on mid-morning.
I could write an entire post on just the food & wine in Paris alone. After living in England for 8 months, you could not know the joy I felt at going out to eat in Paris. I love England, but good food can be hard to find here.
Fondue- Okay, I'd never had fondue before we went to France. One night, we got back near the hotel late after a day of traipsing through the city visiting nearly every tourist attraction there is to see. It was nearing 10, we were both tired and hungry, and wanted to go some place near the hotel. So we walked down the Rue de la Montagne Sainte Genevieve which has quite a few places along it, and stopped in an place that was dark, cozy, and breezy. We ordered the fondue (cheese, and beef) and a bottle of house red (delicious Bordeaux). And then... I fell in love. I never knew beef could be so good. We were brought two fondue pots; one filled with cheese, and one filled with boiling oil. Then a basket of bread chunks, a plate of raw beef pieces, and a plate of roasted potatoes (and salad and cured ham on the side). Oh, and of course 4 skewers. So the bread chunks get dipped in the cheese, and the beef gets stuck on a skewer and put in the oil until cooked to your liking. It's fun to eat, and tastes so good. And I am definitely a fan, now. They had chocolate fondue for dessert but fondue is actually a big meal and I was really full (and drunk on wine) so I passed on that.
Berthillon- Some of the best ice cream in the world. The shop itself is on the Ile St Louis but every restaurant/patisserie serves it. I tried the hazelnut & milk chocolate version in a cone which was delightful, and later on a scoop of mocha, and a scoop of dark chocolate in a bowl. Fantastic. It's a good thing I don't live in Paris, because I think I'd want to eat that ice cream daily. They have some interesting flavors including cinnamon, nougat and honey, and rum raisin, and they also make sorbet.
Wine- I don't think there is such a thing as bad wine in this city. Every house wine we got was great. Mostly it was Bordeaux, served at room temperature. We chose to stick with house wines because 1- they are cheaper and 2- Honestly its the same as the stuff with a fancy name and price tag. We stuck with reds at dinner because we had steak every single night (Will had duck one night though). But after dinner while sitting at the cafes outside, I stuck with un kir peche (chardonnay with peach). Mmmm so delicious, perfect for pre- or post-dinner drinks.
Crepes- Whether it's jambon et fromage or Nutella, crepes are delicious, cheap, and easy to eat on the go. At about 4€ each they make a good lunch on the days we spent walking all over town seeing the sights. I also love to watch them being made, I need a huge round griddle like the vendors have!!!
Breakfast- Since we went in August, and on a weekend, the boulangeries and patisseries were all closed, unfortunately. We found a cafe near the hotel though, (The Columbus cafe- its a chain in the city) where 2 croissants, 1 pain au chocolat, and 2 cafes ran just under 9€. Which is reasonable for breakfast. Loads of places offer breakfasts, including the hotels, but they are expensive and mainly consist of coffee, orange juice, croissant, baguette, and meats and cheeses. One morning we did sit down and have crepes (I had a Nutella crepe and orange juice & coffee) which was really tasty.
L'As Du Falafel- The best falafel shop in the entire city. It's located in the Marais (the Jewish district) in the 4th Arrondissement. Easy to get to, and a good price for an over-flowing falafel, salad, and extra tahini stuffed inside a pita. Everyone orders at the outside window, and eats these in the street (I ate most of mine with a fork).
I cant wait to go back to Paris, and neither can Will. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, didn't have one bad experience, and were very pleasantly surprised by just how nice the city is, how friendly the people are, and how relaxed the atmosphere is. Best birthday ever. In 9 weeks we are taking the ferry to Amsterdam for Will's birthday. Yay!