8 Septembre - L'arc de triomphe

So Tuesday was French FDOC here for me (kind of). Besides having to wake up at 7 am to get to class all went surprisingly well!

Aux Ducs de Bourgogne: This is a fantastic gallette/crepe restaurant that a bunch of us went to for lunch. If you're wondering the difference between a gallette and a crepe so was I... basically a gallette is a savory crepe made with buckweat flour and a crepe is the sweet dessert that you are probably thinking of! I got the gallette au Provençal which was absolutely delicious. The restaurant was small with bright table cloths and exposed stone bricks on the walls. It was very quaint yet still airy - loved it! It's also very close to my apartment so I'm sure I will be back soon.

Champs Elysées: After lunch we walked up the famous Champs Elysées which is quite the street. It is extremely touristy but still something ya gotta do when you visit. There are huge luxury brand stores up and down the road with the most absurd displays. (Ex. Abercrombie and Fitch had large golden gates which led to a perfectly manicured row of hedges which THEN led in to the 3 story store with massive chandeliers. But it still smelled like the American Abercrombie we all know, as is tradition). Couldn't help but keep singing "Aux Champs Elysées" in my head the whole time.



L'Arc de Triomphe: The Champs Elysées leads to yet another famous tourist attraction, L'Arc de Triomphe. So of course we climbed to the top! L'Arc de Triomphe is stunning as are all monuments in Paris. Although it was a cloudy day the view from the top was still amazing. You could see everything in the city and get some great shots of the Eiffel Tour. Plus - residents of the EU between 18 and 25 get in free! Which includes me now, woooo. That's the case with a lot of these monuments so if you're studying abroad definitely bring a photocopy of your visa/passport with you.

La Durée: After our climb we decided to reward ourselves with some of La Durée's world famous macaroons. This store/tea room is incredible. It fits right in with the luxuriousness of the Champs Elysées and is beautifully decorated inside. All of their pastries look like works of art. I got a caramel banane macaroon and a pistachio one. The pistachio one was heavenly I still can't get over it. I didn't used to be a macaroon girl but I've tried a lot of good ones since being here so I may have turned.


Margot also made a homemade plum tart for dessert at home which was awesome. I wish I could casually whip up a tart for dinner.