Le Début

Bonjour!



For those of you who don't know I have been in Paris for a little over a week now. For those of you who also don't know, I'm not much of a ~blogger~. However, I have been to so many amazing places here already that I've decided to start this blog to keep track of it all. Excuse my lack of formalities. This is basically just a list of the places I've gone/things I've seen with a few anecdotes thrown in. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading about all the things I am doing à Paris!

29 Août

Café Julien: Cute outdoor café near our EDUCO hotel in the 13th. Went here on the first day with a few friends, sat outside, and ordered a cappuccino. I was very surprised when my order came out for two reasons: 1) The cappuccino was served in this amazing glass mug with a pile of whipped cream and cinnamon. 2) The cappuccino cost me 6 euros.


Les Cailloux: First dinner in Paris! And it was Italian. I know, ugh. But this was actually a very good italian restaurant for a good price (we learned to be more careful after Café Julien). I got pesto ravioli which was amazing. The water came in an Absolut Vodka bottle which caused some confusion ;) and the wine came in a beaker... major props for creativity.

 
30 Août

Lots of orientation activities. Then finally met my host family who is so so nice! First home cooked meal here and it was awesome. Love how people here pay attention to even simple meals by using fresh ingredients. There's also almost always more than one course which makes things feel special.


31 Août/1 Septembre

These days blend together. I got started on the blog late I'm sorry...

Amorino Gelato: Many locations, went in Montparnasse with Natalie, Evan, and Sam after orientation. SO good. I was amazed until I realized it's probably the most common store I've seen in Paris but that doesn't take away from how good it is. Speculoos is on point.

2 Septembre

Les Invalides: Went on a tour here with EDUCO. Built during Louis XIV's time as a hospital for soldiers. Now it's a big military museum and Napoleon's tomb is in the back. Also has a really pretty lawn in the front that leads up to Pont Alexandre III on the Seine. This is also very close to my apartment and is really pretty to walk/run near.

Le Jockey: really cute outdoor lunch place near EDUCO in the 6th. Got the smoked salmon salad which was delicious.

La Gymnaste Café: nothing to write home about but it's right next to EDUCO and had wine/coffee for a decent price. Thinking of trying it for lunch sometime to see what it's like.

La Mucha Café: Café really near my apartment. Natalie and I met Liz and Wheeler here for a glass of wine and some crême brulée/chocolate cake. Really nice waiter and pretty good dessert.



Other notes: Paris is expensive except for 3 things: wine, bread, and crêpes. This city knows how to keep a girl happy ;)

3 Septembre

Went on a tour around the 4th arrondissement and saw lots of important monuments (ie. the Louvre, Pont des Arts, Jardin des Tuileries, and Notre Dame) but didn't get to stop so I will definitely go back. There were also a lot of cute cafés/crêperies on the side streets behind Notre Dame so I'd like to go back there!

Jardin des Tuileries: Amazing gardens right along the Seine. Beautiful fountains and flowers everywhere and lots of pathways. This park is right near my apartment and I loved running in it. It's also a great place to sit down and read a book after grabbing a sandwich. It's very toursity since it's right between the Louvre and the Champs Elysée. It can get crowded but it's still spectacular.

Jardins du Luxembourg: This might be my favorite park in Paris so far. It is BREATHTAKING. We passed through it on our walk from lunch in Saint Michel to our class at EDUCO and stayed for a while soaking it in (and taking lots of touristy photos).

Au Père Louis: Quaint wine bar in the 6th near Odéon (I think? Still getting to know my way around haha..) Red velvet upholstery with low ceilings and wooden beams. But PSA it was really hot inside. Went with a big group which worked really well cause they have a lot of small rooms upstairs. I got the duck with was really good! We also got snails to start.. They were alright, glad I tried them but don't think I'm an escargot fanatic now. Classic french restaurant with good food for a good price.

Le Mix: Night club in Montparnasse. Not sure if it was just this night but that place was sick. It was international students night and we went with a big group so it was so fun. Classic night club scene with flashing lights and a DJ. They played a lot of good music (american, spanish, and oldies). A mario and homer simpson mascot also came out to dance around 2 am, very wild card but hilarious.


4 Septembre 

Bateaux Bouche: Cruise along the Seine with EDUCO in the morning. You just gotta do it when you visit the Seine is beautiful and you get a cool view of the Eiffel Tower.

Crêpe D'Or: FANTASTIC crêpe in the 6th. Got the "poulet complet" which was chicken, cheese, and egg. It was a cold day and it warmed me right up. The crêpe was also slightly crispy on the outside and the cheese was gooey it was perfection. Also in a really cute part of town, very picturesque and near the Luxembourg gardens/EDUCO.

Walked through the Luxembourg gardens and there was a little art exhibit on recycling in l'Orangerie which was pretty cool, glad we stopped by.

Café Varenne: Went here for dinner with Liv and Natalie. Classic French bistro vibe with a nice wait staff. Got the salmon tartare which came with a fat plate of vegetables which I was happy about. The bread was also warm when it came out (makes such a difference).

Le Dix: LOVED this place. It's a bar in the 6th that is kind of cave like and has old time French ads/paintings on the walls.  They have pitchers of sangria for 20 euros (or 28 if you get the big size). You can get other drinks too if you want. Was kind of hard with a big group cause it's very crowded but it's such a cool place to just grab a drink with friends and hang out at night.

5 Septembre

Natalie, Ben, Wheeler, Evan and I all had a really toursity day which I will never judge because everyone should be a tourist at some point and everything "toursity" in Paris is a must see.

Notre Dame: Beautiful church. Everyone knows it but it still amazes me how grandiose it is inside and outside. No one puts that kind of effort in to architecture any more. That's something I've noticed about most all buildings in Paris (they're beautiful and have great details). We went inside but the line to go to the top was unreal since it was a weekend so I'll have to go up another day.

L'île Saint Louis: This whole area is so picturesque. Lots of cute shops and small streets.

Berthillon: Best ice cream in Paris. Maybe even the best ice cream I've ever had? The Juice Bar in Nantucket still might be #1 though... I got the salted butter caramel and the honey nougat. Both flavors were extremely gourmet and flavorful. Smooth and creamy, but the chunks of nougat were chewy and fairly sized just like you'd want. Lots of places in Paris serve Berthillon ice cream but we went to the actual store in Saint Louis.

Le Marais: Amazing neighborhood in Paris, historically known as the Jewish quarter so everything was closed on Saturday. Lots of cute shops and eateries, I'll be going back here often I'm sure.

Le Comptoir de Mathilde: Chocolatier in the 3rd right next to Centre Pompidou. Everything looked DELICIOUS and the sample I got was fantastic. They have lots of cute chocolate themed gifts, would be good to go back around Christmas time. They also have spices, spreads, and a wall of really fun flavored liquors. They're all really bright and held in fun beakers on the wall of the shop. Looks like an alchemist's workshop or something. You pour it out of the spout yourself in to pretty glass jars. This would also be a great gift I want to try them. (Types of flavors: Nuit de Folie, Le Redresseur (tropical), Orgasmus, Le 69, Pistache, Pina Colada, Violette, Café, Chocolat, Sex on the Beach)

Centre Pompidou: This is the modern/contemporary art museum in the 3rd. Looks bizarre on the outside compared to other buildings (lots of pipes and tubes everywhere) but it's also a must visit. There's a lot of really weird stuff there to be honest but it's cool and ~cultured~. We also ran in to Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone. He looked like a very angry man and we sadly did not get a picture with him. But cool nonetheless. The "Café Little Boy" was my favorite piece. It's an interactive exhibit about Hiroshima. The room is a classroom with a few desks and chairs, and all of the walls and surfaces are covered in chalk. Viewers are invited to come in and write whatever they'd like on the walls to spark a conversation about the bombing. A little eerie and very powerful. After that we went up to the top out on to one of the fire escapes/balcony's. This was an amazing view of Paris that I've heard few people talk about. Great view of the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur. The courtyard outside Centre Pompidou is also really cool and hipster with lots of street performers. Including men with large bubbles and women playing the didjeridoo...

L'Éclair: Café on the famous Rue Cler in the 7th. The atmosphere here was amazing. Rue Cler is a beautiful cobblestone street and the restaurant had twinkly lights outside with some vines/greenery. Must go back when I'm more hungry because they had a lot of good looking food. They also have really fun cocktails which we didn't try but are apparently really good!

Showcase: One of the most well known clubs in Paris I think. If you ask anyone about Paris night life they'll probably tell you about this place. It's under Pont Alexandre III on the quai of the Seine so it's an amazing location and the inside has really cool stone arches that mimic the bridge. Sidenote, the Seine at night is sooo beautiful with all of the lights and the sparkling Eiffel Tower. (Reference: My snapstory, "Hey guys... we're in Paris" *ching ching*). We went to Showcase because Alunageorge was DJing. No one showed up until 1:30 and Alunageorge didn't go on until 2:30. For the one song of Alunageorge I know it was AWESOME. Other than that the music was very clubby and not my fave but I still had a great time. Will definitely go back.

6 Septembre

Le Petit Cler: Another adorable café on Rue Cler. Natalie and I went for brunch and got classic ham and cheese omelettes which were a pretty good deal. I can't say it enough but Rue Cler is so cute and picturesque. We went to a little fruit/vegetable store across the street that had a bunch of tables outside. We also walked by all the antique vendors which were cool. Everything was really old and expensive but could be a cool place to find some hidden gems.

Jardin des Plantes: Park in the 5th with really cool flowers and plants (hence the name). There's also apparently a zoo there?! Will definitely go back for that sometime soon although the wallabies were very sad looking and tired :( You couldn't sit down and picnic here like we were planning but it's really nice to walk/run around. Also looked like a great place for kids.

L'As du Falafel: This falafel in le Marais lives up to the hype. Spectacular. I'll be curious to try the other falafels in the area but this one will be hard to beat.

Place de Vosges: Beautiful square in the 4th arrondissement with a pristine park. (Aren't all the parks pristine here? Yes.) Victor Hugo apparently used to live here. We got macaroons from a little café/patisserie across the street and sat on the lawn. They weren't the best macaroons I've ever had but I got a strawberry coconut one which was a cool flavor combo.

7 Septembre

Had a tour of the Paris universities today and an academic meeting which is probably of no interest to anyone... Then I ran around and explored the 7th arrondissement some more and found some great boulangeries/restaurants on Rue Saint Dominique that I want to try. Also walked around the St. Germain des Prés area and explored. Looked in to some art classes and found a nice art store with student discounts (Gouache)!

Au Nom du Pain: Grabbed lunch here, they have a good student special deal and a member card to get my 13th meal free. In a semi-convenient location to EDUCO so may become a good grab and go option. There was a cute little park nearby that I sat and ate my lunch in. Right near the Vavines metro stop.

Le Jockey Café: I came here again because I was desperate for a wifi café near EDUCO and it turned out to be so nice inside! (I had previously only eaten outside) The café area is very bright and airy with fun white tables and chairs and bright pillows. There is also free wifi so I have a feeling I will be coming back here a lot to study and hang out.

Other notes: Why do French people not use normal lined notebooks? Only complaint.

And there's still so much left that I want to do!

My other posts won't be this long, I promise.

xoxo Gossip Girl

just kidding.

Blogs are hard, ugh.

À bientôt!