As you probably know by now I could probably write a poetic novel about my favorite city in the world (I did here, but it was more serious). I still can't believe that I am just getting around to really looking at my photos from France last year. I mean I kind of did last year for the first few of my France posts and for Christmas I made my parents a photobook of Paris, but other than that they have been just chilling on my computer for a year.
Paris is the kind of city where I just want to shimmy into a slip dress, shake my hair out, buy a baguette and kiss total strangers. Maybe next time. As I lose myself in the winding streets of Paris, I was on the path to find my inner care free self. While I didn't find her (yet), here are some of my favorite things about this beautiful city:
Forget those tacky hop on - hop off tour busses, Paris is the best city for wandering. It is a pretty easy city to navigate and by wandering you really become one with the city. If you are lucky you will stumble into a street with adorable shops and restaurants only the locals know about. That happened with us, we wandered aimlessly around the Quartier latin for about three hours admiring the beautiful architecture and bookstores and ended up having lunch right next to the Sorbonne with students studying and businessmen on break!
I once read somewhere that if you think museums are boring then you are doing them wrong. I totally agree with this, especially when it comes to art museums. You can tell so much about a history through artwork. Thankfully, Paris is home to several art museums (and artists too!!). Of course there is the Louvre which is best visited first thing in the morning. My personal favorite is the repurposed train station Musée d'Orsay with the impressionist works. Next time I go to Paris, the Centre Pompidou and the Musée de l'Orangerie definitely top the list of art museums that I must see.
Of course Paris is best noted for its amazing architecture. The ornate buildings and wide streets are the brain child of Baron Haussman in the 1800s after the small streets and alleys proved an ideal breeding center for barricades and revolutions (1789 and 1830). The architecture of this city is classic ... everyone pictures the Tour d'Eiffel and the Champs-Élysées but the real hallmark of Paris is the gorgeous doors and the magnificent apartment buildings with the penthouses with the port-hole like windows. When I was watching the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées I saw a few guys with champagne leaning out their penthouse apartment window waving the French flag and shouting vive la france!. What an amazing view they must have had from the apartment. How French.
Paris is a city made for walking. When I was there last year, every day we walked at least ten miles. Its a great way to see the city, save money and clear a little more space for more food. :) In fact, one day we were feeling adventurous and we walked all the way from the Louvre to Sacre Coeur. I don't think my feet ever hurt more but it was a great way to see the city especially after a big lunch and caffeine!
If walking isn't your thing then the Parisian metro is so easy to use. All you have to do is find a Café-Tabac and purchase a pack of tickets to use all day. With these tickets you can go as far as you want for as long as you want all day long. It's super navigable and super easy to know where you are on the rails at all times. In the metros you will also find yourself in a sea of Parisians and businessmen commuting, great street entertainment and a little oasis from the weather outside. One time, unbeknownst to us, the Metro exit in the 1st arrondissement to get to Notre Dame is in the middle of a department store which we were not mad about at all!
How could I possibly end this blog post without talking about food. French food is out of this world. It's fresh, the portions are just right and great wine can be found at every sit down meal. A few of my favorite restaurants in Paris are Chez André for dinner and Cafe de la Paix for lunch. Bread is one of my weaknesses and at every mean in Paris you can find a beautiful baguette. However, my favorite thing to do in Paris is when I get lost I like to find a bakery and buy a baguette straight out of the oven to nibble on while continuing to wander. One really can never go hungry in Paris because of the fruit, ice cream and sandwich vendors dotting the sidewalks in the parks and the cafes lining the streets. Since food is such an important part of the Parisian culture cafes are a great place to not only relax but observe the people rushing by and feel the warmth of good food on your plate and culture in your heart.
Of course Paris is best noted for its amazing architecture. The ornate buildings and wide streets are the brain child of Baron Haussman in the 1800s after the small streets and alleys proved an ideal breeding center for barricades and revolutions (1789 and 1830). The architecture of this city is classic ... everyone pictures the Tour d'Eiffel and the Champs-Élysées but the real hallmark of Paris is the gorgeous doors and the magnificent apartment buildings with the penthouses with the port-hole like windows. When I was watching the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées I saw a few guys with champagne leaning out their penthouse apartment window waving the French flag and shouting vive la france!. What an amazing view they must have had from the apartment. How French.
Paris is a city made for walking. When I was there last year, every day we walked at least ten miles. Its a great way to see the city, save money and clear a little more space for more food. :) In fact, one day we were feeling adventurous and we walked all the way from the Louvre to Sacre Coeur. I don't think my feet ever hurt more but it was a great way to see the city especially after a big lunch and caffeine!
If walking isn't your thing then the Parisian metro is so easy to use. All you have to do is find a Café-Tabac and purchase a pack of tickets to use all day. With these tickets you can go as far as you want for as long as you want all day long. It's super navigable and super easy to know where you are on the rails at all times. In the metros you will also find yourself in a sea of Parisians and businessmen commuting, great street entertainment and a little oasis from the weather outside. One time, unbeknownst to us, the Metro exit in the 1st arrondissement to get to Notre Dame is in the middle of a department store which we were not mad about at all!
How could I possibly end this blog post without talking about food. French food is out of this world. It's fresh, the portions are just right and great wine can be found at every sit down meal. A few of my favorite restaurants in Paris are Chez André for dinner and Cafe de la Paix for lunch. Bread is one of my weaknesses and at every mean in Paris you can find a beautiful baguette. However, my favorite thing to do in Paris is when I get lost I like to find a bakery and buy a baguette straight out of the oven to nibble on while continuing to wander. One really can never go hungry in Paris because of the fruit, ice cream and sandwich vendors dotting the sidewalks in the parks and the cafes lining the streets. Since food is such an important part of the Parisian culture cafes are a great place to not only relax but observe the people rushing by and feel the warmth of good food on your plate and culture in your heart.
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