Paris, France (part 1)

Tue, May 9, 2017

Paris, France (part 1)

I…am a cliche. And I can’t express how much I don’t care that I am. I. Love. Paris. I love Paris so much. I love it so much that I would trade my first born for a bite of croissant. For a glimpse of the sparkling Eiffel tower. For a stroll through Le Jardin du Luxembourg.

I really didn’t think it was possible for Paris to fulfill my expectations. I really didn’t. And honestly it didn’t seem fair- how can a place really meet the perfectly formed idea I had created of it in my mind? But it did, and somehow it was better than I had dreamt it would be. I know how cheesy that may sound, but it’s the honest truth. I feel towards this city what a normal person should feel towards a dear loved one- unconditional love. Every building is exquisite, every bite of food could bring you to tears, every charming alley-way out charms the next! Everyone told me this is what Paris was like, and now I’m telling you. Paris is the city of lights and love and forever happiness. Please go.

I have too many photos to fit into one post, so in this entry I’ll list my favorite places we ate, where to stay, and some tips. In the next post I’ll list our favorite things that we did.

First, I picked the warmest and driest time of year to go, August/September. This makes a huge difference for me when traveling, because weather can really make or break your trip. Why spend a bunch of money to get caught in the rain for a week because the tickets were cheaper? If you’re going to do it, do it right. Obviously if you rather see Monet’s garden in full bloom in the spring or be there during all the Christmas festivities, ignore my advise. But personally, I love visiting when places are their sunniest. Also, do some research on the time you are there, apparently August is when a lot of Parisians leave the city and some places close down, which could be a bummer. Research! Research!

As for the best location to stay in, my favorite arrondissements were 3,4,5, and 6. These were the most quintessential Parisian neighborhoods. We actually stayed in the 2nd district, which was great, but those four is where we will stay when we go back.

Our favorite places to nom.

Places I will try next time…

It should be noted that I had 17 croissants in the 5 days we were there. Yes, I think not having really eaten gluten in 6 years was part of how extreme that number is but also…not. Why would you not have 3 croissants a day? And how can one choose betweeen butter and chocolate? You can’t. You don’t. You get both. Every time. Also it’s worth noting that I did a lot of research before we went and found out a lot of people who can’t eat gluten or wheat in North America (here!) can tolerate it in Europe. Turns out that’s true for me and I ate more bread than I ever have in my entire life and I felt great. So, it’s also known as gluten heaven and made me question everything.

Tips and Tricks