Trip Guide: Paris!

My only concern is: WHY AM I BACK IN REALITY?! Paris was just as amazing as everyone says it is and if it weren't for the nasty cold I caught on the way back I would have stayed forever. The food, the people, the scenery -- every little thing was perfect. We stayed mostly on the left bank but visited all the sights within our time there. We even went to Champagne and toured le Domain de Pommery (where I drank some of the best sparkling wine of my life). I can't wait to plan my next trip and get to see even more of the City of Lights.

It saddens me that recently my second home has seen great tragedy. My heart goes out to them and to my French readers: know that I am here for you. Liberté, equalité, fraternité.

Trip Guide: Paris

Know a Little French to Guide You

Imagine someone talking to you in a foreign language and expecting you to understand every word. Would you be happy? Absolutely not, and I think part of this "assuming all Frenchies know English" is one of the reasons we label them with attitudes. You can't expect an entirely different country to fit your needs, so just by knowing "please" "thank you" "hello" and "how much is this" will get you a lot further with a lot nicer crowd. As long as you're trying they'll appreciate you, and what's so wrong with expanding your knowledge of languages?

Learn the Metro

We never used a taxi other than the car service that took us to and from Charles de Gaulle. The subway system in Paris is honestly one of the best public transportation systems in the world. You can go literally anywhere on the metro and can connect to all the major train stations. A packet of 10 tickets is around 8 euro and you can use the same ticket to transfer from bus/subway/train within an hour and a half limit. As long as you know what stop you need to get off you will be perfectly fine and will get to experience the authentic way of French travel!

You Will Never Have a Bad Meal in Paris

Whomever told you meals are small in France is a filthy liar. You get so much food for your money that it breaks your heart that doggy-bags are not common nature. There's a miraculous thing in Paris called "le formule" that America needs to adopt ASAP. During lunch hours, restaurants have a "formula" you can choose from: appetizer and main dish or main dish and dessert. This ranges from 15-17€ and you get so. much. food. My favorite meal was at a pub down the street from our hotel on La Rue Montparnasse. Living in Colorado, fresh (and delicious) seafood is hard to come by so one thing I vowed while being in Paris was to eat all the seafood I craved. A famous French meal is moules et frites (mussels and fries) and that was my number one meal to try during my stay. So after a day of exploring Le Cathédral de Notre Dame, we hopped off the metro and wandered into this pub (I wish for the life of me I could remember the name). They had a special formule for moules et frites which included mussels, fries, and a German beer. When our food arrived I couldn't believe my eyes -- my mom and I had a pot full of 2 lbs of mussels each. It was the best meal of the trip and we were so full that as soon as we got back to our room we took a much needed nap! I miss French food dearly and every meal I had holds a special place in my heart (especially gelato from Amorino).

Beware of the Tourists

I could not believe how many tourists we saw in Paris. I'm used to the amount you usually see at the American hotspots, but that couldn't compare to how many tourists visit Paris. Due to my terrible fear of heights, I never planned on going up the Eiffel Tower and I'm kind of happy about it -- the wait just for tickets was 2 hours. Not to mention that where there are tourists there are street vendors and pickpockets. The street vendors shove cheap merchandise in your face whereas the pickpockets, well, pick your pockets. One thing to be mindful of is NEVER ADMIT YOU SPEAK ENGLISH! One of the thieves' traps is to talk to you about something in English and then two of her friends try to sneak your wallet out of your pocket or purse. If they have a clipboard and ask if you speak English look at them like they're crazy and keep walking. Basically anyone with a clipboard is a scam and some thieves even go so low to pretend they're deaf or mute. Just be mindful of your surroundings and who is around you. But don't let the bad people ruin your fun! Paris is beautiful and worth every minute. Most importantly try to get to attractions early to avoid too much of a wait time!

Indulge in the Wine

In the US, a glass of Chardonnay will run you $6 whereas a Diet Coke is $2. In Paris, however, these two drinks cost the exact same. Soda fountains aren't common in France so most of the time when you order a soda you are receiving the can, which they will up-charge you for. In general, bottles of wine are just cheaper in France, probably because they don't have to pay export fees and such, and therefore a glass of wine at a restaurant is also inexpensive. I drank wine with every meal I wanted to because it didn't break my budget. Now, I'm not saying you should drop 20€ on the giant glass of Cab Franc at every meal, but if you want to a few times go for it. Then every other time you can enjoy the 4€ glass of Pouilly Fumé or Beaujolais. You're in France, the mecca of wine, so you might as well drink like a true amateur du vin!

Until next time my loves x.