A Simple Guide to Paris, Part 2

There are few places in the world to find a better meal than Paris. Waiters and retail workers have a reputation of being a little snooty to Americans, but I've found that if you try to be polite, in French first, they will likely switch to English as soon as possible and be very helpful. A simple "Bonjour" when entering a store or a restaurant will do wonders.

Now that you've got that down, here are some of my favorite places for eating, drinking and shopping. As I said in Part 1, I spent most of my time in the Saint Michel-Latin Quarter-Luxembourg area, so naturally, my favorite places are in that area. But every area has its own charming restaurants, shops and bars. Other favorite areas: Le Marais, Bastille, and Monmartre.

Food and Drink

Not counting the fancy, reservation-required restaurants, choosing a place to eat in Paris is done on more of a "stumble upon" basis. Unless you are unlucky, most cafes have amazing food and you won't go wrong sitting at any cafe along the streets of Paris. 

That being said, here are a few places that I loved:

Le Jardin d’en Face – In Monmartre. Tiny restaurant but delicious food. It’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Ever.

Brasserie Lipp and/or Les Deux Magots – Boulevard Saint Germain. These two restaurants are almost right across the street from each other. They were both famous Hemingway haunts. Because of that, they run on the slightly more expensive side. I’d recommend Deux Magots; the atmosphere is not quite as stuffy as Lipp.

Laduree – On the Champs Elysses. Famous for their macaroons and tea.

The Best Falafel in the World – in the Marais, Rue de Rosiers. That is literally the name of the place.

L'As Du Falafel is also on that street and is incredible. The lines for both of these are usually pretty long, so I'd suggest going early.

Restaurants on Rue de la Huchette – Saint Michel metro stop. Il Gigolo Italian is great for pizza/pasta. The gyro place to the right of it (they put the French fries in the sandwich) was my favorite.

Crepes – Street vendors are all over the place, especially in touristy areas like Saint Michel and Jardin de Tuileries.

Le Loir Dans La Theieri -- Brunch place in the Marais on Rue de Rosiers. It's an adorable little tea restaurant with incredible fried eggs, coffee and fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice.

The Pink Flamingo -- Near Canal St. Martin. You order your pizza, they hand you a pink balloon, then they will find you with your order out by the canal. It's a cool experience in a beautiful area of Paris where few tourists go. And the pizza is incredible. I recommend the Paella Pizza!

Good for big groups, too!

Shopping

Rue de Rivoli – From Rue Saint Jacques, walk north across the river and the Isle de la Cite until you get to Rue de Rivoli, which is where all the H&M-type places are located. You can follow it all the way down to the Louvre and Champs Elysses.

Boulvard St. Honore/Champs Elysses – Higher end places but fun to go to.

Shakespeare & Co. – The famous English bookstore and another Hemingway place. I would get lost downstairs among all the famous titles, and then take my journal upstairs to sit by the window facing Notre Dame and write. If you buy something, make sure you ask for the official Shakespeare & Co. stamp to mark your book!

Boulevard St. Germain -- Lots of fun shops on this street, some unknown, some well known like Zara and LOFT.

Rue Mouffetard – Cobblestone street with cute shops, and places to buy cheese and wine. Place de la Contrascarpe is a great plaza with restaurants flanking its fountain.

Nighttime Activities
Similar to the Food section, bars work on a “stumble-upon” basis. That’s the best way to do it, in my opinion. Nighttime is also the best time for picnics that I discussed in Part 1.

Wide Open Spaces -- on Rue St. Jacques, an English bar with great original cocktails and a fun atmosphere.

Piano Bar -- on Rue de la Huchette. Drinks are kind of expensive, but the live music always makes it worth it.

Requin Chagrin – Irish bar in the Place Contrascarpe off Rue Mouffetard. It has a great little outdoor area where I've spent hours people watching (a typical Parisian pastime).

Café Universel – Jazz Club on Rue Saint Jacques. The mojitos are fantastic, and they have jazz every few nights. They're also open for lunch and made a great cafe au lait.

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Paris has been written about so much, that often times it's difficult to find anything new to say. I would encourage anyone who is going to Paris for the first time to not get stressed out if you don't see every single tourist attraction on the list. If an American's pace is "go-go-go," a Parisian's is "enjoy-enjoy-enjoy." The Mona Lisa will always be there, but the kind waiter willing to help you with your French will not, nor will that gorgeous sunset sinking over the Seine on a summer night. So enjoy, and discover the Parisian in you.

No Country(side) for Old Men

After three weeks in Paris, a couple friends and I were ready for some fresh air. A few days in the French countryside was exactly what we needed. We spent the weekend in Beaugency, a small town southwest of Orleans in the Loire Valley. It is an adorable little town, quaint and quiet, but with plenty of bustle in weekend morning markets and boulangeries.

View from our b&b

We arrived Friday night, after the sweatiest and stickiest train ride of my life, and checked in to our B&B. Our hosts were a family of three, and thank goodness Janelle speaks pretty great French, because they hardly spoke English. I tried, but my responses were mostly blank stares, and then glances toward Janelle to translate. They were sweet and so accommodating. The daughter walked us to the only restaurant that was open that late (9:30pm), and we closed the place down talking about families, writing and hometowns.

Sante!

Tricia and Janelle at breakfast the next morning. Check out that spread! And the french press. Mmmmmm.

Our plan was to ride bikes the next day to visit some chateaus that are in that area, and our final destination was Chambord, an enormous chateau and estate a little south of the Loire River. Our hosts said that a bike ride to Chambord would be too far in one day, but I guess they had never met American tourists. When we set our minds on something, we go for it baby.

Let me back up for a second. I haven't ridden a bike in more than two years that wasn't stationary and in a room with lights and an instructor. I learned late how to ride a bike, and they've never been my favorite things. So the idea of riding one 15 miles one way in unfamiliar territory gave me cause for concern. However, I decided this was a good weekend to conquer my fear/dislike of the things. The first few minutes I was wobbly, trying to navigate the narrow cobblestone streets of Beaugency and the cars that passed us. 

Still feeling unsure...

Then we got out of town, and it was more of a breeze. There are amazing bike paths that run up and down the Loire River, and they were not crowded at all. We passed a few families of bikers and a few runners, but that was about it. The river was to our left for most of the trip, and we ventured through a few towns, got lost a couple times, and finally made it to Chambord around 12:45, two hours after leaving Beaugency.

I mean, come on.

Paddle boatin. Go Tricia go!

We had lunch near the castle, then toured the incredible inside. It was beautiful, and we loved thinking and talking about what it would be like to live there. After a tumultuous paddle boat ride, we got some gelato and decided it was time to head back. A few hours later, we rode into Beaugency feeling exhausted, but proud of our sojourn.

We had dinner at the same place as the night before; it was too good not to go back! During an after dinner walk, we heard music coming from the direction of the river, and found a concert going on right on the banks of the Loire. The musician, Natalia Doco, was great, and just what we needed at the end of the day. A rainbow appeared in the sky, and I sipped my rose and felt tired and perfectly content.

Looking out at the Loire River before we headed back Sunday.

It was a wonderful weekend, and I am looking at Paris this week with a new set of eyes. It's amazing what fresh air can do for you.

Encore!

Well, guys, I'm happy to announce that I will be spending another summer in beautiful Paris! After I got back last summer, as is customary in my life, I was already ready to go back to Europe. Although I had a brief stint there before and after Kilimanjaro, it wasn't enough. It is never enough. I applied to be a fellow in the writing program I did last summer, and lo and behold, I got it! I'm not sure if it's because of my awesome writing skills or because they were running low on applicants, but here I find myself: planning another July in the City of Light.

I cannot predict how this summer will change me, inspire me and brighten my spirit, just like it did last year. It will be different; I won't have the amazing friends I made last year, some professors are not coming back, and I won't live in that lovely apartment near Notre Dame, but I know it will be just as scintillating. In the next few months, I look forward to brushing up on my French, polishing my walking shoes (can you polish sandals?), and honing my best tour guide voice.

What happens in Paris, stays in Paris, except when you have a blog and love writing about your experiences. And I can't wait to share them with you all.

We all hated wine. Just look at that table.