The Paris Review

Hello, fellow dreamers!

Paris notebook is from Target: $4 for 3!
Perfect for notes on the go :)

If you have been following my blog, then you know that I went to France. Well, I am finally back and ready to share my adventures. 

I have so many stories to share that it will take more than one blog post to do so. Thus, I decided the first would be my review of Paris. Within the next few days, expect to see posts about Cannes, Nice, food, style, and a story of adventure.

Paris:

"America is my country and Paris is my hometown." -Gertrude Stein

Where did I stay?

Hotel Rivoli: 50 euro (Do not get this confused with Hotel Paris Rivoli)

• Pros:
• Great location! Near the metro, shopping, restaurants, cafes, and the Louvre.
• Most rooms have a sink and/or shower
• Affordable...for Paris!
• Employees are quite pleasant
• Most rooms have a balcony with a great view

View from our balcony

• Cons:
• No toilet in the rooms, but it is located in the hallway.
• No elevator, so you may have to walk up 1 to 6 staircases.
• Curfew of 2:00 a.m.
• No free breakfast
• No wifi. Well, I heard there was wifi, but they only have ONE piece of paper with the code, which means it is hard to get your hands on! 

How much do meals cost?

Let me start by saying there is a reason why Parisians are skinny and model like. They not only walk everywhere, but they barely eat...well from what I could tell!

• Breakfast:
• Most cafes serve espresso, croissant, and orange juice.



B acting goofy?

• Expect to pay anywhere from 3-6 euro for this small meal.
• B and I ordered 2 espresso and 1 croissant: 6,50 euro (this was an expensive espresso bar)

• Lunch:
• Good luck finding it...just kidding! However, expect to find it before 3 or you may not get lunch. Most cafes serve sandwiches for roughly 6 euro. B and I usually split a sandwich. 
• If you find yourself not hungry, then grab an espresso, beer, or wine and people watch. Paris is one of the best cities to people watch!
• Snacks:
• I suggest heading to the park near the Louvre because there are a few cafes that offer little pick-me-ups. 
• My suggestion would be to grab a cappuccino and Cape 2 Boules for 6,50 euro. It is a bowl of delicious chocolate ice-cream!
• Or head to a boulangerie to pick up some macaroons for roughly 1,50 for one.

• Happy hour:
• Best people watching ever! The drinks are cheap and most cafes offer olives to snack on.

• My suggestion is Bastille Restaurant near the metro. Grab a glass of St. Amour: delicious, fruity, and non-dry red wine.

• Dinner:
• Parisians eat late. Plan to eat around 10:00 p.m.
• My suggestion is to not just eat french food, but experiment with the french version of Thai, Chinese, and everything in between. I enjoyed most dinners in Paris.

Best Chinese food for 8 euro!

Getting around:

B's face says what Paris walking does to a person.

Take the metro for most places and walk for the rest. 

• A "box of tickets" is 10 metro passes for 12,70 euro. 
• If you choose to walk, then be prepared to feel like your feet are bleeding. Walking around Paris is fun, but quite exhausting. Please wear comfortable shoes...like oxfords!

• Taxis have a sitting fee of 2,60. I suggest only taking a taxi if you are pressed for time or you are lost. They are not budget friendly.

What to see:

• Eiffel Tower or Tour Eiffel
• If you are under 24 expect to pay 9 euro to get to the top.
• If you are older than 24 expect to pay 10 euro to get to the top.



View from the top!

• Don't want to pay? No worries, the Eiffel Tower is much prettier from the ground. Find a great place to sit around 9:15 p.m. and let the show begin. The beginning of every hour after it lights up, it literally sparkles!! It is absolutely amazing....and romantic!
• If you go up, be advised that the first part is rough. I counted close to 700 stairs to the second level. However, take the elevator to the wee top :)

• Notre Dame:
• It is free to get into the church, but to get to the top expect to pay about 8 euro. 
• Please be respectful and turn off your flash inside the church.

• Louvre:
• Expect to pay about 10 euro. 
• The museum is huge and you will not see it all in one day.
• B and I headed straight for the Mona Lisa. It was amazing, but it was crowded. Then, go explore the rest of the museum.

• Pont Des Art bridge:
• It is a bridge filled with locks and the Seine is probably filled with keys to unlock them. Very romantic!

B and I put the lock on the bridge and tossed our keys into the Seine. 

• Versailles:
• Expect to pay about 15 euro, which comes with an audio headset.
• B and I did not enjoy this as much because it was super crowded.
• The gardens were my favorite. 
• How to get there:
• Metro: for 2 people round trip expect to pay 14,70 euro

Me out in the gardens.

Stay tuned for more adventures in France!

Au revoir!!