Snapshots from Paris

How I Traveled:

To make things easier, and a little bit cheaper, for myself, I decided to piecemeal my flights to and from Paris. Admittedly, paying a small fortune for flights always stresses me out. Luckily, flying from NYC gave me a whole slew of options. Newark Airport is the farthest from my apartment in the Upper East Side and wasn’t my first pick. However, I found the best deals from a lot of smaller, French owned airlines.

On the way out I took a late night flight from Level Airlines. Since I ordered the minimum ticket, it seemed pretty minimalistic. The saving grace was that this particular flight was nearly empty and I had plenty of room to stretch out and sleep for the majority of my flight.

On the way back I took XL Airways, another French airline. This flight was positively packed and a little cramped, but I nestled up next to my window. When it comes to cross-Atlantic flights, trying to sleep as long as possible is my number one piece of advice. It definitely helps the time fly by.

Where We Stayed:

I already mentioned my love for our hotel in my previous Paris blog post, here. Staying at the Hôtels des Grands Boulevards was a dream! The hotel’s simplicity and Art Deco vibe made for a unique pairing that effortlessly matched the feel of the city. Our room was small and cozy, but opened up to the hotel’s courtyard. Who needs a radio when your ambient sound is the music and chatter coming from the hotel’s welcoming bar?

Where We Ate:

In the neighborhood we stayed, the 2nd Arrondissement, I would be shocked if there was a bad restaurant to be found. The two streets we frequented the most, the Rue Montmarte and the Rue des Petits Carreaux, were filled with quintessential Parisian cafes.

• Aux Crus de Bourgogne. After a long flight and case of jet lag, a good meal is just what I needed to pep up and get ready to go. Getting to this cafe right after the lunch rush, we both enjoyed a frisee salad. They are surprisingly filling and is a recipe I can’t wait to recreate here at home. The best part of eating here was the table of Parisian men sitting next to us. They were a hoot to talk with and offered us glasses of champagne. It acted as a toast to start off an amazing trip.
• Restaurant des Petits Carreaux. Our first dinner in Paris was probably my favorite! I ordered the bavette d’aloyau with pommes frites, in English it’s known as a flank steak with french fries. The meal was simple, but absolutely delicious. The restaurant itself was one of those street-side cafes where we could take in people watching and attempting listening to endless French conversation.
• Au Rocher de Cancale. I was initially drawn to the beautiful blue exterior of this building, but my meal will have me return again. After snacking on cheese and bread during happy hour, having another salad and glass of Hugo Spritz is just what I needed. Even better, it turns out this restaurant has been open since 1734 and is a historic city staple.

What We Saw:

Although it’s impossible to see all that Paris has to offer in just three short days, I’m pretty sure we got pretty close. While you can take the Metro system that is very similar to the subway system in New York, we opted to put in the miles and walk through the city. During the 18 miles we walked one day, we saw the Louvre, the Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tour, and the Arc de Triomphe. On my return trip to Paris, I will be sure to slow things down, visit more museums, and hopefully explore La Maison Rose in the Montmarte neighborhood.

Where We Shopped:

I couldn’t possibly leave Paris without doing some shopping. What kind of style blogger would I be? If you want to get as much shopping done in a short area, you should definitely make the Vendôme your destination. The plaza itself has many of the classic French designers in one place, including Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. From there, Christian Louboutin, Hermes, and the original Chanel boutique are a short walk away, along with many other flagship stores that you just have to visit. To take a peek of the souvenirs from my trip, be sure to check out my blog post, here.

Oh, sweet Paris! I have dreamed of visiting you for years and years. You live up to every expectations and then some. While I wish that my visit could have been much more extended, I’m so happy to have met you and can’t wait to return soon. Au Revoir is French for goodbye. It also directly translate to ‘I’ll see you again’ and is the perfect sentiment for how I feel about Paris.

Love from NYC,
Katie

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