Paris

Oh, Paris.



You know how you get really excited for a vacation, and your head is just filled to the brim with romantic images of your destination and of you looking cute and happy in that given destination? And then you get to said destination and you think, yeah this is pretty nice, especially the little parts of it that kind of look like the postcards, but its really just another city. Well Paris was not like that. Paris was amazing. Every corner of it (except the metro!) was just breathtakingly beautiful. I kept catching myself taking dozens of pictures of the very same view, I just couldn't drink in enough of the city.

My friend Anna and I went for five days at the beginning of April, and decided to, you know, spend all of our money on food. It was a great decision, and if you're going to Paris, you should do the same. Luckily, a friend of mine let us stay at her apartment in the 10th, so all that money we would have put towards a hostel was instead spent on croissants and cheese and wine. Yum.

Another tip, if you're going: just walk around the city. Get lost there. It's a wonderful place to get lost, because every little corner store has incredible pastries and chances are you'll feel like you're seeing the real Paris. We did. We'd pick a few goals each day (go on a canal tour, walk through the Marais, visit L'Orangerie) and then spend our time in between wandering and eating.

I had the best meal of my life there, too, at a little bistro called Philou (that link will take you to a review by David Lebovitz!) in the 10th. Crêpes filled with crab meat over white asparagus, then cotriade (essentially bouillebaisse, but from Britagne), then chocolate fondue with fruit and profiteroles. All paired with a delicious white wine (that I could tell you absolutely nothing about, except that it made me realize that I've been drinking rather cheap wine this whole time) and lots of bread. It felt so good to splurge on a special meal and feel like it was worth every penny.

So without further ado, more Paris:


^I really couldn't get enough of the Seine.


^Ok, from left to right: Bordeaux, chocolate éclair (America, you've failed at the éclair. This one was just heavenly), blood orange, and fig tart. And more bordeaux. A nice little welcome to Paris on our first day.


^The Marais, right before getting caught in a downpour.


^Got to see Travis, fellow Tam grad and old friend.

^Tuileries Gardens.

^Erm, an important building.

^I love how all the seats face outward. The French are so shameless about people-watching.

^More of the Seine.

^The Notre Dame, seen via canal tour (which was wonderful).

^French selfie!

^Did I mention how beautiful every single building was?

^More Seine.

^Canal tour at sunset.

^Needs no introduction. She's so pretty though, isn't she?

Enough of my gushing. On the agenda for May: Acknowledging that I'm actually here for school, a visit from Mom and Rochelle, a week in Amsterdam/Brussels with the two, then two weeks in Italy. Then finals, then home. Wow. Time really flew like you all told me it would. 

Oh, and happy spring, you all! It's finally acting like it here - I wore sandals yesterday. Crazy stuff.

♡ Maddie