A trip to Paris

A friend of mine is going to Paris this summer, so I sent her some suggestions for places and activities that I loved while I was living there. It was such a nostalgic delight to write it up and share my memories with her, and so thrilling to imagine someone I know visiting all of these places and seeing them with her eyes in this different time. I think it's a fairly great Parisian vacation gameplan, so I thought I'd share it here.

If you're lucky enough to be going to Paris anytime soon, why not try out some of these options? Bon voyage!

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Okay. I have a LOT of favorites. I lived in the 5th Arrondissement, and I absolutely ADORE the Latin Quarter, but I'll try to diversify suggestions.

However, here's a:

Dream day in the Latin Quarter! 

In the 5th, go to Rue Mouffetard for wonderful stalls and markets and restaurants. If you want moules, fondue, or a crepe to go, this street will not disappoint. I'd say this is the best place to get any of these delights. 

Also in the 5th is the Jardin du Luxembourg. On Boulevard Saint-Michel, which runs alongside the gardens, is the quintessential cane chair French cafe. It's called Le Cercle and it has great coffee and creme brulee (and a decent croque madame). The waiters are deliciously rude, but that's Paris. 

If you walk north up Saint-Michel from Le Cercle to the river, you'll pass a ton of nice stores including several bookshops and just north of Le Cercle, you'll turn your head to the right and get wonderful views of the Pantheon. It's a beautiful tree-lined stroll all the way to the Seine and just before you reach the river, you'll see the Saint-Michel fountain, which is lovely.

Now you're at the corner of Boulevard Saint-Michel and Quai Saint-Michel. Turn right and walk a block or so and BOOM - Sylvia Beach's world famous Shakespeare and Company! If you get tired of all those wonderful books, you are directly across the bridge from Notre Dame on Ile de la Cite! 

Cross over any of the bridges into the 4th Arrondissement and turn left to reach the Louvre. The Pont des Arts is right by the Louvre, just west of Ile de la Cite. Bring a lock to add!!

Outside of the 5th, I think I spent most of my time in the 18th. Get your Amelie kicks there by skipping a stone on St. Martin's Canal! JK, I think you'll get in trouble if you try to do that, but it's gorgeous and fun to watch the lock and dam system in play as the little boats go up and down the hillside.

Sacre-Coeur is also in the 18th and often in the summer, there's free outdoor theatre on the hillside in front of it. There's also a beautiful carousel right there, and the top of the hill gives you the best views of the whole city. Try to get there for the golden hour if you can. It is more beautiful than anything else I've ever seen. Behind Sacre-Coeur, you'll find artists with easels set up all over the street and sidewalk. Also behind Sacre-Couer is the Espace Dali museum, which is small and weird and great. I can't remember the address, but if you ask people in the area, they may be able to point you to an adorable gate that leads up to a house that Picasso lived in in the 20s and 30s. You can't go into the house, but the gate itself is pretty. Below Sacre-Coeur and a little west on Boulevard de Clichy is Moulin Rogue!

In the 6th, you can swing by 27 rue de Fleurus and see where Gertrude Stein lived with Alice B. Toklas. (Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas is a perfect pre-/during- Paris read!!) Then it's a quick walk to the entrance to the Catacombs which are creepy and unlike anything else I've ever experienced.

When you go to the Eiffel Tower, I recommend taking the stairs. It's exhausting, but then you can say you did it! Also, you get nicer views the whole time than you would in the elevator and the line is a lot shorter. Earn those macarons and pamplemousse glaces (the most refreshing flavor)! After the Eiffel Tower, you're very close to the Rodin Museum which is full of great statues (the original copy of The Thinker is there). It's all sort of outdoorsy/gardeny and a great spot to rest and read for a bit. 

The Paris Opera House (9th Arrondissement) might not have anything on in August as I think that's the off month, but if they do have something going, it's probably the ballet. If nothing is playing, you may still be able to tour it and look at those stunning staircases! This is right by the Galeries Lafayette if you want to do some serious shopping, too. If you get to Paris before August 8th, Les Soldes will be going on. All the stores in France have sales at the same time, once in winter and once in summer. It's called Les Soldes and it's the best time to shop there.

If you only have time for one of the two big museums, I cannot stress enough that Musee d'Orsay is the one to see and that the Louvre is the one to skip. Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa are in the Louvre, but I found the Mona Lisa to be a bit of a letdown and hard to see through all the crowds. BUT EVERYTHING IN THE MUSEE D'ORSAY IS GORGEOUS. Take tissues. You will sob. You won't know why, but you will.

Paris day trips

Depending on how long you're there, the two great Paris day trips are Versailles (1st choice) and Giverny (2nd choice, Monet's house and gardens.

Versailles has two tour options - house and gardens or just gardens. If you can only do the gardens, it's still fantastic. Giverny is beautiful and where Waterlillies was painted, but it's a little trickier to get to and probably not as memorable as Versailles. If you go to Versailles, get the fresh orange juice they make there. It's the bomb dot com.

THINGS TO EAT!!!

• Obviously hazelnut everything (I wasn't yet allergic to treenuts when I lived in Paris, thank god!)
• crepes. Both sweet and savory. They can be eaten on the go wrapped in paper cones.
• Moules! Any kind. Have a pot and a glass (or bottle) of sauv blanc
• Macrons
• Pamplemousse glace. Other flavors are also acceptable. :)
• Croque Madame
• Falafel from anywhere in the 4th/le Marais. Get the eggplant and the spicy sauce. I don't know why, but it's better than any falafel I've had in the States.
• If you eat duck, this is the city to get duck in
• Every creme brulee you can find!!
• Honestly, I enjoy fondue, but I found I could only do it if it was the last thing I did for the night, because I was always so stuffed and gross after. But maybe get fondue anyway.
• Chocolat chaud with a fresh croissant for breakfast. Dunk that croissant right into your hot chocolate and regret nothing!