Monday, November 4 – Friday, November 8
It was a no-brainer for me to stop in Paris as the final location of my 6 week tour of Europe. I did my study abroad here 20 years ago (!) and it holds such a special place in my heart as the first foreign city I learned and explored on my own, without my parents, as an 18 year old kid. I think the confidence that I built in myself during that time turned me into a lifetime traveler, and in turn, gave me the courage embark on a year of solo travel!
The only things I knew I wanted to do during my week in Paris were to practice my French as much as I could, revisit my old home and school, spend a day at Musée d’Orsay, do some vintage shopping, and eat fabulous food!
My Airbnb was located in the 9eme arrondissement, in a fantastic location for restaurants and shopping as well as located on the 12 line. The hostess was so charming and my room was lovely, overlooking a quaint inner courtyard that felt so quintessentially Paris!
My view out my window of my cute Airbnb
Just my luck, I also used to take the 12 line every day from home to school so I was able to hop on that my very first morning and ride down to Convention to take a look at the neighborhood and visit my old building!
Here it is! 168 Rue Blomet
The neighborhood was bustling and is definitely more built up than it was back in 1999, but there are a few spots that have remained unchanged. Convention Cafe still sits on the corner right when you pop out of the Metro!
I walked and walked, made my way over to L’Institute Catholique. I had almost forgotten what a beautiful building this is! You can no longer walk into the courtyard if you aren’t a student, so I had to just admire it from the outside and sneak in a quick photo before the security guard thought I was being strange.
I was so happy to be back! Nerding out hard!
Had to stroll by this beauty
After a big morning of walking, I was ready to indulge in my first great French meal. I decided I was doing the classic Monsieur Bleu for lunch and some delicious wines. I started with the escargot and Côtes de Provence Prestige Rosé from Minuty , then the tartare de boeuf avec un verre de Saint-Joseph Domaine les Alexandrins. I took my time and slowly enjoyed everything over about 2 hours. It was a magnificent meal!
Post lunch food coma and one more selfie with the icon!
A visit to St. Sulpice, one of my favorite churches in Paris
End of a beautiful first day!
My second day was one of my favorites! A full day dedicated to Musée d’Orsay! I stared at the top and worked my way down, enjoying all the stories and information the audio guide was giving me along the way!
A few highlights from the impressionism exhibit on the top floor. It goes on forever and is so incredibly interesting! I love this period of art history!
When my belly started to rumble, I headed for the museum restaurant, which I find to be a spectacular exhibit on its own!
I went for all 3 courses and never looked back! This glass of Cuvée Alice was delicious and was a perfect light lunchtime red. Fantastic meal and atmosphere!
Back to exploring the museum and working off all this rich food! A few more highlights from the afternoon, but just skimming the surface of all the beautiful art I saw!
The following days were mainly just roaming around various neighborhoods doing some shopping and sightseeing. Getting lost in Paris is one of the most fantastic things one can do with their day!
My final meal of the trip was at a cute cafe near my Airbnb, Buvette. My friends Nick and Danielle, also lovers of Paris, recommended this spot from their last visit.
I had two glasses of the Crémant d’Alsace and one of the Côtes de Brouilly, both fantastic recommendations by my waitress!
Lovely ending to a magical week in one of my favorite cities! Je t’aime pour toujours, Paris!
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