France Adventure Day 10: A Day in Paris

I loved my last day in France spent in Paris.

I kept hearing about Frenchie as the "it" restaurant in Paris.  We hadn't made reservations so we ate breakfast at the To Go option next door and it was probably really delicious but I can't abide ketchup on my egg sandwich.  I was disappointed.

But then the Marais...

The exterior of the Musée Carnavalet which is a museum dedicated to the history of Paris.  I remember walking by this museum multiple times in previous trips to Paris and I thought nothing of it. Many friends recommended it to me for this trip and now it is one of my favorites.

We shopped, walked around and ate lunch at Rose Bakery.

The courtyard of the Musée Carnavalet.

There was so much to see and so much to admire.  For example, this is a reconstruction of the bedroom, with the original furniture, of where Marcel Proust wrote his book.

I loved the art deco style.

A royal cradle.

 

The Place des Vosges and in the far corner is Victor Hugo's house.

Victor Hugo's bedroom.  The house is rather disappointing as it's a recreation of rooms that existed in Hugo's houses throughout his life.

Dinner was at L'as du Fallafel.  This place is legendary as being the best fallafel house in Paris.

Beautiful Swiss ice cream.  We ate our cones walking toward the Hôtel de Ville and beyond to the Seine at the perfect time to see the sunset.

France Adventure Day 9: Delicious Crêpes

We left Aix-en-Provence, returned the car at the airport in Marseille, ran into a miracle at the train station and stayed the night after eating a dinner of fruit and potato chips.  It was one of those nights.

We were so excited to return to Paris not because we were done with Provence but because we love Paris.  We specifically bought tickets on the express train but it broke so we barely moved for a very long time.  I was so relieved to finally get off the not fun train and check into our hotel.

I was not feeling that great (stupid allergies) but our time in Paris was limited so no rest for the sick.  We ran to Berthillon on the Île Saint-Louis so I could introduce the best ice cream to Meliss. 

We walked by Nortre Dame and headed to City Pharma on Saint Germain to buy lots of things we were told to buy here and here.  I couldn't believe the crowds but we slowly found the items.  I've been using them since I returned and there is a reason why they are recommended. 

We walked through Le Bon Marche but the perfumes were killing me (allergies).  It was not my best day.

I had read about all of these great restaurants that I really wanted to visit but the allergies made that just seem a waste of money.  But crêpes sounded like a good idea (a combination of bread, cheese and meat is rarely a bad idea).  I had read about West Country Girl and it didn't take reservations which was a big plus.  I was so happy to eat and the food was really good.

My favorite was the caramel apple pie crêpe which I still want to eat. It was one of those days that didn't start out that great but it always ends well in Paris.

France Adventure Day 2: I Love Paris Especially When I'm Sleep Deprived

I finally arrived in Paris around noon and went straight to the hotel.  I had that I kind of slept but I'm still not really alive feeling.  I was just so happy to check in the hotel and our room had two beds.  This was a major part of the hotel planning - two beds.  I love Meliss but it's best to just have our own beds.

I showered, rested for a second and realized my time in Paris was very short.  I started walking toward the Musée Nissim de Camondo which was conveniently near the hotel when I jumped for joy because I saw this place.

I bought a few macarons knowing that I could share them with Meliss that night.  I also ventured into the chocolates which was a very good move on my part.  This started a lovely tradition where chocolate was consumed at least once a day on this holiday. The French do chocolate very well.

Pierre Herme is one of my favorite places to buy macarons.  Such happiness.

I walked just a little further to find this museum of French decorative arts with a very sad history.  The owners were a very wealthy Jewish family.  Their son died fighting in World War I and the remaining family was killed in Aushwitz.  The house is still maintained as if it were a private home.  Looking through the photos of my first day in France I am reminded of the gorgeous colors everywhere I looked.

I don't remember the particulars of the home but I was struck by the blues in the furniture and rugs and the great care that was taken to decorate the home.

I loved the kitchen with all of the copper pots and pans.  Of course it reminds me of Downton Abbey as the dining room off of the kitchen was where the servants would have dined.

I walked through Parc Monceau where a great deal of Parisians were enjoying the sunshine.  I couldn't find the perfect point to capture just how many people were in the park.

I walked toward Rue Saint Honore to walk by Collette and a few of my other favorite stores and was surprised by the very long line at Christian Louboutin. I don't know why the line but I enjoyed checking out who was in it.

I was very happy to see the sites if only from a distance because I really wanted to get to Palais-Royal which is one of my favorite places in the city.  I couldn't sit as I had to get back to meet up with Meliss but the people watching made it perfect.