Europe I: Paris

I thought I'd get back into the swing of things by doing a little series of posts about my Winter holiday in Europe. What I usually do when visiting a new city is write down a list of places I'd most like to see-- they can be anything from landmarks to little bakeries to streets with particularly pretty houses and architecture. I usually do a bit of research beforehand and mainly get ideas from other blogs run by locals from particular cities and recommendations from people who know me. It's just a little something I like to do to make my visit more memorable. I'm just going to go in the order of the cities I visited, Starting with Paris! The closest Metro stops will be in brackets-- Voilà.

Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tour

L'Objet Qui Parle, A Jazz Band in Montmartre, the cafe from Amelie, Sacre Coeur 

Bread at a little Boulangerie in Montmartre, Assiette Brie at Maison Rose, Delicious pastries at one of the many bakeries, macarons as christmas decorations 

The Louvre is HUGE, you won't be able to see it all in a day... or possibly a month... Notre Dame is a really calming place to be at during sunset or, if you are like me and like to wake up super early to make the most of your time in a new city, 6.30 a.m is also a nice time to visit. If you have some time, take a trip to Versailles-- the train ride is less than an hour and goes through the outer suburbs of Paris, which are beautiful. The palace itself is stunning, and the guided audio tours are great because you can move at your own pace and take it all in. 

Hall of Mirrors: Versailles, Marie Antoinette's bed chamber, The Louvre, Inside the Louvre 

In a nutshell... 

• Cafes/Restaurants/General foodie spots*: Cafe Les Deux Magots (Saint-Germain des près), Maison Rose, Montmartre (Abbesses), Paul (all around Paris), Macarons at Pierre Hermé (Madeleine or Palais des Tuileries), Macarons at Ladurée (Madeleine), Les Deux Moulins: famous little cafe from Amélie (Abbesses), the little creperie near Centre Pompidou (Rambuteau) and so many more! 
• Places: Shakespeare & co. bookstore (Saint-Michel), Le Pont Des Arts (Pont Neuf), Jardin du Luxembourg- which would be so pretty in summer! (Cluny La Sorbonne), Sainte Chapelle (Cite), the view from the Sacre Coeur (Abbesses), the river bank in general. 
• Districts: Le Marais (St.Paul) is excellent for vintage shopping and Jewish food; unfortunately I couldn't get any photos from here, because it was POURING, and I was soaked and spent most of my time trying to find shelter in little shops i.e Vintage Desir (32 Rue de Rosiers). The Latin Quarter (Saint-Michel) was where I stayed for most of my time in Paris-- great restaurants, lots of bars, bookstores, boutiques and generally  a great vibe as its full of students. 
• Where I stayed: L'Hotel Home Latin-- clean, perfect location, lovely staff who helped me out with everything; I honestly could not have asked for more! I also stayed at another small hostel further away from central Paris, however if you're a first-time traveller,  or travelling alone, I'd recommend staying away from the 18th/19th arrondissements as I didn't feel very safe here. 
• A few things that stood out: ordering food at some cafes was a different experience to what I'm used to at home, I can't place my finger on why that was! Having said that, the people I came across were all lovely and happy to help out. The French pay so much attention to detail-- it was christmas time and all the street decor and shop windows were magical. The metro is actually pretty simple once you figure it out, walking around the city helps you notice different stops which will come in handy when you have to take the train. French pharmacies are amazing, especially Marionnaud's, and they are usually identified with a green cross (like the rest of Europe). 

*These are on the pricier side because a) it was the beginning of my trip and I was slightly naive about my finances and b) Paris has some of the most delicious food in the world (after Lyon, I've heard). Having said that, Paris has some great street food that won't set you back too much, definitely worth a try.  

Shop Window at Galeries Lafayette

Christmas lights

Inside Galeries Lafayette