and go to Paris! This past week I was lucky enough to go on a European holiday with my bff Jamie. I have said it before and I will say it again, travel is totally affordable right now. I am in heaven. If only I had unlimited leave and a trust fund. Jamie and I travelled during the off season and it worked out great. The summer hoards hadn't yet invaded, the weather was nice (high 60s and mostly sunny), and things were just a tad cheaper.
I am going to spread this post out over a few days because of pre-existing time constraints. I mean with The Office, 30 Rock, and Grey's - I am booked. By the by, is anyone watching Parks and Recreation? I love Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones, but I am on the fence. It seems too similar to The Office and not very original. Any thoughts? Ok, back to Paris. We stayed at The New Orient. It is located in the 8th district on the Right Bank. To quote Jamie, "It is just darling." The rooms are about 100 euros a night and recently renovated. A big bonus is that the hotel is right next to 3 metro stops. Now, our room was small with an awkward layout, but all is forgiven because of free wifi and a super comfy bed. Sadly, getting to the hotel was a total beating. Roissy-CDG airport is about 40 minutes outside of Paris, so taxis are crazy expensive. Also, I come from the po' side. I can't justify spending $75 when public transportation is only $10. Go here to learn about the different ways to get to Paris from the airport. To get around Paris, Jamie and I exclusively used the metro. For about 28 euros I bought a five day Visite Pass that allowed for unlimited travel in Zones 1-3.
Luxembourg Gardens
Day 1: After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we were ready to go exploring. We took the metro to the Palais Royal Musee Du Louvre stop and started walking. We wandered around the grounds of the Louvre for a bit. I couldn't stop thinking about the Da Vinci Code. Next, we crossed over the Seine River and checked out the Left Bank. We ate a late lunch at a tasty spot. Granted, my previously meal was airplane food, so my palate was eager. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant. It is very French and it's patrons are a tad pretentious. We then stumbled upon Luxembourg Gardens. It is so pretty! The tulips were in bloom and color was everywhere. It also has the world's coolest playground. The above picture shows a zip line - how cool is that? We then hopped on the metro and went to check out the Montmarte area (home of the Moulin Rouge). We were in need of a snack, so we bought crepes. In honor of my sister, I went with butter and sugar. Jamie had a Nutella crepe. On our way back to the hotel we passed by the cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried. (Am I the only one who didn't know who Jim Morrison was without the help of Wiki?) We cleaned-up and went out for dinner near the hotel. We wandered around for a bit and then settled on a Chinese place. It was more Vietnamese, which works for me since I love vermicelli noodles. After that, we went to our room and crashed. Here are a few more pics from Day 1:
Our room at the New Orient
The Louvre - watch out for albino monks
Lux Gardens
A fountain at Lux Gardens
The Sacre Coeur Church in Montmarte
Check out these articles on traveling to Europe:
*ETA: Ok, I realize that all of these pics look ominous and not sunny. I promise there was there was lots of sun on my trip. It did try to rain a few days, but only 1 day was rainy. Even then, it wasn't too bad.
I'm jelous about your trip. I wish Robbie had more time off so we could travel more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Park & Recreation. I felt inclinded to watch it since I work for the Dallas Park & Recreation Department but it is too similar to The Office. I think it needs to take it's own spin and not formulate the script to The Office.
How fun! I had no idea you were going. I should really pay more attention. And I understand what you mean...you know, being from the po' side.
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ReplyDeleteYum, crepes.
Umm, Jim Morrison, no comment. ;)
I remember the drink I discovered and adored in Paris, Kir.
Did you visit any of the chocolatiers? I went to this to-die-for place that tauts itself as the official (former) chocolate maker of royal family.
Lauren, Robbie works too hard. I don't like that.
ReplyDeleteJen, I never had Kir. I am not a chocolate person, so I did not visit the chocolatiers. Jamie did go to one. I think that she took a picture of her purchase...I will double check.