Paris is Always a Good Idea

I have decided that I am going to be like Instagram and do "Throwback Thursdays." By this I mean, I will blog on other days, however on Thursdays, I will write about my travels.

In January I went to Paris for 16 days with Bradley University and I had the amazing opportunity to be a student assistant for the Study Abroad office. So basically, for 16 days I took pictures and blogged; "living the life" is what people would like to say. Previous to this trip, I had spent a weekend in Paris back in January 2011. That weekend was so much fun, but it was filled with so much that I was exhausted after it. I was really glad to have the chance to go back to Paris and actually get to know the city and see what it had to offer.

Those 16 days in Paris made me feel more at home than actually back here in Illinois. To me, traveling and being in different places gives me that sense of independence and self confidence that I have the feet to take on whatever I want to do. I fell in love with London when I studied abroad and I never thought that could change, however Paris started making its way in there. The culture in Paris is similar in some ways, but also very different from the US. My favorite part of being there (besides the sites and food) was that when you sat down for dinner, you never saw a cell phone on the table. The conversations were intimate and only between the people you were with. There was no boredom or need to check a cell phone or even a slight temptation to eavesdrop. This was refreshing and being back, I already miss that. The French are also comfortable with affection. They will walk arm in arm down the streets and kiss on the metro. Usually PDA makes me roll my eyes and vomit in my mouth a little, however I embraced it in France because for some reason, I saw the passion in a relationship, not the need to prove to others that there was. Overall, it hasn't even been a month and I already want to go back!!

Now for the fun stuff...

While in Paris, I went to: Eiffel Tower, Sacré Cœur, Moulin Rouge, Musee D'Orsay, Père Lachaise Cemetery (where Jim Morrison, Chopin, and Oscar Wilde are buried), Musee de l"Armee, Catacombs, Arc de Triomphe, Palace of Versailles, Rodin Garden, Centre Pompidou, Palais Garnier (Phantom of the Opera), the Louvre, and Notre Dame. 

My Suggestions

MUST SEE/GO-TO

Eiffel Tower, Catacombs, Palace of Versailles, Centre Pompidou, Palais Garnier, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company Bookstore

MUST DO's

• boat trip on the Seine (night is breathtaking)
• Laduree-to eat or just buy macaroons (raspberry and pistachio are my favs!)
• top of the Eiffel Tower (another good one for night time)
• Happy Hour EVERY DAY (yes, every day! almost every restaurant/cafe/bar has Happy Hour in the evening--perfect for cheaper drinks and to take in the morning and your surroundings)
• check out the green stands along the Seine
• Latin Corner (for a crazy night life scene)

MUST TRY

• creme brûlée (actually vanilla beans make a hugely delicious difference)
• duck (chicken will never be the same)
• nutella and banana crepe
• hot wine
• mayonnaise 
• wine+cheese+baguette 
• Coca-Cola (silly, but it's different and better!)

TIPS OF ADVICE

• pick-pocketers and gypsies (little girls who ask you to sign things…DON'T!)
• keep a straight face on the Metro, smiling isn't wanted down there
• have appropriate shoes, walking is a perfect way to see the city 
• try your best to speak French at first, they will appreciate that more than being a straight-up American
• you don't need to tip
• embrace the culture and enjoy your time at restaurants, don't "dine-in, get-out", stay and enjoy

That's it for now! Keep calm and travel on!