When in Paris... Pt. 2: Eat, Drink, See!

Paris has been on my mind a BUNCH this past week or so. Therefore, I felt it was the perfect time to take a little stroll down memory lane and share Pt. 2 of our Paris family vacay. Although, I didn't expect to hate it there, I also wasn't expecting to love it either. I was kinda indifferent about going. To my surprise, I enjoyed my trip so immensely, that I hope to spend at least a month in the South of France next summer, with at another jaunt in Paris to take my time and catch a few more of the sights that I didn't have time to see the first time around.

If you're thinking about going, here are a few of my recommendations:

Where to Stay:

Our boutique hotel, The Hotel Latin Excelsior looks quaint and unassuming from the outside. However the rooms are modern-styled (my taste) and the housekeeping is immaculate. The walls are a bit thin, but the free coffee from the machine in the lobby, no BS, is A1. That's saying a lot from someone who doesn't drink coffee regularly (yet fancies herself as a coffee snob. Blame my first college job). The location is situated about 1 block from Sorbonne Square and 2.5 blocks from the Latin Quarter, which made the daily walk to breakfast cafes and dinner restaurants quite convenient. Although, I got a bit of a tourist vibe in the neighborhood thick of all of the bustling shops, it wasn't overwhelming; so, I honestly didn't mind. We took Uber vans whenever we needed to get to places further away. This worked to our advantage because there were 8 of us, and we took turns using the app. Each time, we "paid our fare" to whoever called, which typically equaled out to 2.50-5 Euros max per trip. If you have less of a crowd with you and prefer public transportation, the proximity to the metro train is ideal and just around the corner.

1 block over in Sorbonne Square

1 block over in Sorbonne Square

Outside of the Excelsior Latin

Outside of the Excelsior Latin

Where to Eat and Drink

So many people told us that the food wasn't really all that in Paris, but I beg to differ. We had some GREAT experiences at the following:

La Coupe d'Or had the, hands down, BEST crepes* I had the entire time I was there. It's a little on the pricy side, but was super fresh and delish. A very safe bet if you happen to be shopping at the high-end stores near rue Saint-Honoré. 

Le Paradis Du Fruit was a delightful recommendation from the staff at the Louis Vuitton store near Champs-Élysées. Their signature drink, La Vie En Rose is a refreshing blend of Vodka, fresh strawberries, mint, basil, lemon and brown sugar. I had several. I recommend selecting from the 3 Assiettes saveurs à composer menu where you get to put together a combo of your liking. The shrimp curry with rice and salad was the perfect lunch at a reasonable price after we hopped from store to store, up and down the avenue in the summer sun. 

L'Écritoire in Sorbonne Square square stays open late if you're looking for a night cap or a pleasant lunch (the salads are super-filling) with a side of ah-mazing service. It is conveniently wedged between the Hotel Excelsior and the Latin Quarter.

Café Le Dante Served up great drinks, pasta and service and atmosphere if you're wandering near Notre Dame looking for a bite and a place to rest.

RIM Café Trattoria Pizzeria was the first place I had dinner in Paris. I tend to judge unknown restaurants based on whether or not they seem to draw a crowd. This place was decently packed, and I was substantially hungry, so in we dove. My pasta was cool, but I was mildly concerned about the size of the so-called calamari in the mix. I just shoved that to the side and carried on with the get down. Overall, I was very satisfied with the choice.

Le Sainsev' is one of those "service non-stop" restaurants with a decent happy hour. The food didn't look very appetizing to me, but the drinks were cool (and cheap). 

Mark & Spencer Food  I won't go as far to call this place the Whole Foods of the neighborhood, but maybe Harry's in a Hurry. The location near us on Boulevard Saint Michele was quaint and popular. It's a good place to grab relatively healthy snacks or lunch on-the-go. They have a pretty decent wine selection too, if you're looking for something to uncork and relax with in your room at the end of the day.

La Crêperie has an amazing expresso, ice cream dessert that will send you on a caffeine and sugar high like no other. The tea service is respectable and the savory crepes, decent. Because of it's proximity to the university you can eat for the cheap then post up and bang out a few hours of work while on their free wifi. There's plenty of seats in and outdoors, so you don't have to worry about taking up needed space. Plus, European-style dining is of the lingering variety, so the staff pretty much gives you space and time to do your thing.

Whippin' work at La Crêperie

Whippin' work at La Crêperie

La Coupe d'Or

La Coupe d'Or

Cafe Le Dante

Cafe Le Dante

Go See...

What would a trip to Paris be without hitting up the Musée du Louvre? I, for one, was especially excited to see the Egyptian collection. And was completely disappointed that on the Friday we decided to go, that particular exhibit, among a couple of others, was closed. The staff explained that they do not have the manpower to keep all of the exhibits open each day. So, if you're like me and have your heart set on seeing something specific-- be on the safe side and call or check the website ahead of time.

Also, the Louvre was like a maze to me. I never could find my way to all of the African art that was available for viewing that day. I kept getting turned around and around. Plus, I substantially cut into my limited time there fumbling around trying to return my headset after I found out the Egyptian section was closed. Then I ended up losing my ticket and had to convince the staff to find me a manager to give me another. *le sigh*. Needless to say, I'll have to get back to it next summer.

Statue photos courtesy of my sister, @ChristinLeonna, who found her way to the limited collection.

Statue photos courtesy of my sister, @ChristinLeonna, who found her way to the limited collection.

If time permits, taking a day to explore the city and Castle of Versaille is well worth the trip outside of the city. And you can even get there from the metro, if need be. My family and I booked a tour of the castle grounds with Blue Bike Tours, which was a perfect way to spend the day. The guide will meet you at the train or in our case, the local market. We were late due to a fiasco that kept us up until the wee hours of the morning. However, when you get there, you can spend a bit of time putting together a picnic lunch to carry with you to the grounds. They encourage you to bring your own food, because the stops on the bike route do not really allot time to run into one of the cafes on the palace grounds. Although, you can definitely make a pit stop if you needed to, its just not advised since you're on schedule. Nevertheless, the ride was peaceful, the air was fragrant, and the grounds were beautifu. The tour takes you far around the outskirts of the castle grounds. We didn't know the outer area is public and anyone can come with their personal bikes and ride or jog the grounds. Our guide was very personable and knowledgeable, and gave us a list of suggested restaurants after the tour was over. One thing to be aware of, however-- the area towards the grounds where Marie Antoinette built her little English village has a great deal of walking, which we weren't entirely prepared for. So... FYI.  

After we returned our bikes, our tour guide led us back to the castle and escorted us through the entrance for tours. Be aware during the busy season that the castle does not seem adequately organized to handle the large groups of tours that are often scheduled at the exact same time to come in. Someone, I'm not saying who, got into a shoving match outside trying to get in. Just know that this time it wasn't me. Thank goodness I came prepared with my patience.  

The palace strut

The palace strut

The Hall of Mirrors. 

The Hall of Mirrors. 

Of course we had to make our way up to the Eiffel Tower to catch the 360 view of the city. I know the tower itself is the attraction, but to me, the birds-eye view of the city was the real treat. We spent the majority of our time going back and forth to the champagne counter, eating macaroons and soaking up the sun whilst snapping pictures and taking in the view.

Views from the Eiffel

Views from the Eiffel

Toast to the good life!

Toast to the good life!

Black_In_Paris_TheSassyNation-42.jpg

Overall, I had a beautiful time in Paris, and I look forward to making my way back next year. Some things I will do differently is to make time to see the sights that I want to see and learn more about the history of Black Paris. Like I said in Part 1 (go on over and read that, now!) I was not a part of this year's planning committee. Next year I'll be ready and armed with my own plan, which will definitely include some time in southern France. Wine Country, look out!

More views...

More views...

Share your Paris, France adventure below in the comments or on social. What do you suggest I see and do next time? Follow me on, The 'Gram for more pics and whatnot not.

Au Revoire! 

 

When in Paris... Pt. 1

When my family told me that they were planning a trip to Europe, I can honestly say I wasn't all that excited to accompany them. Europe was not really high up on my list of places to go. Plus, I wasn't even sure they were going to commit to going. They've been known to flake out on a trip. However, once they started buying tickets and securing hotels I felt confident that they'd follow through.

Now, here's the thing about my family... they seem to enjoy the tourist scene. Me-- not so much. So, going into this trip I kinda knew what I was getting into. But since I figured it was going to be my first time, I didn't mind seeing the sites, except I wanted time to explore the city on my own, which never happened because I was inundated with a writing project, plus I just needed more time. I've learned that when I travel I like to take my time to move around and get a feel for a city, and this was no different. I definitely had a ball, nonetheless. 

Champagne toasts at the Eiffel

Champagne toasts at the Eiffel

Needless to say, I'm planning to go back-- maybe next summer. You probably can't tell from most of the pics here, which were taken on my first full day out when the weather was reasonable, but it was actually scorching hot while we were there. I didn't take nearly as many pics as I would've liked. But next time I won't have to worry about rushing to set up shots and scout locations (another post for another day).

In spite of everything, Paris was kinda dope. Here are a few things I learned on my trip:

The wifi in the airport is trash (on the phone) in Orly (and CDG too, apparently). We could never get a decent signal. Which, of course was majorly problematic when I touched down and needed to call Uber. To make matters worse, my phone was dying and I had to buy one of those European converters, then hunt for an outlet in between asking every one who looked remotely friendly about my alternate transportation option. I knew I could've caught the train, which wouldn't have been ideal, especially because of the whole low battery situation, which because I couldn't sit still long enough to get a good charge because I was busy trying to figure out the best way to get myself to the hotel (whilst constantly refreshing wifi). After getting frustrated damn near to the point of tears because though the wifi was free in most places, I still couldn't log on. Plus, shops that had a code refused to share it (because it was free everywhere else, so why should they?). Thanks to a kindness of one of my beautiful brown sisters, together we decided the path of least resistance was to grab a cab. Oh, the relief I felt speeding down the highway-- and I didn't even have to give up an arm nor a leg to pay for it like I thought I would. 30 Euros was the max.-- completely on par with Uber.

Not all French people are rude. They might seem a little unbothered or dismissive of your issues, but I found if you attempt to greet them in French and asking if they speak English, before pummeling them with your questions, most are willing to help. In fact, on my first afternoon after the hold up at the airport, I was rushing to get to a café to jump online for work. After searching online and coming up mostly empty handed, I decided it was best to hit the streets and ask an actual person who lived there. My first choice was they front desk. I mean, they’re paid to be helpful. He had a suggestion, but his instructions were vague. So, I decided to ask a girl on the street.

Andrea swooped in and saved the day!

Andrea swooped in and saved the day!

And that turned out even better than expected. She not only walked me two whole blocks around the corner, in the opposite direction from where she was headed, but we also exchanged WhatsApp info!. She told me not to be offended by the French and their ways. And that they don’t mean and anything by it. Wise words I held close to me the whole trip, which helped my perspective immensely. I mean, seriously, how could anyone deny me? ME!! Of all people?! *Grabs ahold of ego* Sorry about that. Moving on...

The Food isn't as bad as they say it is. I think we really lucked up and found some great places. I'd been forewarned that the food in Paris wasn't so great, so I'd already tempered my expectations. We only really struck out maybe once. We were looking for this French Creole spot near St. Germain that apparently closed 5 years ago. It was hot and frustrating on the street, so we just plopped down anywhere. I ended up getting a waffle with apples and caramel sauce (technically a dessert on the menu). While it wasn't the worst waffle ever, the bitter caramel made it underwhelming. I'll do a follow up here on precisely where we ate, drank and made merriment. Since the former seems to be a point of contention.

 

The wine is as good as they say it is. If you're into wine, this IS your spot. My only wish is that we had more time and could've done a trip to Bordeaux or S. France to visit some wineries. My family and I spend a lot of time in Napa Valley, so that would've been right up our alley. I wasn't a part of the planning committee, so I guess I'll have something to look forward to next time. I didn't have any bad wine. Like, at all. Not one glass. Super impressed, because I either blindly chose my wine or relied on the recommendations of waitstaff. Regardless, it definitely worked out.

Lying on my lawn at my summer home in Versaille. You know, the palace, right?

Lying on my lawn at my summer home in Versaille. You know, the palace, right?

Love (or something) is in the air. I can definitely see why Paris has earned the reputation as the city of love. It's super heavy in the air. Like, the vibe is palpable. On my cab ride from the airport, the windows were down and it literally smelled fragrant in the air. I thought I was trippin', until we were biking around the Palace of Versailles and there it was again. You do seem to find bushes of jasmine and lavender around all over town, mixed in amongst against the cityscape. Plus, the French seem to love their flower markets and window sill flower gardens, so I guess it would make sense that is smells amazing in the air.

Chasin' Sunsets

Chasin' Sunsets

Though my time was brief and I didn't take nearly as many pics as I'd hoped to, I  will come back, and maybe even pick up a couple of phrases for the next time.

Until then, cruise the 'Gram for more pics and whatnot not. Plus, stay tuned for Pt.2 Eat, Drink, Shop & See!

Au Revoire!