Paris, France

More posts on Nice and Paris on the way. 

Stay: We stayed in two different areas while we were in Paris, the Marais district and St. Germain/Montparnasse.    Now I would not recommend either of our hotels but I would recommend both locations, especially the Marias.  The streets are alive in this area filled with café’s, boulangeries and boutiques.  

The Streets of the Marais district. 

The Must Do:  A picnic under the Eiffel Tower should be on your list every time you go to Paris.  We did this our second to last day and it was some of the best hours we had on the trip.  We clearly were not the only ones with the idea but there was still enough room in the shade to munch on a baguette and goat cheese while sipping on some French wine. 

The view from our picnic. 

Our spread. 

Eat: Chez Janou was located a few blocks away from our hotel and was recommended by a friend who studied abroad in Paris and Lonely Planet.  What appeared to be a common French café was one of the best meals we had while in France.  Risotto with scallops that melted in your mouth (that might sound weird but trust me on it), duck breast, and chocolate mousse that came in a bowl made to serve 10 people.

Duck. 

Scallops.

Mousse. 

Shop: There is no need to head to Champ D’ Elysse to shop as our firs hotel was located on the footsteps of Rue De Turenne.  This street is filled with boutique shops that Samantha exclaimed as some of the best shopping in Paris.  The best part about it was the city wide sales started just as we got there.  

Walk Around:  One of my favorite areas in all of Paris to walk around was Montmarte.  It is located on the hill by Scare Couer but the streets are what impressed me the most.  There are a number of touristy areas but if you can navigate through the crowds you will find plenty of hilly streets lined with little café’s and bakeries.  However one of my favorite parts of Montemarte was a tourist area; a square filled with local artists with their paintings on display.  

The artwork on display. 

The artist we bought paintings from.