Eiffel Tower
Last weekend, I went to Paris. It was simply unbelievable. My trip was far too short, but I am calling this my first "taste," of Paris, and France as a whole. I immediately fell in love with the city. I arrived late Thanksgiving evening, adventured on my own all day Friday, and had the pleasure of meeting Mac, her best friend from UCSD Kirstin, and Mac's Parisian friend Margaux on Saturday. It was simply the best last trip I could have asked for during my Study Abroad experience.
I woke up bright and early Friday morning, eager to make the most of my day in Paris. I was out of the door by 7 a.m. and immediately went to Coquelicot to buy my first pain au chocolat. I found this little patisserie via Smitten Kitchen, and was beyond satisfied. The crunchy cornettos here in Rome have absolutely nothing on French pastries. Pain au Chocolat (chocolate croissants), don't actually have that much chocolate in them, but the minute I was served mine, I could smell the fresh waves of butter off of the flaky layers. I knew that mine had been freshly made that morning.
Lourve
I arrived promptly at 9:30 a.m. to be one of the first visitors into the Lourve museum. Everyone advised me that I would be overwhelmed, and that I was. The Lourve is so big. I only managed it for a couple of hours before calling it quits. There are far too many pieces to see, and the number of people increased significantly as I was there.
Upon entering, I immediately went to see the Mona Lisa, since I knew it would be swarmed with masses of people. The Mona Lisa is quite small. This is another fact that people have told me, but I was shocked by how tiny of a painting it is. I found it extremely amusing that it takes up an entire wall all to itself. Within minutes there was already a huge crowd surrounding the piece. I think I enjoyed people watching more than the actually painting.
The Lourve really is magnificent. It's grand and definitely has some of the most amazing artwork I've ever seen. While walking through the Roman (go figure I would see Italian art in France) gallery, I stumbled upon the two women above painting a replica. They spoke in rapid French, and gave me a very dirty look after I snapped a photograph.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit, even if I was overwhelmed. The architecture and building itself really are stunning.
Already feeling a bit tired, another food-stop was on the agenda. Although I've heard such mixed reviews of Laduree, the infamous Macaroon shop, there's one right outside one of the Louvre's entrances, and therefore I couldn't resist trying it.
The shop itself is adorable. Filled with pastel colors, over the top displays of parisian cookies, and a grand assortment of macaroons. My experience here did not start off well, nor did it end well either. I was immediately told to put my camera away. The man who served me then proceeded to text during our entire interaction. Even when I was purchasing my two cookies I had to say, "Excuse me," to get his attention. I brushed it aside, and anticipated to at least be pleased with the macaroons (Fleur de Sel Caramel and Cafe), however I was pretty disappointed. I found the flavor to be lack luster, and I wasn't blown away by the salted caramel, which is a delicacy in France. I do recommend everyone venture to Pierre Herme's place and purchase macaroons there. I missed out on trying his selection, but I've heard from Mac, and my other friends who studied in Paris that his are better than Laduree's!
Regardless, I had a successful sweet treat shortly after my macaroon experience. En route to the Eiffel Tower I stopped at Michel Chaudun's chocolate shop. I read about him on David Lebovit's website. There is an abudnance of chocolate shops in Paris, and I was adament about only going to the best of the best. Chaudun's shop definitely exceeded expectations. I left with a mini-box of paves, which are essentially miniature squares of flourless cake, but better. They melt on your mouth and give your tongue the ultimate chocolate experience.
The Eiffel Tower blew my mind away. The minute I spotted it I said, "Oh my," outloud and a snickering French man walked by me as I stood in my tracks staring in awe. It truly is a magnificent structure. There are so many photos of it, that even though I thought I knew what it looked like, seeing it in person really hit the nail on the head for me. I spent a long time simply staring at it, as well as a significant amount of time on the top floors. Despite the cold, I enjoyed the best views of Paris during my trip up there!
I was famished after my Eiffel Tower visit, and immediately took the metro to the closest stop to Le Cuisine de Bar. It took me almost thirty minutes to find this place, after realizing I had passed it three times, but it was well worth it. The minute I walked into the small restaurant, a table opened up, perfect for one. Le Cuisine de Bar specializes in amazing tartines. They don't have a kitchen, and as their website describes, make the delicious creations right in front of you. I loved this restaurant. The entire wait staff were women, and I had a great view of the assmblage of people's meals. I enjoyed a light salad with a dijon vinegrette (it looks simply in the photo above, but the flavor was out of this world), and for my main dish I had a Croque with roasted duck and three french cheeses. There were so many amazing options, but knowing my time in France was limited I had to eat duck. Least to say, the flavor was unbelievable. The duck was smoky, the cheeses were tangy, and the herbs on top were perfect compliments. I conclude that this is the best "grilled cheese," I will ever have in my life- that is, until I return to Paris.
After my epic grilled cheese, I hurried over to Notre Dame, in hopes of climbing the bell towers. Unfortunately, I had just missed the cut off time. I still circled the entire building, and viewed the inside. Although I didn't get to climb to the top, I still enjoyed viewing the intricate architecture. Childhood memories of watching The Huntchback of Notre Dame, flashed through my head as I was there.
A L'Etoile d'Or
Yes, I went another chocolate shop and bought chocolate. A l'Etoile d'Or is David Lebovitz's favorite candy shop in Paris, therefore I had to go. The shop is tiny, right near the Moulin Rouge. Upon entereting you are immediately surrounded wall to wall with chocolate and candy. The owner of the shop, Denise Acabo is a character. She looks exactly as photographed in David Lebovitz's blog, dressed in plaid with pig tails. I spent a long time just admiring all of the sweets. Denise's assistant was a lovely Japanese women who luckily, spoke perfect English, and translated a lot of the chocolates. I walked away with some of the finest chocolate from France. Simply divine.
After spending an entire day hopping on and off the metro, walking, searching for food shops, staring at gorgeous monuments and pieces of artwork, I was exhausted. I ended my day at Spring, a lovely restaurant located in the 1st Arr. I made a last minute reservation on Thursday, and was able to snag a seat at their bar Friday night, which is located downstairs in a tavern-esq. setting. At first, I felt a tad uneasy eating at such a nice restaurant by myself, but my uneasiness drifted away once I started interacting with the staff. I was the only one at the bar, giving me the best view of all of the sommeliers and wait staff at work. I spent the night chatting away with the quadra-lingual Brazilian sommelier, his assistant, the waiter, the host, and the Californian dessert chef. Least to say, this dinner was not only a gastronomic experience, but an entire event in itself.
I ate six course this night. Surprisingly I didn't leave rolling out the door, just slightly more content than usually. The food was unbelievable (as well as the French wine, which they happily paired well with my food). The appetizer was an intricate spread that included sea urchin, radishes in creme fraice, a bite size parmesan biscuit, and seasoned mushrooms. For my first course, I enjoyed scallops with ham and leaks in a delicious broth. My waiter jokingly asked me if I knew the word for scallops in French, and he laughed at my bemused look, since they all knew I only spoke English and broken Italian (it's Coquille, if you're wondering). The second course was a hank and oyster combination that sat in a delicious mustard vinaigrette Following was some delicious bloody beef with mashed celery root and grilled pear.
Then the sommelier insisted I try their array of cheeses. He brought me around the bar and let me look at the entire selection. He was very patient as he explained each one to me. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of them, but he gave me four, which went from mild to stinky, made from goat, sheep and cow's milk. While I was in a cheese heaven, the sommelier's assistant asked me if I was enjoying the blue cheese. I told him I really enjoy cheese with a lot of flavor. He preceded to hand me a spoon with soupy-cheese on it, and told me to simply eat it like that. I did, and it was quite the experience. The creamy texture combined with the rich-tangy flavor were unbelievably.
Lastly, the dessert! I quite enjoyed this experience because the dessert chef came out himself. He handed off his dishes to the waiter, and immediately came up to me. I was a bit shocked when he spoke perfect (Californian) English. He was amused when I asked if he was the chef, but he said, "I just make all of the sweets." I told him he has the best job then. I found out he's from San Francisco, and went to pastry school in France. I think telling him I was from the Bay Area and complimenting his job flattered him, seeing as I was brought out an extra dessert course with my bill.
To conclude, this was hands down one of the best restaurant experiences I have ever had. I may have been by myself, but I think that made it all the more entertaining and enjoyable. The wait staff was extremely friendly to me, and once I started talking I learned so much about them (where they went to school, why they're in France, how they know English etc). I was given quite the load of complimentary dishes (wine, cheese and dessert), which surprised me, but it goes to show if you're nice to people that it will pay off!
My second day in Paris I was reunited with Mac! We met at Musee de l'Orangerie bright and early. I am so incredibly happy I got to view Monet's Water Lilies. We were absolutely blown away. It was hands down some of the most amazing pieces of artwork I have every seen. The circular rooms truly engulf your imagination as you view his masterpieces. This is something that no one should miss when they go to Paris.
Afterward, we were on a food expedition to Larnicol, yet another recommendation from David Leibovitz. We went to Larnicol to purchase Kougin Amann, essentially the most buttery French pastry you could possible have. The direct translation literally means, "butter cake." Mac and I each purchased two, and enjoyed eating our pastries outside of Sainte Chapelle. I recommend the naturale or salted-caramel flavors, your mouth will be in pastry heaven, and your stomach will never want you eat a horrible pastry in Italy again (this is true).
Sainte Chapelle
Mac and I were told by countless people to go to Sainte Chapelle to view the amazing stained glass. Although there was an incredibly overpriced entrance fee (8.50 Euro!!), we were still happy we went inside because the stained glass is spectacular.
After Sainte Chapelle, Mac and I scurried over to, D'orsay where we met up with her Parisian friend Margaux (photo of her is a few images down). I didn't take any photos in the museum, but again, I was blown away by the the impressive collection of French artists. I was just stunned by the fact that I was seeing so much Monet, and Degas, amongst others. It truly was an unbelievable experience.
After museum hoping, Margaux, Mac and I headed over to the train station to meet Mac's best friend from UCSD Kirstin! Kirstin is a fellow tour guide, and therefore I've met her a few times in the past, but this time around I was extremely excited to meet her and spend quality time with her out of the work setting. Kirstin is a fourth year, Communication major, who is currently studying abroad in Lyon, France. She wants to be a news anchor, and after watching her reel, I can definitely say she has potential. She means so much to Mac, and the two of them talk all the time, so I knew I was going to love her, and that I did! It was an easy train for her to come to Paris. Also, aside from getting to know her, and realizing how awesome she is, her French is unbelievable and was an extreme help to us all while we were adventuring!
Breizh
After picking up Kirstin, Margaux parted ways so she could go work, while the UCSD girls and I headed to Breizh. After reading reviews about Breizh on both Smitten Kitchen's and David Leibovitz's sites, I knew I had to go there while in Paris. We gladly waited the extra hour in order to get a table, and we were not disappointed.
Breizh has a large selection of Ciders, and we choose the one the waiter recommended (photographed above). We were served by the owner's wife (who is Japanese, there seem to be a lot of Japanese women in France!), and she poured our cider in these adorable tea-like cups. We all dined on massive buckwheat crepes. I enjoyed a ham, cheese and artichoke crepe with an egg on top. I was mind blown. Never have I eaten a crepe made out of such quality ingredients. We also shared a delicious French cheese course, as well as this great dessert crepe with fleur de sel caramel and pear with cream. Least to say, we were nice and full, which was perfect for our wine tasting that shortly followed.
O Chateau
The three of us signed up for a French wine tasting at O Chateau. The tasting took two hours, and we were given six different French wines. We were told by Mac's boss, Hande, owner and sommelier of Vino Roma to check it out. Although the wines were delicious, Mac and I have obviously been spoiled with Vino Roma's wonderful wine tasting. Unfortunately, O Chateau did not compare at any level to Vino Roma. The sommelier had an incredibly thick accent, which for me, someone who is not used to French, was really hard to follow. The room was too grand, and sat too many people (there were 23 people at the tasting, far too many). It was impersonal, and I felt when I walked away I didn't learn that much. I found myself using my previous knowledge that I have acquired from the two tastings at Vino Roma, as well as from Mac who is my personal sommelier, to guide myself through the tasting. Regardless, the girls and I still made the most out of it. It's always interesting to compare businesses that are serving similar products. In this case, France falls short of Italy.
Later that evening we were reunited with Margaux! Margaux is a native Parisian. She is so much fun and full of great energy. Mac and her met this past summer during their internships at Benefit Cosmetics in San Francisco. It was great to adventure with a native Parisian, and have Margaux take us around. I was so incredibly lucky to have spent my last evening surrounded by such wonderful girls, and new friends!
Margaux took us to Montmarte, a cute little area filled with tons of side streets and little restaurants. We strolled for a while, viewed Sacre Coeur, which in turn is settled on a high hilltop overlooking Paris, which I was quite pleased about because then I was able to properly see the city at night (sparkling Eiffel Tower included). We ended up eating at a cozy French restaurant. For some reason, I didn't take down the name or it completely slipped my mind to do so. I think I was too engrossed in my conversation with the girls to think about it. I enjoyed a delicious warm goat cheese salad, a duck confit with potato dish, and dessert! The chocolate moose above was actually Mac's, I enjoyed a caramel egg-custard, but the photo of hers is better in my opinion. We enjoyed a great dinner chatting late into the evening. I had to part ways immediately after in order to catch my flight early Sunday morning.
Least to say, I had a great time in Paris. As I knew it would, this trip just makes me want to go back. The next time I go, it will be for much longer. Although I was only there for a few days, I believe I was able to pack in quite a lot. Aside from the classic site seeing, I was also pleased with my self-guided food tour of Paris.
I also want to say that traveling by yourself is not as intimidating as many may think. I never would have guessed I would ever feel comfortable going somewhere on my own, especially a foreign country. Studying abroad has definitely taught me how to travel, and given me the confidence to do so. I know when I come back to the States I will feel more than at ease planning trips within the U.S. or just within CA. I have developed quite a bit of confidence in myself during my entire experience in Italy, and in particular during my time in Paris.
For all my readers, I only have 15 days left in Italy, and then I will be back in California. I'm going to try and pack in as many blog posts as possible prior to my departure, and in-between studying for finals, so stay tuned (gelato-making workshop post will be next)!
