euro vacation: paris

hi everyone!

it's been a long time, but wanted to update everyone on my whereabouts since i've been traveling all over europe and no one seems to know where i am :) so here we go!

i'll start with paris, because i arrived there first. i had an incredible stay using airbnb. here's the link to Nicole's place, along with a few pictures. i HIGHLY recommend staying at nicole's--excellent area, easy access to the metro, super clean and bright. so parisian and wonderful! she was also so nice and attentive--i asked her about some different places to go and she always answered quickly and seemed so happy to have us there. it can be hit or miss with airbnb, but this was definitely a hit!

this first bridge we took a picture at I BELIEVE was near pont neuf metro. don't hate me if i'm wrong!! beautiful view, though, and some solid restaurants on the other side of the river (away from the louvre etc.) def try to come here in the evening, it's incredible.










i want to say i remember everything in paris, but it's hard to recount it all. i do know we stayed near the place de la republique which was beautiful and full of nice things to do and not touristy at all really. cheap prices for food and very local cafes and stuff. we hardly saw many tourists at all in this area and enjoyed everything immensely. quiet at night, too, but close to everything.

the first night i walked around with a friend i made and went to some bars. it's really cool because everyone sits along the canal saint-martin during the evening and drinks wine and chills (this happens on the seine, too). the street i was on was called quai di jemmapes. the bar was super cool, but i don't remember the name! it looked like a jungle inside kind of and was already bumping at 9pm (even though my photos don't show it hehe).







highlights of the trip:

the marais
DEFINITELY go here! shopping was incredible, so many cute cafes and beautiful streets. amy got a pedicure on rue dupetit-Thouars. really nice people and the area is so cute. there are a bunch of cafes and stuff down there, so worth taking a little look. the salon also had really cheap jewelry that was so cute! i wish i would have bought some stuff there. there was also an incredible bookstore down the street i believe was called 0fr. i bought the most beautiful book of photographs and short meditations on life. they have different issues all the time, but mine was about provence, friendship, and boredom. lovely!

water boat tour:
these can get really expensive if there is dinner involved, but well worth it regardless. we just got one that was a one hour tour and it was a really pretty view of the sights on the seine river. we did the one at 22:30 (10:30pm) so we could see everything at night. it went by the eiffel tower which was lovely.



don't do the musee d'orsay. the louvre is much better!


wanderlust (gare d'austerlitz):
solid outdoor bar on the seine. younger scene (20-30), djs playing tunes. very laid back. expensive drinks (40 euro for a bottle of wine), but worth it i think because of the nice view and vibe. supposed to be a bar upstairs called nabu that's fun, but we didn't make it there. worth checking out if you're in the mood for something interesting rather than just binge drinking at a brasserie.




do go to literally any wine store or grocery store. EAT FRENCH YOGURT. IT IS AWESOME. also wine is super cheap as is cheese and food really in general as compared to america. once you get there, paris is not incredibly expensive. it's just getting there from the US that sucks.

transport sitch:
from the airport i took the RER B and then the metro. just ask one of the nice ticket fellows or ladies to give you a ticket to where you want to go. super efficient and way better than a shuttle. we also used uber a lot here, so download the app before you go or when you arrive. cheaper than cabs and way easier (especially if you're out and don't know where you are).

i hope you're enjoying your summer as much as i am!

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