Paris (Aug 31-Sept 2, 2025)
DAY 1
Crazy how 6 hours is the flight time for both NY to SF and NY to Paris! First culture shocks upon landing were the indoor smoking (in designated areas ofc), the lack of AC, and the close quarters - specifically in the four seaters on the subway. And the hills and the classical music in the subway station instead of the usual elevator jazz. The area near my hotel (Montmartre) also reminded me of Milan in terms of architecture and street layout, though this was less so in the rest of the city. Also somehow Paris is in full blown autumn mode, while Chicago might arguably still be in summer mode, especially with the festivals still.
On our way to the hotel, we stopped by a boulangerie that was focused only on the food, no bells and whistles, so that we didn’t even notice it’s English name (Urban Bakery) until after. Cardamom croissant snail was delicious!
After dropping off our stuff at the hotel, we visited Notre Dame. It was our first stop since it has been closed for the past five years due to fire damage. Upon first entry, it reminded my mom of Rockefeller Chapel, including some of the stained glass and even down to the construction noises. But there is so much more to the Notre Dame.
For one, there were many types of stained glass, a majority of them were the most intricate I’ve ever seen.
One of my favorite parts is that they displayed more “modernist” art and traditional realistic / Neopolitan style painting side by side at the altar dedicated to a saint. It was a nice surprise to see Matisse there!
And an altar for a Chinese saint!
Then we walked around the St Germain Blvd area and had lunch at a reasonably less touristy crepe spot (there were some French speakers / locals). Delicious buckwheat crepes and blood sausage that actually tastes like blood instead of rice / spices.
It started raining in spite of the forecast, so we hid out in a Decathlon. They have espresso machines and Le Crusets and electronics in this one, not just sporting equipment! Eventually we braved the rain and explored the 6th/7th arrondisements.
We stopped by Napoleons tomb but didn’t feel like paying for the ticket. And then we headed for the real reason we were the area - the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel definitely has a towering effect irl. It really feels grounded with the steel and low center of gravity and all.
Then, for dinner we schlepped around Montmartre. We ended up collecting fruit, tomato, cheese, and crackers for dinner! The cheese is so cheap here (less so the produce) - like a gourmet thing that would go for $10 in the US is like $3 here!!! Got the St Felicien from Aldi (soft sheep’s milk cheese with rind) - so aromatic and flavorful!
DAY 2
More observations:
- The pedestrian street lines just go from green to red, no blinks or warnings. No wonder why people jaywalk here
- Not too many cars on the street - mainly trucks / vans rather than personal vehicles. People tend to bike and take public transit more
- Deodorant is less of a thing here as I’ve noticed on crowded trains. Wonder if it’s a cultural product of American marketing
Today is a day for bakeries. From our hotel in the 18th arrondisement, we walked to the 11th arrondisement - a younger, more hip neighborhood. We visited Boulangerie au Sentier as recommended by NYTimes. Brioche was very soft and tender. Croissant avec creme pistache had delicious dark chocolate and wasn’t too sweet. Chocolate babka was a bit different from the ones in the US (not as sweet with a whole grain brioche dough).
As we routed to the next bakery in Le Marais, we stopped at a more traditional neighborhood boulangerie (specifically Boulangerie Onfroy) for some basic white bread - crispy and chewy as it should be!
At Boulangerie Perite Ile in Le Marais, we tried pain au chocolates avec sesame. The filling was great for a sesame lover like me, but the croissant was overbaked and too dry. The mini sandwich aka chicken on a baguette with mustard and mayo was more up to standards - with the fragrance of the crispy baguette blending with the mustard aroma.
After the bakery haul, we visited the catacombs in the 14th arrondisement. We descended 131 steps to 20m below ground, bringing back memories of my carillon days. The catacombs are located in former quarries that were used to build the iconic stone buildings of Paris. When they ran out of room to house remains in cemeteries, they moved the bones to the empty quarries. Some of the remains go back to the 11th century and as modern as the French Revolution (including Robespierre!! Hello AP Euro!!) How they stack the bones actually requires some engineering, with small bones in the back and alternating layers of femurs and skulls up front. I also learned they attempted an experiment on goldfish in a well inside the catacombs - love the spirit of 19th century experiments ;)
Folowing the catacombs, we stumbled upon Rue Daguerre in the 14th arrondisement which had the flair of a Parisian street. Closed off to traffic, there were shops selling produce, cheese, meat, fish, bread, chocolates, foie gras, and more with restaurants / delis scattered in between. Wish I had taken a photo, but here’s the Google maps link.
We had lunch in Darkoum, a North African restaurant. The brick oeuf was crispy and flavorful with potatoes, cilantro, beef, and spices. The lamb tagine was unique in that it was perfumed with rose water. I appreciated the toasty nuttiness of the almonds, sweetness of the prunes, and aroma of the turmeric and rose water spiced onions.
For dessert, we stopped by a shop next door for some merengues topped with cream. Mmm nice and light!
To digest, we walked over to the Jardin du Luxembourg. There was even a photography exhibit in the park!
We had bought some plums that seemed to be in season / produced in France and enjoyed them in the park. Very juicy and sweet!
Most of the other people in the park were high school students. Were they taking an extended lunch break?? Or done with the school day. Considering it was 2pm, I figured the former.
Throughout, we were caught in some on and off rain. It really feels like autumn here.
My mom wanted to go to a museum, so off we went to the Petit Palais. A wide variety of styles / time periods and a surprisingly strong presence of women in the paintings and sculptures.
The train we took back to the hotel was automatic aka no conductor! Not all of the train lines are like this, though the frequency and reliability of trains definitely tops the US.
Our hotel is pretty close to the Sacre Coeur Basilica. After climbing lots of steps, we could enjoy a panaromic view of the city. Lots of stone and grey rooftops hehe.
Dinner was nearby at Le Poulbot. I was worried that it would be touristy but there were enough French speakers to assuage my fears. Except for la soupe d’ognione, everything was solid. Escargot a la Poulbot had a satisfying cream sauce with black pepper for kick and nutmeg and maybe wine for sweetness. Confit du canard reminded me of five spice duck, and le boeuf bourguinon was tender with a subtle base of wine for flavor.
Back to the Sacre Coeur for a night view of the city and then some sleep at the hotel.
DAY 3
I saw many runners at the Sacre Coeur yesterday, so I had to experience it for myself. I was hoping for a pretty sunrise but it was too cloudy / I wasn’t early enough. Regardless, I went up and down a few times to make up for the lack of elevation in Chicago.
I checked off one more bakery - Atelier P1. The pain au chocolat praline was crispy yet soft. A new textural experience, plus it wasn’t too sweet yay! Tomato galette was tasty too with their liberal use of olive oil.
At check out, we parted ways with Cheryl from Melbourne Australia who I had helped with luggage the day before.
We dropped off luggage at the Gare de Lyon and strolled through the Parc de Bercy. My guess is that it rests on top of the Gare de Bercy but please fact check me.
After crossing the Seine on a cool footbridge, we headed towards the Place d’Italie / 13th arrondisement. We stumbled upon a cheap market on Blvd Vincent Aurol akin to Boston’s Haymarket, where lots of produce was just 1 euro. Here I grabbed a light North African bun with eggplant and feta.
Contrary to the name, Place d’Italie is actually a Chinese / Vietnamese neighborhood.
My mom was craving rice (enough bread and croissants she said!) so we dined at De Nhat Pho. The waiter kept looking at us funny, trying to pinpoint where we were from. My French was bad, so not French-Chinese. And we didn’t speak Mandarin, so not Chinese proper. When I asked for vinegar with my noodles, he finally worked up the nerve to ask.
The Mi Quang Thap Cam was very flavorful a I didn’t end up needing the vinegar. The broth had tomatoes, chiles, and savory seafood flavor. Shrimp chips with specks of sesame, pork, shrimp, lettuce plus peanuts and scallion like herbs for extra aroma!
On the way back to the train station, we passed through the Jardin des Plants aka botanical garden / zoo / nature education center with lots of cool plants. If yesterday was a bakery day, today was a park day.
After all the pho and noodles, we re-energized with coffee at Cafe Richard near the train station. Soon, we were on our way to Lyon!
DAY 4ish
We returned the Paris for our flight to New York. Maybe it was the nicer weather or this particular district, but wandering around the Opera District felt like Midtown Manhattan with the abundance of office workers and tourists alike.
Comments
Post a Comment