Susan, Lisa, and I went to Paris wanting to drink in the entire experience — just on a college budget.
There was this boat tour attraction allowing people to wine and dine while enjoying the beautiful sights of the Seine River. Unfortunately, that deal was +40 euros and a little to steep for our budget. Rather than dismissing the entire idea, we just made some adjustments. (:
Verdict? SUCCESS!
One morning we strolled into a grocery store and picked up some easy things we could eat with our hands. We got: baguettes, hummus, fruits, and a entire gallon of orange juice. We then purchased tix for a different boat tour that costed roughly 11 euros. It was a simple boat tour, lasting 45 minutes allowing passengers to relax and hear fun sightseeing facts. We brought our groceries onto the boat, and just enjoyed our meal there.
It was, basically, lunch on the Seine River for half the price! I would definitely recommend this if you're making a trip to Paris and want to save some monies. :) We were still able to get a great view of the Eiffel Tower and take pictures in front of it, too.
There are a lot of things I say that I don't mean. Like...
"I'm on my way now."
"Just five minutes away."
"I'm gonna start dieting today."
You get the point?
But there is also a list of things I am very reliable for. Like remembering really obscure quotes from movies. Taking 900 photos while on vacation. Owning an odd amount of nail polish. And more importantly? If you ever, ever need a breakfast/lunch/dinner date, I am your woman.
But speaking to this blog, one thing I promise to always be reliable for is bringing home food porn. (: Starting with Paris.
Let's begin.
They say you glow when you're in love; and by looking at this photo, I think it's safe to say that that statement is fully warranted. After two long months of separation anxieties and coping mechanisms of flirting with generic coffee, I was finally reunited with my love, Starbucks, and it was the sweetest reunion ever. (: And yes, Starbucks totally constitutes for food porn. Just ask every Instagramm-er out there. Better yet, look up #latteart.
(So maybe I'm not exactly glowing, but my eyes do look a glossy. Tears of joy?!) While we're on the topic of all things American girls love, I bring you my next goodie.
That's right. Paris not only has Starbucks but also CHIPOTLE! It was like I died and went to foodie heaven. (: My order? A burrito bowl with extra white rice, half steak, half chicken, medium salsa, tomatoes, corn, salad dressing, and a wittle bit of sour cream. My taste buds didn't know how to handle this surprise treat, but they were so delighted that the excitement transferred beyond control and translated into flailing arms, random shrieks of OMG'S, and eyes opening as wide as a pair of Asian eyes can. I was given some dirty looks from Parisians at the other tables but you know what, true love has no shame.
After curing a case of food-sickness, I got on the Parisian bandwagon and
devoureddined Parisian cuisine. For one of the meals, we went to BREIZH CAFE because it was recognized for its phenomenal crepes and cider. I think the entire city of Paris believed the hubub because Breizh Cafe was ridiculously crowded. There was a maximum time limit per reservation for one hour. If this was America, those servers would be making BANK with that many turned tables a night.
We ordered a bottle of pear cider for the table and it was plenty for the four of us girls. The taste of alcohol was subtle and just sweet enough to complement the meal.
My beautiful dinner dates! (: This meal — and Paris, in general — was SO, SO much fun with these girls. I'm so happy I got to experience such a beautiful city with such beautiful people. Two are from my program, and also my hometown, and the last girl on the right is actually currently studying abroad in Paris right now so we met up with her for dinner. (: She was the one who actually introduced us to this cafe! 
The menu was long and complex like anything that's in a foreign language, so we decided to order a bunch of dishes and share so we could try them all. Family style! (: For starters, we ordered a salmon crepe. How CUTE is its presentation?!
The ultimate symbol of accomplishment.
Although the items were a bit pricey and portions were rather small, Breizh Cafe was a really enjoyable experience, from the food to the service to the ambience. (: It was unique and lively! Would I go there again? Eh, probs not... dat green tea ice cream, doe.
We went to another Parisian favorite, CHEZ JANOU. PLEASE do yourself a favor and go here. Oh, and did I say that Breizh Cafe was crowded? That was NOTHING compared to Chez Janou. Their waiting area + bar + foyer was comparable to a bathroom, and everyone was bumping and grinding on each other waiting for a table. Not even exaggerating. I wish I had proof because I'm pretty sure it exceeded maximum capacity by way too many and was the EPITOME of a fire hazard. And if your table was even approximate to the front, forget intimacy or even a decent conversation, because the people waiting will bump and grind all over your table, too. We made our reservation for 10 pm, and weren't seated until close to 11pm. I know, I know, why did I tell you to go there? Because it's awesome. And the people are hilarious. And the food is delicious. And they give out unlimited chocolate mousse. Yes, you did read that right. Just trying to save the best for last, that's all. (:
Lamb shanks with green beans.
Duck with a side of potatoes.
And this is the massive bowl of chocolate mousse. It was bigger than MY HEAD! And I, unfortunately, have a very big head. They kind of just PLOPPED it on our table and told us to dig in. We really wanted to do them proud by eating the most they've ever seen because then maybe they'd give us bumper stickers or put our pictures on the wall or something... but we could barely even put a dent in it. Not a whole lot of accomplishment going on here. But I probably made up for it later that night. Anyway, if you like good, timely service and your own personal space, then stay far, far away from this place. All your fears will come alive! But, if your love for chocolate mousse trumps all, then... I think we can make for good friends in the future. (:
Hope I delivered a fine share of food porn. Ciao for now!
When I first came to Europe, I asked others for recommendations on the best traveling accommodations. The answer was unanimous: hostels. A hostel is an establishment that offers cheap lodging — depending on how much you pay, you usually are just renting a bed and sharing a public bathroom and kitchen. Hostels are cheap, which is why they're the popular choice.
We stayed in a hostel during Florence and Brussels and each night varied from 13 euros to 30 euros per person. For those two trips in particular, a hostel was convenient because we only stayed for two nights in each city, and only needed a bed to lay our heads at night. We wanted to spend majority of our day out sightseeing, so we weren't looking for a romantic jacuzzi or mints on our pillows. Since we traveled in larger groups, we lucked out with our own private room (so no creepy creeps digging through our suitcases at night) and in Brussels, they even served free breakfast! Disclaimer: depending on the arrangement, you might end up in a room with a dozen bunk beds filled with strangers, no lockers to hold your luggage, or no free wifi and sheets.
This is a great site to find a hostel organized by preferences: price, privacy, popularity, etc.
For Paris and London, we were staying for a longer period of time. We didn't think eating out for each meal was the smartest decision so we wanted more amenities without emptying our wallets. (#CollegeStudentProblems) A friend had suggested looking into renting apartments, (which is apparently very popular in Europe). An apartment meant privacy, a clean bathroom, AND a kitchen to cook/eat in to save some pennies. (:
This past trip to Paris was my first time renting an apartment and it ended up being the most wonderful experience. We found the apartment through this site, (but we also liked this), and between the three of us for four nights, our grand total was ~300 euros. AKA ~25 euros a night per person for a WHOLE apartment. The landlord was also super welcoming making our travels much more comfortable — he filled our apartment with coffee, tea, extra towels and sheets, as well as gave us thorough directions to/from apartment to airport, and even recommended his favorite scenes in Paris.
We stayed in the second district and our apartment was only a twenty minute walk from the Lourve, and a one-minute walk to the nearest metro stop.
Final verdict? Apartment > Hostel
Here a few photos from the apartment we stayed at in Paris:
If you're planning a trip to Paris and overwhelmed by all the different districts, I found this website to be a really helpful resource. It breaks down each district, going over its charms, best tourist spots, shopping, food, etc.
XO.
