I CRAVE PARIS PART ONE

Paris is an extraordinary city. I love that the old is seamlessly woven into the new. So much history yet so modern at the same time. I was there for a week and felt like it was a perfect amount of time to fully enjoy it all. The weather wasn't perfect, it was cloudy and drizzly. I think the sun peeked out twice the entire time I was there. Luckily, I love the biting cold so I had no problem with it. I also brought enough ammunition (vitamin c, ecchinacea, and zinc) to fight off any nasty buggers!

I stayed at the Hotel Roma Sacre Coer in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It's in a charming area, near Moulin Rouge and Montmartre. I was very lucky to have the 6th floor where I had a spectacular view of the old neighborhood. I seriously could just sit there and stare out and daydream all day.

The Paris metro transportation is superb. It's incredibly friendly to use. I don't think I'd get lost even if I tried to. One interesting bit about the metro though, is that most of the train doors don't automatically open for you to enter or leave. It requires you to manually lift a handle or press a button to open the door. I actually really enjoyed that.

So the first thing I did in Paris was take the metro to the Vanves flea market. It was in a quaint neighborhood. The vendors were friendly. I only bought a little wooden figurine but there were some nice things I wish I could have taken with me, like lamps and some sweet chairs. Sorry, I have no photos to show but you have take my word for it. I enjoyed this flea market more than Saint-Ouen, it was overwhelming there, and it started to rain hard that day so I left after strolling for 30 minutes.

The people in Paris are nice and friendly. Many were very patient with me even when all I could say is bonjour, merci and au revoir in restaurants. And I already mentioned that the Parisians are gorgeous and dreamy with their effortless style, right? Swoon to the max!

Beside thrift stores, I was very curious about French food because I seldom eat it at home. Let's just say, I ate a lot of baguette with cheese, and drank more coffee than I did in the past five years. I loved eating duck leg (confit de canard) with potatoes. I even tried blood sausages (antilles boudin antillais). Scrumptious! I also had savory crepes every day from crepe stands. And it wouldn't be right if I didn't try some Parisian vietnamese pho which was delicious and perfect for the cold weather.

Alright, I'll post part two of Paris in a bit because there's much to show and I don't even know where to start and end. Oh, before I forget, I'm also planning to do a a giveaway of Polaroid prints I took in Paris, so be on the look out!