My Trip to France With The BBE!
You guys have been waiting for me to post all about my trip to France. I’ve been itching to do it for a long time, but I wanted to wait until everything was confirmed and set in stone.
Have you ever picked up a penny on tails when you could have sworn it was on heads, had a black cat cross your path, or stood under a street light when it goes out all in the same day? Well, this happened to me the night before “the passport disaster.” After winning the trip to France, I had to put together some paperwork and take a photo of my passport for the BBE to continue the process. As I was taking a picture of my passport, my heart stopped (well it felt like it did) and I had a chilled feeling rip down my spine. My expiration date had expired two years ago. But how could this be? I thought to myself “it must be all the bad luck that I picked up the day before.” I’m very superstitious.
I went online and filled out all the necessary paperwork to renew my passport. I went to Walgreens and took a new photo for my picture, packed everything up and headed to the post office to send it out. I paid the extra charges and wrote “EXPEDITE” right on the front of the envelope so it would be here faster. Luckily, I had a very nosy lady dealing with me at the post office. She asked what I was shipping out and I told her it was my passport renewal. She gave me a deep look and said “oh no, you can’t be old enough to be renewing our passport”. I told her I was. She looked at my passport for a while and we both couldn’t figure it out. In order to renew your passport by mail, you must have been sixteen at the time it was issued. I was sixteen when it was issued; in fact, it was my sixteenth birthday! Therefore, I should be able to renew it by mail. But, if a passport is good for ten years after issuing it when you’re sixteen…then why was mine expired? I’m only 23. It hasn’t been ten years! They wrote the wrong expiration date on my passport. That made it so I couldn’t issue it by mail. Thank goodness the lady caught the mistake. She gave me an address for a county clerk that could help me out. So, I drove an hour to the county clerk to fix the matter.
When I got there, she was also confused. She told me just to write them a letter and mail it out as I planned before. So, I took a deep breath in frustration that I just drove an hour for her to tell me that. I drove back, printed out new papers and started to drive back to the post office. I got a call from my mom on the way and she told me to stop. She had contacted someone for me who knew what was going on. She said this happens a lot with passports. She told me to go back, print out a new form, and I had to get it stamped by the county clerk agent and then she would send it out for me. I had to drive all the way back an hour to visit the county clerk again. She looked at me like I was nuts when I told her what I was informed to do. She took my check, stamped my papers, and overnighted it.
This passport disaster went on for a good eleven hours. I tried not to get frustrated because there was nothing I could do. The worst part of it all…the wait. It normally takes 6-8 weeks to get your passport and 2-4 weeks when you expedite it. And I didn’t even know if I did everything correct, so it was quite the gamble. Yesterday morning, I checked the mail for the first time after getting back from my trip. Guess what was there? Two envelopes from the Government. One was my birth certificate and my old passport with hole punches through it. I thought “oh great..they denied my request”, and then I opened the next one. It was my new passport! I did the happy dance, called my mom, called my dad, and then sent out copies of my new passport to the BBE. Thank goodness they were patient with me. And thank you, God, for listening to my prayers.
I’m going to France and it’s because of you. (still waiting for someone to pinch me from this dream) A while back, I entered the BBE (Big Blog Exchange) and I asked for you all to vote for me. Your votes one me the opportunity of a lifetime. I will be trading BLOGS with Lucie Aidart. She’s the girl behind the blog Voyages Et Vagabondages. She’s going to be coming here from France. She’ll be writing on my blog for all of you guys to follow and I’ll be writing on her blog. I have been creating a list of interview questions to introduce her all to you. If you have anything you’d like me to add to the list of questions, add them to the questions on this post.
I’d also love for you guys to help Lucie out while she’s in the states. I know you guys are good at that!
Now, I need you guys to give me advice. I’m sure it’ll be more helpful when I share my itinerary, but what should I wear? What should I eat when I’m there…? What words should I learn!?
I have been waiting for this post for so long. I’m so glad you figured out your passport issue!
I’ve been a world traveler since the day I was born. A couple years ago, I was at LAX ready to check-in for my flight to Costa Rica when I was informed that my passport had expired. It was one of the worst feelings ever. (So, in a way, you should feel lucky you didn’t have your bags packed and weren’t ready to go at the airport when you found out there was an issue!!)
My parents and older brother had renewed them and we all thought we were on the same schedule of ten years renewal, but since I was younger than sixteen when I got that particular one, it was only valid for a few years. I now have a new one that is valid for ten more years, so hopefully I won’t run into any other passport issues.
Anyways….!! So excited for you. How long will you be there? I highly suggest traveling to other European countries. You’re already there, so you might as well take some trains and small planes to explore!! I’m so excited to “meet” Lucie. What are her hobbies? What’s her dream job? How old is she? If she could be any animal, what would she be, and why? 😉 What excites her most abou coming here? What scares her most? The list goes on and on!
Lots of love to you, Tara! So happy everything worked out in your favor 🙂 xoxo
Natasha
Hi Taralynn
Congrats again on winning this trip!
The weather in France went from nice to super cold a few days ago, and it looks like it might stay this way. I suggest bringing sweaters, winter coats and boots but also lighter options as the metro and stores are often heavily heated.
Paris in the cold is actually much nicer than in the heat in my opinion, needing to cover up and warming up with delicious lattes brings and extra something special to the city.
I’ve lived in Paris most of my life and would be happy to hang out and show you around if you’d like. In case you’re too busy but need some adivce while you’re here / get lost / scared or whatever you can always give me a shout and I’ll make sure to help out – I know being in a foreign city by yourself can be scary.
Anyways, you have access to my email through this post so feel free to message me, and in any event enjoy your trip and have the time of your life!
Melodie
Congratulations! You deserve it!
Paris is such a beautiful city, there are so many little cute cafes and restaurants and so on. You have to make a boat trip on the seine at night, it’s so gorgeous when you drive by the eiffel tower and all the lights are on. That’s a picture you will never forget!
Congrats on winning! So happy for you. I went to France while I was on study abroad in Europe. Piece of advice I could give you: attempt to speak French to people – they will be 100 times nicer to you if you give a good try to speaking their native language. I don’t speak French, so I was going off of the few phrases I learned from a friend. Most people appreciated my try and then conversed with me in English which made communicating so much easier. Things to see: definitely stop at the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame, and the Luxembourg Gardens if you happen to stop in the Paris area. Things to eat: savory crepes! They were amazing. Hope you have the most amazing time!
Please please please come to visit Italy too 🙂
However I live in italy but in France the weather is just similar to Italy. My best friend lives in France too (i’m planning a trip to france in the same days :D), so I can give you some advices if you want! First of all the weather changes A LOT trought France. The northern France is soo cold but the south is warmer (reading your posts you are familiar with cold, snowy places: our cold is caracterized by fog and high umidity).
Food. Well France is the best place (after Italy, ahahah) to enjoy REAL food. You HAVE to try the onion soup, the lovely croissants, baguettes, madeleine.. No, wait. You have to try EVERYTHING, because every little thing is absolutely Amazing!
Language can be a problem, most people in France doesn’t speak english so it can be useful taking a pocket dictionary with you (or you can use an app that help with the pronuntiation). However you might thake a look at this site, is very useful: http://www.languagehelpers.com/words/french/basic.html
I hope I’ve answered to some of your questions, if you have any doubt or request please feel free to send me an e-mail!
P.s. I’m sorry for my english, it’s quite poor 🙁
One of your greatest and loving followers,
Giorgia
So happy for you! I just got back from Paris this weekend, it was amazing. I recommend using Duo Lingo to practice your french. I wish I would have known more french when I went – there’s definitely a language barrier. Even the commercialized places don’t know english very well so I recommend knowing basic conversation level French. I loved the eiffel tower at night – such a magical experience. I also recommend Montmarte and Versaille. I wasn’t dissapointed by any of the food I ate, SO delicious! Have so much fun!!!
First of all. Proof read. When you are done typing, go through and read what you just wrote out loud. You will catch 85% of your mistakes and not come across looking like such a moron. Your “expiration date expired” on the trip you “one” to France? Really? Reeeeeally?! And really, why bother asking what to eat? I can predict it now. Salad. Salad. And more salad. It sucks that this trip was wasted on such an idiot.
lol thank you again for commenting on every post with your negativity. I’ll pray for you.
Taralynn, don’t listen to anything Karl said. You have been a huge encouraging motivator for not only me but multiple other people. God has great plans for you! 🙂 Thank you for blogging for everyone! I love reading your posts.
First of all, Karl, you’re an ass. You’re clearly not a frequent reader if you think Taralynn only eats salad… and I’m confused why you read at all if you have such a negative response. Go find something else on the interwebs to entertain your rude mind… Taralynn’s blog promotes positivity and self-confidence, two things you’re clearly not too keen on.
Karl. Seriously. WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?
Tara is too kind to answer you in such a pacate way, but I’m not.
YOU are only a envious hater that has only one goal in his miserable life: bring down people in order to feel better. Well you have to find another place to do this.
This is a personal blog, made up with several post a week and if there are any spelling mistakes WHO CARES! she can write WATEVER SHE WANTS. If you have a problem whit this you can close that damn browser and GET A LIFE.
One last thing: none is forcing you to eat salad. Maybe you hate salads (all your comments turn around this topic, so I guess you have a problem with this vegetable), we don’t care.
If you didn’t get the message (maybe because you are still thinking about salad), WE DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINIONS.
Tara, I’m sorry.
Gosh Karl, it must suck to be such an unhappy person that you have to tear down people like Taralynn who spend so much of their time building others up and trying to make the world a better place. I honestly hope that someday you find peace with yourself and learn to not be so hurtful toward others.
Damn, Karl. Why are you hatin’ on delicious salads? France has some pretty awesome ones.
Also, you might want to take your own advice. Here’s an edit of your response:
“First of all, PROOFREAD. When you are done typing, go through and read what you just wrote out loud. (*Editor’s note: Where is the second of all?) You will catch 85% (*Is this an actual statistic? Needs citation/context) of your mistakes, and not come across looking like a moron. Your “expiration date expired” on the trip you “one” to France? Really? Reeeeeally?! ALSO (*You use really three times here, dude. You might want to edit that out for word redundancy), why bother asking what to eat? I can predict it now: Salad. Salad. And more salad. It sucks that this trip was wasted on such an idiot.”
I’ve been editing copy for over 10 years, and the mistakes she made here are pretty common. I’m also going to assume that, unlike most professional news sites, Taralynn doesn’t have an editor, copy editor, or proofreader going through her writing.
Everyone can improve their writing, including you. Stop acting like you’re the grammar police. It’s obvious that you’re angry at TaraLynn, and it’s not because of salad and typos. Did you lose that contest to her or something? Are you an ex? Some bitter friend? What’s really going on here?
O.M.G !!!!
I’ve been following you for the past 3 years. I’m so impressed about what you did on your own. And I can’t believe you’re coming to France !
I would looove to meet you ! I hope you will come to Nice !
I think Giorgia is right : you have to try EVERY SINGLE thing here !
I’m sure you will be amazed. 🙂
And I can also teach you some words. I’m sure you know the basics like “bonjour” (hello), “au revoir” (good bye). Before eating we like to say “bon appétit” ! “Merci” is for thank you. 🙂 Let me know if you want to learn other words.
I hope you’ll have a safe and good trip ! I’m so excited for you.
Pasi
(Sorry if I did some mistakes.)
This is awesome!!! I only spent two days in Paris this past summer (it was the end of a backpacking Euro trip) but here’s my little bits of advice:
1) A black maxi dress is your BEST friend. It can be casual, dressy, add a sweater for chilly nights, doesn’t show dirty, and black s the color of fashion. Granted, I was backpacking with just a FEW clothes but this made me feel cute in photos even though I was comfy and effortless.
2) If you’re in Paris, go eat an Eclair HERE: http://www.everywhereist.com/the-eclairs-at-boulangerie-28-paris-france/ . I took her advice and it was AMAZING. It’s not far from the Bastille monument.
3) I always make it a point to “fit in” places I travel… I don’t like to look like “the American tourist” so I took extra care in what I packed to wear (because of space constraints, weather, and also to look the part) and did a lot of research. One of the biggest things I read and was told was bring a black boyfriend blazer. Instead of a cardigan, it makes any outfit looked more pulled-together. And apparently Parisians are all about blazers. IDK, I thought it was silly advice but I took it and I appreciated looking pulled together and stylish AND comfortable.
4) I don’t care much for super-touristy things. However I went to Notre Dame (how can you not) and had the weirdest fun experience. Grab some bread or cookies or whatever crumbs from a snack, and save them. There are little tiny birds all around the Notre Dame that will sit in your hand and eat cracker crumbs from your palm! It’s weird, and random, but I have photos feeding birds and it’s very Marry-Poppins-esque.
5) Grocery shop. Grab a fresh baguette and cheese and a bottle of wine from a grocery store and picnic under the Eiffel tower at night. At 10pm it lights up! The grocery stores are small, and you can get a great spread for much less than a restaurant. And it’s FRESH. And the wine is much cheaper from a grocery market than from the peddlars on the street.
6) Which brings me to… the beggars. They are everywhere in Paris, and they are pushy. They take away from the romance (in my opinion) but don’t be afraid to tell them to go away, or no. I tried ignoring them… they would just keep pestering until I said no. They don’t get rude, but it’s just annoying to deal with sometimes.
HAVE SO MUCH FUN!
Hi Taralynn,
I’ve been a faithful reader for several years now but I’ve never commented on your posts – shame on me! As a born and raised French girl I had to comment on this one! As you know, France is broader than Paris and I’m currently not in Paris but I’ve lived there for a while and anyway I know well my dear country so I’d be more than happy to help you with your trip preparation. Feel free to send me an email with all your questions – we can even plan a Skype call if you want!
You’re gonna love your stay in Paris, I’m probably biased but this city is amazing!
Audrey
Yay, I’m so excited for you! I’m from England and over the past two days it has got really cold here so I guess it is the same in France. If so you will definitely need wooly jumpers, warm hat, scarf and gloves!
Don’t loose that passport!! I once lost a passport weeks before a destination wedding I was supposed to attend. NIGHTMARE and now I am blacklisted and won’t get a new passport if I loose another one.
If you go to France and only eat salads and omelettes, I’m swear to God I’m never reading your blog again. LOL! 😉 Have a safe trip and definitely have some crepes, chocolates, cheese and bread!!
Congradulations! I voted for you 🙂 I can’t wait to have her blog on your blog and I can’t wait for you to blog about your adventures there. I hope one day I could do the big blog exchange too. I’ve always wanted to travel!
Bonjour! I would recommend you enjoy France
Everyone needs to stop acknowledging this “Karl/Jeremy/total nutter” including you taralynn! He is clearly getting off on everyone’s responses. Ignore him, he wants the reaction because he clearly thrives off negativity. I’m also praying for him! Sending love to you taralynn from the land down under! XO
Agree 100%. Karl is the type who will probably one day shoot up a restaurant or mall or some place, unfortunately. Although, you must be pretty popular to have your own personal troll, Taralynn. Most blogs aren’t up to that caliber. I would say pick up Julia Child’s Book Mastering the Art of French Cooking for some ideas on what to eat. That’s the best advice I can give. Congrats and have an amazing time!
I love love love Paris! I am so jealous!
Don’t stress too much about learning more than the basic hello/thank you/how are you etc. As soon as you speak (french or english) most people will start talking to you in english.
Hey girl. First off, congrats! Second, I do marketing for my company and I am part of a campaign to motivate our sales team to get their numbers up because the top earners get a free trip to Paris. I’ve been writing collateral to get them ready for the trip and have done a lot of cultural tips.
1. Always try speaking a little French, and asking how servers are when you go to restaurants, etc. You’d be surprised how much further it gets you and how much nicer they are. (You always hear about “snobby Parisians” but sometimes you just have to research into cultural norms.)
2. They’re also big on etiquette and being polite.
3. Dress nicer in France. They value presentation a lot more.
4. Foods are all about meticulous preparation and good quality over quantity. Savor it. 😉 You could try croque monsieurs/madames (certain grilled cheeses), of course CHEESE, and wine. On that note, keep your glass half full unless you want servers to constantly fill it back up, lol.
Let me know if you have any further specific questions and I can help answer.
Uaaaah, this is so cool, Taralynn!!! I´m happy for you, too. ♥
You deserved this trip!
Just make sure, that you have enough warm clothes. 🙂
Where will Grumps stay for the time?
Oh thats sooo cool!
I’m exited for you 🙂
Paris is awesome. I live in germany , so it’s not that far away and I went there a couple times.
my ideas:
Eat macarons! and real french baquette*__*
And cheese of course 😛
Try to find sweet little restaurants ( Tripadviser will help you a lot).
Visit the Mona Lisa , the Eifel tower.
Be polite and try to speak some words , the french appreaciate if someone is interested in their language.
:):)
Hey Taralynn,
I am French and used to live more than 20 years in Paris. I think you got my email if you have specific questions, but for the food I will say you have to try everything. But be aware that once you have tasted french wine and french cheese, nothing will ever be the same for you 😀
So here are a few advices : tips are not mandatory (but much appreciated of course), let one only if you feel you had a great moment and a nice waiter. If you ever need to ask something, if you’re lost or anything, you rather ask young people, they will speak better english than old ones. For what to wear, Paris can be quite rainy and cold these days. And if you’re going to walk a lot, just put some basics (black jeans or legging, flat boots, nice coat). For a lovely parisian look on a not so rainy day, try the classic parisian combo : trench/skinny jean above the ankles/ballet flats 🙂
Ok also, I hate to say that but always be careful on the street and in the subway. Don’t stare at people, especially young people in groups. Keep your handbag close to you and with the opening in front of you and not in your back. I never had any single trouble in Paris in 20 years but I know tourist people can be targeted. I mean, as in every big city, right ?
Enjoy 🙂
You inspire me. You live everyday. You experiment and experience new things, whether it be a new restaurant or a road trip. You’ve mastered the tricky tightrope of healthy balance. You proiritise your health, but you value your social life. THIS is why so many people follow you, why you are such a positive role model to aspire to. You’ve overcome so much, you’re so empowering. Keep going.
Bonjour Taralynn,
Congratulations for winning this amazing experience! I’ve been following you for years and I’m so happy you finally got the chance to travel to Europe. I’m living in Paris at the moment so if you want some tips or to grab a coffee or nice pain au chocolat in a typcal parisian cafè or just to stroll around I would be more than happy to meet you.
🙂 I’m sure you Will have a blast anyway!
Ooooh i am so happy for you i would be so happy to meet you but you wont be visiting luxembourg but if you will one day let me know ! I love your blog it helped me a lot in my journey of becoming a healthier person when I open your blog it’s like coming home to a good friend thank you very much for everything !!! ♡♡♡
Congratulations! I’m so glad that you won this trip to France, you deserve it! I can’t wait to hear all about your travels! You will have an experience of a lifetime!! 🙂
You couldn’t be coming to a better city! I just moved here from Canada to au pair for the year and I can hoenstly say that i’m loving every second of this city! The cafes are amazing here which I know is something that you love by reading your posts.
I would suggest checking out bobs kitchen which is an amazing healthy little shop!
le pain quotidien is also a great place for brunch or an afternoon snack! Be prepared to drink very small cups of coffee, even when you order an long coffee!
Congrats!! You deserve it girl, such a great blogger 😀
Following you from México.
Ooo my… Paris is such a beautiful place, go to all the nice touristic places, they worth it. Since you will be living there you can go on low days and avoid crowded weekends.
And about the food..! As others comments said, you have to try basically everything (especially croissants, wine, cheese and macarons). I went to Paris like two years ago, my SO and I had the best crepes ever at this place: Breizh Café (109 Rue Vieille du Temple) I´m a sweet tooth so couldn´t avoid to order the banana and chocolate crepe, but after tasting what my boyfriend ordered I was wishing to change mine, don´t get me wrong, it was pretty good too, but the ham and caramelized onion crepe was absolutely amazing!
There is a pretty cool place on Motmartre for fondue: Le Refuge des Fondus, kind of touristic, but the food is delicious and I had tons of fun there, meeting new people and drinking wine in baby bottles.
ENJOY!! 🙂
Here ya go sweet pea – http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france
Hi Taralynn,
I had something else I wanted to add – I just found out that one of the other health/fitness bloggers I follow was recently over in Europe (France included). She did an awesome post on how she strived to eat healthy on a daily basis. I thought you might like to read it.
Here it is: http://www.12minuteathlete.com/travel-food-logging/#more-10795
Hope you enjoy the post and your time in France!
Congrats again! Can’t wait to hear about all your travels in France!
I’m SO excited for you! I wondered when we would hear if you won or not!!! I’ll be praying for your trip and that it ends up being an amazing experience for you! I was wondering about Mr. Grumples though? Will Emilee take care of him?
Hey girl!
I’m so excited and happy for you! So thankful that God answered your prayers. He works in mysterious ways that we never expect! 🙂 I’ve never been to France. My cousin has and she had the time of her life. I will say with whatever you do, take in every moment of it because it will be gone before you know it, have fun and I feel elated to meet Lucie and all she has to offer. Thanks again for all your posts, encouragement, and honesty. YOU deserve this trip! See ya when you come back! 🙂
There’s this really awesome Instagram page I follow called FrenchWords. It’s no pocket guide or anything but it’s pretty neat! They give you one new word a day to learn
Hello taralynn!
I hope you Will enjoy your trip to Paris! I live un Bourgogne (good wine!), ans for me Paris is a trip as Well!
Who is this Karl? We do not need to Know what he think!
Karl – ne prends pas la peine de lire un post que tu n’aimes pas et encore moins de le commenter! Tu te fatigues et nous aussi!
Taralynn – try in french – profites de ton séjour a Paris, visites la tour Eiffel, bien sur, les champs elisees, Montmartre, etc… Attention aux pick pocket! Les touristes sont des proies faciles! Prends un imperméable et un parapluie, mais aussi les lunettes de soleil.
Enjoy
Virginie
I voted for you! So glad you won! I can’t wait to see your adventures in France. I’m going to Paris in Novmeber and can’t wait. Check out tripadvisor forum. It’s so helpful and you get a lot of ideas. Glad you got your passport sorted!!
Congrats!! I’m assuming you are going to Paris? You are going to love it! You dont need to learn alot of French. Just the basics. There’s a free app called Duolingo that will get you through. It’s really easy! Eat everything. The best part of Paris is you can’t get a bad meal! Always order wine with meals, it’s cheaper then soda.
My tips:
1.) Buy a Paris Museum Pass. One price will allow you into ALL the musuems without having to wait in line. Totally worth it.
2.) If you are going to travel around Paris alot, look into the metro pass. Just keep it on you AT ALL TIMES. People will try to steal it.
3.) There will be a HUGE line for the Eiffel Tower. Plan ahead and buy your tickets ONLINE before you leave! You can skip the line and go straight to the front! Totally worth it. 🙂
4.) Don’t exchange money there, you will get ripped off. Twenty US dollars for example will get you 12 euros. Bring a bank card and take cash out of the atm there.
5.) The outdoor bathrooms in Paris…they are round shape. When a person leaves, the door closes behind them and the whole room is powerwashed. The toliet goes into the wall, so does the sink….DO NOT GO IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER SOMEONE LEAVES…watch for the light next to the door! Don’t be that screaming American girl who gets trapped! I’ve seen it happen, it’s not a pretty sight..
6.) Watch out for the nice men who start making a bracelet on your wrist while talking to you. Yes, they are very nice and speak wonderful English. Until they demand 20 euros from you what they just trapped on your wrist! Just ignore them. They are often seen around the big tourist attractions.
7.) Watch your bags closely, pick pockets will get you. Make a photo copy of your passport just in case, keep one at the hotel, one in your bags and one on you. Keep another copy at home with your family. You can ever be too overly prepared!
Last but not least, have one day to GET LOST IN PARIS. No map, no itinerary, just go. You’ll love it. Best day of my life. 🙂
HAVE FUN!!!
Heather in Raleigh, NC 🙂
What and where you should eat:
Try all types of bread from the classic baguette to creative breads with dry fruits and nuts, brioches, croissants of course etc.
Try all types of wine and cheese bars (very causal places), they have been the coolest places : check parisbywine on Google dont be surprise that wine is a lot cheaper in France.
Try to run and exercise in : the beautiful jardin du Luxembourg or the famous and crowed path of parc monceau or the boho chic and pleasant buttes Chaumont
Try: lafourchette on Google and you will get the best places to eat. If i had to have one last dinner, that would be la bascule at Montmartre crazy good french food
Get yourself a “velib” bike rental ( like 10euro for the whole week…) and enjoy the city.
Very simple tip:
West paris is touristic, large avenues, famous luxury store etc. Very beautiful, not so Friendly and high prices
East paris: popular, smaller streets, emotional, true heart of paris, best places to live at night.
Le marais and rue de Bretagne is where the hipster is to be found
This is coming from a 26years old parisian lady. Enjoy your trip and dont hesitate if you need a tip on some subject.
Have a Nice trip
you should read the book french women don’t get fat. The author grew up in France and she talks about the way of life and the meals. I believe France has a bigger lunch and it’s more like our dinner or something. They use fresh markets and it talks about how to not gain weight with all the yummy pastry shops! It also includes french recipes. There’s also one that’s french women for all seasons which zooms more into daily life. I’d send my copies to you but I’d procrastinate and you’d probably make it to France before! Lol if your going in the winter Id just wear dresses and black matte tights and some nice black heels. I used to wear that style a lot and got told I looked like I was from France for some reason haha Bon voyage mademoiselle 🙂
The smile looked less creepy on my iPhone!
lol it’s his mustache 😉
That sounds amazing! I love reading your blog and I love France. In terms of clothing I would say they dress sort of conservative/classy. Dark colors are a must and go crazy with the lipstick. If you wear a skirt or dress make sure to wear tights or pantyhose because they will look at you like they have never seen legs before. Make sure you have a purse that is a saddle strap that you can keep in front of you, and that has a zipper because pickpockets are real. Bring a copy of your passport just in case.
My favorite thing I got to do in Paris was go to a ballet at the Garnier Opera House, we had to get scalped tickets which were a little pricey but totally worth it! Montmarte is a must as well, one of my favorite parts of Paris.
Lastly the food which is the best part, there is a place called Place des Vosges, it is a little square with a lot of little art galleries. There is a restaurant called Cafe Hugo’s which is awesome, I ate there twice, and right in the same square there is a place called la Place Royal where you can get dessert. Drinking Chocolate (hot chocolate but better) and the best creme brullee I’ve ever had.
Sorry this is so long, hope it was helpful, have an amazing trip!
Areyou a france gulr?