Eating my way through Paris

After leaving Italy, I took the bus up to Paris to see my friend AB, who has been living there for about a year now. When I arrived she was still at work, so I had brunch and caught up on news in a corner bistro. I love brunch, and the croque-monsieur I got was great, as was the atmosphere in the place.

The cute place where I got brunch.

 AB and I met in college, and used to have wine and cheese nights with our friends, so we were looking forward to catching up over some French wine and cheese! Luckily, just down the street from her place there were three stores in a row to suit our needs: 

Basically: "Cheese Shop" "Wines" "Bakery"

On Valentine's Day, AB and I found an adorable restaurant near her place. They had a special menu for the night, and the atmosphere was great! French food isn't the most veg-friendly, but I took the lack of options as an opportunity to push myself to try something new! So I ordered fish! It was pretty tasty, too :)

Valentine's Day Dinner

 The next day we walked around and saw some lovely sights...

Notre Dame

The Siene

 ...and went to the Marais neighborhood (4ème arrondissement), known for its past as the Jewish quarter, and more recently also for a growing LGBT scene. It is a very chic area, with lots of unique boutiques, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

A musical instrument shop we passed.

We were in search of great falafel, and planned to get some from a stand known for having the best in town; however, as we approached the stand it began to drizzle, so we decided on an indoor restaurant that also claimed to have amazing falafel - and it did!

My delicious vegetarian platter.

While I'm on the topic of great food, I was thrilled to be able to taste flaky and fresh French pastries. They melt in your mouth, no lie. Each morning I treated myself with at least one, usually brioche or pain-au-chocolat. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water...

Brioche!

Since I saw the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay, as well as other sights, when I came to Paris briefly in 2005, I wanted to see places I'd missed. AB recommended Sainte-Chapelle, and I'm glad I took her advice. The stained glass was absolutely stunning, and I spent a while just standing inside, appreciating the meticulous detailed beauty surrounding me.

Sainte-Chapelle

After leaving Sainte-Chapelle, I went across town to appreciate beauty's counterpart: love :) Near the Abbess metro station there's a wall of love, with "I love you" written in many languages. It's a great collage, and warmed my heart on a chilly day.

At the wall of love.

Just down the street I fell in love with a cafe where I got poached egg inside brioche (!) and a vanilla espresso. From my vantage point next to an upstairs window I also enjoyed a Parisian pastime - people watching.

The next day my travel buddy came to Paris and we did some more sightseeing while AB was at work. First we went to the Holocaust memorial, a creatively designed and somber place.

The Holocaust Memorial

The Memorial is behind Notre Dame, so we headed there next. In 2005 scaffolding had blocked part of the view from the front and side, and it was great to see the completed restoration.

At Notre Dame

Finally, we headed to the Eiffel Tower for sunset, and got to see the city lights flicker on across the city, for a spectacular night view. Plus, the tower itself lit up while we were on it, bathing everything in a warm glow. It was a fantastic way to end the evening, especially since it was my last night in Paris before heading back home to Prague.

On the Eiffel Tower