March has been a fun filled month, and I would be loving life right now if it weren’t for the crippling realisation that I will only write another three monthly favourites here in Paris.
Let’s just get on with it before I start to cry because there is a student sitting studying in my office as I write this and that would be highly embarrassing.
1. Le Marais
Le Marais is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Paris, and this month I took the time to explore it a little more. It’s full of quirky shops and boutiques, places to eat, parks, museums, and generally just has a really cool vibe surrounding it. The streets are lined with art and other photogenic wonders, and I love the fact that you could spend hours exploring the area without spending a cent.
2. Crêpes
I have of course always loved crêpes, and you can’t really live in France and not give in to at least a few (per week), so this love has most certainly grown. My top crêpe tip is not to bother going to restaurants or cafes for them. Instead, head to a pretty spot or monument, find the nearest street vendor (of which there are always many), buy a Nutella crêpe for 2-3€ and enjoy.
3. A visit from my parents
I feel like I enjoyed my parents’ visit more than I previously would have because their first flights got cancelled due to snow and I didn’t think I would see them until April. They made it in the end, all be it a bit later than planned, and we had a fantastic weekend doing some not so touristy things which is always exciting. They also paid for food and wine.
4. Trip planning
I will admit that at the beginning of this month I was having a bit of a meltdown over the fact that I haven’t visited as many other European countries on my year abroad as I had initially hoped I would. One week later I had four weekend trips booked for the next two months and was receiving emails from my bank checking if I was alright. You can bet I am highly satisfied with this outcome and you can also bet that I will be blogging about each and every one.
5. Jardin des Plantes
I have been to the Jardin des Plantes a couple of times this month, and I can definitely see myself frequenting it many more times in the spring and summer. It’s basically a beautiful big park with botanical gardens and one of the best natural history museums I have ever been in. Perfect place for a picnic, and I can imagine that when all the flowers are in full bloom it will be just loooovely.
6. Ballet at the Opera
At the beginning of this month, me and four friends got dressed up all fancy and went to see a ballet at the Palais Garnier. Our seats were right at the back fully pushed up against the wall and even I as a tiny person had no leg room, but it was absolutely spectacular nonetheless. Just being in the building itself was an experience, never mind watching an actual ballet with people leaping higher than my head height and a surplus of men in tights.
7. Popsugar
With dance competitions and shows happening at home this month I have missed it more than ever. Exercising is a tad difficult to do here, but I have discovered the Popsugar YouTube channel which I love. They have a ton of workout videos of all different varieties, from hit workouts to dance based ones, from 10 minutes to an hour, all of which can be done in the comfort of your own home, or minuscule bedroom in my case.
8. Spring (?)
I don’t want to jinx it, but I think that spring may have finally sprung in Paris. We have had more than a couple of days where the temperature has ventured above 15, and I haven’t worn my winter jacket for at least two weeks. Fingers crossed.
9. Paul’s Giant Macaroons
If you’re sitting thinking that this isn’t a very exciting or significant thing to have put on a list of favourites for an entire month then you obviously haven’t tried one. There isn’t much to say really apart from that they are giant macaroons, that they’re from Paul’s, and that if you ever get the chance you need to try one.
10. ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’
I am powering through books at the moment, which I haven’t done since my English degree forced me to read a book a week and I stopped finding it fun. This month’s favourite was ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’ by Ruth Hogan, big thanks to my mum for the recommendation and for her old kindle. It’s not one of those stories that has you on the edge of your seat, it’s just beautiful to read and I found myself getting up early in the mornings to read a chapter or two before work.
11. Hi friend
Last weekend I had a friend come to visit, and it was one of the best weekends I’ve had here. Because she had never visited Paris, we did the majority of the touristy things you could possibly think of. Whenever people come to visit I am so determined to make them love the city as much as I do, so I consequently went into full tour guide mode and got to show off my best Paris facts for two whole days.
12. Going up the Notre Dame
I have been wanting to go up the Notre Dame for a while now, but every time I was in the area I was either headed somewhere else or the queue looked too long. When the aforementioned friend came to visit we decided it was time, we had the perfect sunny day for it and managed to secure a slot with next to no queuing thanks to pre-booking a ticket at a nifty machine by the entrance. The views were stunning, although I wouldn’t recommend for anyone who doesn’t like heights.
I hope your March has been marvellous and your April will be amazing!
Best wishes from Paris x
Lauren Robertson 