I couldn’t be more in denial about the fact that we are now entering into June if I tried. The next time I post a monthly favourites will be the day I leave Paris. I’m in a bit of a strange place head wise, torn between never wanting to leave here and being excited to be home with my friends and family. Knowing me, after a few hours of Scottish weather I’ll be crying about the Eiffel Tower. Here are some pleasant things I experienced in the month of May.
1. Foire du Trône
My friend stumbled across the Foire du Trône amusement park in Bois de Vincennes one day while on a picnic and we decided it needed to be explored. It’s your classic amusement park, albeit a huge one, with rides which didn’t necessarily look well maintained and questionably safety measures. We had a whole lot of fun being flung around, although the 28 degree heat did mean we had to peel ourselves off most of the seats.
2. Vienna
The best thing about having many friends studying abroad this year is that I’ve had free accommodation and a tour guide in many exciting places. At the beginning of this month I visited my flatmate in Vienna, and never having been to Austria before I fell in love with the city. It was bustling but not too busy, constantly picturesque and something completely different to Paris. Amongst lengthy catchups and laughter we had a picnic in the palace gardens, drank fancy wine spritzers on a rooftop bar, had ice cream for breakfast and went to a silent disco on a manmade beach.
3. Drinks by the Seine
As soon as the sun hits Paris, which it seriously has this month, everyone flocks to the banks of the Seine. There are various quirky (overpriced) bars with musicians and fancy fairy lights, but we tend to buy bottles of good, cheap french wine and sit with our legs dangling over the water watching the boats and the world go by.
4. Amerino ice cream
You’ve probably seen a rose shaped ice cream on Instagram even if you yourself have never tried one. I have been desperate to try and Amerino ice cream for months now, not only because of how pretty they are but because they’re supposed to taste incredible. I had not been mislead, my melon, passion fruit and raspberry ice cream rose was delicious.
5. French classes
I never quite thought I would be adding this into a monthly favourites. With a french exam coming up, I have been doing after work classes every night and I am loving it. Don’t get me wrong it’s hard and sometimes I have a total grammar overload, but I can see myself improving which is crazily satisfying.
6. Atelier des Lumières
I had my eye on this exhibition for a while before I finally managed to force people to go with me, for which they thanked me afterwards. It was basically a huge open space which had light projections covering all the walls, floor and ceiling. There were multiple different shows, each lasting around five minutes and all from different artists. It was truly beautiful, and it’s in Paris until November so if you’re visiting be sure to pop this at the top of your list.
7. Le Perchoir
Le Perchoir is a rooftop bar in the Marais I have seen recommended here, there and everywhere. I won’t lie, it was pricey and we had to queue for a while to get in on a Friday evening, but the view and atmosphere were worth it so if you’re looking for a way to treat yourself then this should be it.
8. Moulin Rouge
Since I first moved to Paris I had been promising myself that one day I would splash out and go to the Moulin Rouge. My friend and I did a lot of umming and ahhing but a couple of weeks ago we bit the bullet and booked our tickets. It was one of the most expensive purchases I have made this year, but I do not regret a single cent of it. It was incredible, no expense was spared and the array of boobs wasn’t half as uncomfortable as you might imagine. If you’re going, opt for the champagne deal, it’s only 10 euros more and if you’re already spending an arm and a leg then why the hell not.
9. Picnics
My friends at home are going to be so fed up of me constantly suggesting picnics over summer, but I have become somewhat obsessed. Get yourself a baguette, some cheese of your choice, a punnet of strawberries and big bag of crisps and you’re good to go. The number of spectacular picnic spots in Paris is infinite, my favourites from this month have been Parc des Buttes Chaumont, the banks of the Seine and of course the Champ de Mars.
10. Flower market
One day when my friends were all busy I decided to tick a few things off my Paris bucket list that none of them would be interested in, one of which was buying flowers from the flower market by Notre Dame. I went for some pale pink peonies and they made my room smell gorgeous for over a week.
11. Provins
As much as I have been into central Paris countless times, I haven’t explored the outskirts much. My friend and I decided to change that this month and went for a day trip to Provins, a small medieval town to the south-west of Paris. We had a lovely day despite it being scorching hot, walking around the cooled streets, being confused at what each old building actually was and eating ice cream.
12. Dinner at the Pompidou
I received the best surprise last weekend when my friend told me we were headed to the Pompidou to meet her friend then, on arrival, told me we were actually going for dinner on the roof. Being my favourite museum, and one with beautiful views, I was thrilled and it did not disappoint. I could have chosen pretty much anything off the menu (I had Asian cod which was delicious) and we were lucky enough to sit at a table right at the edge, profiting from the best views.
13. Thunder storms
After a few weeks of warm weather we’ve been hit by the aftermath in the form of epic thunderstorms. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying lying only my bed with the window wide open, listening to the rain thrashing outside and watching lightning strike the sky.
14. Colour Run
As I write this I am still trying to get bits of yellow powder out of my hair. This afternoon as part of the uni sports day we did a colour run, something I have been wanting to do for aaages. It was incredibly fun despite getting paint powder in every orifice and turning my shower multicoloured, and the rest of the afternoon’s sports were made even more fun by the fact we all looked a tad mental.
I hope your May was a-may-zing and your June will be joyful!
Best wishes from Paris x
Lauren Robertson 