L'As du Fallafel

I have had many, many cravings throughout my pregnancy ranging from homemade chocolate chip cookies to brussels sprouts with maple syrup. Luckily, most of my cravings can be satisfied very quickly in New York City. You can have just about anything delivered to your door within the hour! But, there is one craving that I need a passport to satisfy: L'As du Fallafel in the Le Marais neighborhood in Paris. Their falafel sandwich is out of this world delicious! If you are in Paris make sure to stop by once or twice for an amazing lunch on the go. The lines are always long, but move quickly and are worth waiting in. I cannot wait to return to Paris in the near future to indulge my many Parisian cravings!

Frenchie to Go

One of our favorite lunch spots in Paris is Frenchie to Go. The cafe is located off of Rue Montorgueil, a beautiful pedestrian-only street in the 2nd arrondissement that is lined with shops, restaurants, and bakeries. We have stopped by the cafe during our last two visits to Paris and plan on returning next time we are there as well! After lunch we always treat ourselves to dessert at Stohrer, the oldest bakery in Paris. Their pastries are so delicious! I highly recommend their eclairs.

Do you have any favorite restaurants in Paris that you would recommend?

Instax Prints from Paris: July 2015

Paris is always a good idea.

Last summer my mom and I booked our third trip to Paris. We planned to travel there at the peak of spring (April 10-15, 2017) and hoped to see trees blossoming throughout the city as we explored. But, soon after confirming our hotel reservations and tentative flights my sisters and I all got pregnant and plans were put on hold. I knew that being in Paris at 33 weeks would be extremely challenging- the walking, lack of public restrooms, and inability to consume mass amounts of rosé and cheese would be too much to handle! My sister-in-law was also due the week of our vacation, and my parents wanted to be home in Minnesota when she went into labor. 

My mom ended up traveling to New York City when I was 33 weeks and we were able to check off a lot of items on my baby to-do list. We also had dinner at our favorite Parisian steakhouse and treated ourselves to a box of eclairs in honor of our vacation that could have been. 

I never shared photos from our trip to Paris in July 2015, so this week I am going to reminisce about our adventures in my favorite city in the world. We are excited to plan another vacation there with my baby girl in the near future! 

Invader

One of the hundreds of reasons I need to return to Paris as soon as possible- to search for more Invader pieces.

It wasn't until I got back to New York City that I realized his invasion of Paris is currently in progress. I happened to photograph several of his mosaics while touring the city, and learned more about the street artist once I returned home. Invader's pieces can be seen in more than 60 cities in 30 countries. He even recently released an app, Flash Invaders, that allows you to "flash" the street mosaics to score points and compete with other players. If only I would have known! My mom and I would have had a blast filling our gallery with flashes and racking up points. Looks like I will just need to figure out a way to get back to Paris...

Montmartre

We spent our first day in Paris in the village of Montmartre. Situated 425 feet above sea level, Montmartre has spectacular views of the city and has inspired artists including Van Gogh, Picasso, and Matisse.

After climbing endless amounts of stairs, my mom and I started our tour through the 18th Arrondissement at the white-domed basilica of the Sacré-Coeur. The views both outside and inside the church were breathtaking.

After the basilica we wandered to Place du Terte, an old square where artists gather to paint and sell their artwork. It was crowded with tourists while we were there, which was overwhelming in the July heat, but was still charming all the same.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon strolling the winding cobblestone streets in Montmartre. The cafes, homes, and greenery were all so beautiful!

We stopped for a refreshing glass of rose at Jeanne B at 61 Rue Lepic and indulged in gelato at Amorino before getting back on the Metro. We also saw the famous red windmill of Moulin Rouge outside the station. Exploring Montmartre was the perfect way to kick off our vacation in Paris!