Paris Honeymoon

This was my first time in Paris--the city of my dream, and it was also our honeymoon, so I was doubly excited when everything turned out to be better than my expectations. Even for my husband, who had been to Paris four times prior to this trip, was pleasantly surprised by the new experience this time.

The best part of our trip was staying in the Latin Quarter. Every day, we strolled on the Left Bank along the romantic River Seine, or took leisurely walks on Boulevard Saint Germain as well as the little lanes in the area. The air is simply filled with a great sense of intellectual and artistic beauty.

We also were very satisfied with the "cultural lessons" we got during our visits to the Louvre, Les Invalides and Versailles.

And one word about the Parisians. Contrary to the stereotypical "cold and arrogant" image foreigners often accord them, Parisians are, we find, genuinely cordial and eager to help and explain their culture, history and language to you as long as you try to speak their own language.

Quick Tips:

Bring good walking shoes! Although it is rather tempting to buy and wear those wonderful high heels that every Parisienne seems to master, a solid pair of walking shoes will get you much farther and allow you to see much more of the city.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking!
We walked almost every day to all the places we visited. Paris is really designed for walking, as there is so much to see, and the details of the streets and buildings are exquisite. The next best mode of transport, I heard, is the bus, but we didn't get to try it. The subway takes you everywhere, but it is not very pleasant.

This budget hotel, though minimalistic in facilities, is located right in the heart of the Latin Quarter and has a most charming atmosphere. Its owner and receptionists (on duty around the clock) are warm and friendly, always welcoming you with genuine and cordial greetings. If you can speak French, you are sure to have many opportunities for a great conversation. If not, you will still find great service from the hotel staff, who are fluent in English and many other languages.

The location is great. Many famous sights are within easy walking distance: the River Seine, Notre Dame, île de la Cité, île de St. Louis (5 minutes), Pantheon and Sorbonne University (2 minutes), Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Odéon and St Michel (10 minutes). It saves so much time and money when you are so centrally located.

The rooms come in different sizes, mostly with a wash basin and no toilet. There is, however, a very clean shared toilet on every floor and there are 2 common shower rooms near the reception. For a little bit more money, you can have a room with a shower and a wash basin (which was what we had). Even though the hotel is only a stone throw away from the busy Boulevard Saint Germain, it feels like an oasis in the middle of a big city due to its calm and relaxing atmosphere.

Next to the reception, there is a long dining table and a little pantry area with a microwave, a sink and a vending machine. Hotel guests can buy food from nearby supermarkets and prepare simple breakfasts and lunches here--another perfect way to travel on a budget. There are also numerous ethnic restaurants and nice cafés flanking the hotel if you feel like trying out different ethnic dishes.

Of course, there are cons about this hotel. If you are very sensitive about noise from other hotel guests when they walk on the stairs or enter/leave their rooms, then this may not be the right place for you, as the doors are not all that sound-proof. Also, the staircase is narrow and steep, so it might be a challenge for some people.

All in all, we are very satisfied with the hotel. It fits our bill totally as we were able to spend our money on other things rather than spending it all on the hotel. And the location cannot be better. We recommend it to anyone who is budget-minded and wants to be in the center of the "real Paris."

Here is the hotel's homepage.

Auberge Bressane is a well-hidden treasure in the area of l'Ecole Militaire. It is a bit farther away from the main tourist-type bistros and restaurants, and it opens only after 8 p.m. So it took us some effort to finally get a meal there. But the effort was definitely not wasted.

The exterior of the restaurant looks rustic and rather humble in style. But as soon as you walk into the restaurant, you are greeted warmly by a head waiter named Paul. Don't be intimated if he acts a bit theatrical. After a while you will discover his great charm and humor. He recommended chicken dishes to us, since the restaurant's specialities are chicken. In fact, the name "Bressane" comes from the region Bres in France, where the chicken are famous. So my husband ordered "poulet à la crème et aux morilles" (chicken with cream sauce) and I ordered "bouché à la Reine" (chicken trite with a pastry bun and cream).

To my surprise, the chicken trite, including crown and kidneys, tasted so tender and nice, that my initial hesitation for this dish disappeared quickly. The creamy chicken my husband ordered was also very delicious. There is also a traditional coq au vin available, which is a whole chicken marinated in red wine for 48 hours before cooking. But this will have to wait for the next time we visit Paris.

For dessert, we ordered crêpes suzettes. The waiter Paul made a most wonderful performance of frying the crêpes with Grand Marnier on our table. And the result: crêpes that melted our hearts.

On Boulevard Saint Germain, near the crowded meeting hub Odéan, is this popular and charming café Relais Odéon. The café´s interior is decorated with Art Deco style and the waiters are lively and love to dance to music while they balance their trays.

It was our favorite café during our stay in Paris, and we stopped for coffee and dessert many times--both during the day and the evening. They serve all kinds of food from fries to onion soup as well as different kinds of entrés. Their coffee is of superb quality, and its café viennoise is just the best you can have. Once we ordered a crême brulé for dessert after a very disappointing meal nearby, and it saved our evening!

The café is also a perfect spot for people watching. The human and car traffic is intense at this juction, but that makes it all the more exciting. You can sit there for as long as you wish, and the ambience and music is always great.

Le Bar à Huîtres, the Oyster Bar, is a delightful place to go for sumptuous seafood and convivial atmosphere.

We were there twice during our trip. The first time, we were invited by a friend, a local. Even though we didn't have a reservation, we got a wonderful table right away. The waiters there are extremely friendly, unlike many Parisian restaurants where friendly service is not something to be expected.

There is a smoking and non-smoking section, which was a great convenience because I am allergic to smoke.

The menu has a great number of choices of appetizers, entrées and desserts. They also have a long wine list. For seafood aficionados, they can try the seafood dinner that comes in a huge platter of oysters, clams, crabs, shrimps and much more.

I ordered from a set menu, which included an appetizer that consists of an assortment of clams, oysters and mussels. Then for the entrée, I had baked lobster with white butter sauce, and my husband had crayfish. All of these were succulent in taste and presented in the most professional way.

Another time we ordered escargots -- my first time. Even though they are considered appetizers, the waiter gave no qualm about us ordering only that for dinner. In fact, they were so good we made an extra order.

In the Latin Quarter, you don't have to make much effort to find worthy bookstores. They are just everywhere.

The best one with most character is Shakespeare and Company, on the Left Bank just across the Seine from Notre Dame (37, rue de la Boucherie).



For virtual tours of the bookstore, click here.

This bookstore, often confused with the one founded by Sylvia Beach 30 on Rue de l'Odéon and frequented by Hemingway, opened its doors to booklovers and emerging writers such as Allen Ginsberg and the Beats 30 years later in the ‘50s. However, both sell primarily English-language books.

What gives this bookstore its charming characteristic is the "Tumbleweed Hotel" on the second floor.

Here, bookworms--nicknamed "tumbleweeds"-- are welcome to stay the night on one of the three rather shabby beds for free. The "payment" is to read a book and leave a short autobiography, or help out with some chores, which most gladly do. The permanent residents on these beds are two housecats, who pay little attention to the comings and goings of visitors.

On the other end of the second floor, which faces Notre Dame, you will find some wooden benches next to shelves of books, stacked all the way up to the ceiling. Here, you can sit and chat with friends without feeling obliged to purchase anything. Perfect for low-budget travelers who love a good intellectual conversation!

For more bookstores, stroll along Boulevard Saint Germain from the Sorbonne University area westward until you hit Boulevard Saint Michel. You will find numerous bookstores--both independent and chains, that will satisfy any taste. To name but a few: Gibert Jeune, Joseph Gibert and Fnac.

I was very surprised that some bookstores are open until 11 p.m. What a great city for book lovers!

If you like comic books, Boulinier on 20 Boulevard St Michel, and Album on Boulevard St Germain crossing Rue St Jacques are comics paradises with exhaustive collections.

For a list of bookstores in Paris, go here.

We also discovered museum shops to be a great source for specialized books. The bookstores at the Louvre and at the Army Museum/Invalides are the best.

Of course, one must not forget the secondhand booksellers--the Bouquinistes--on the Left Bank along the Seine. But they are so ubiquitous that you won't miss them. Besides used books, they also sell old posters, prints, maps, postcards, souvenirs, and oil paintings (mostly copies of masterpieces). It seems that the erotic photos of the ‘20s, Marilyn Monroe, and Che Guevara are the most popular images. Even if you don't buy anything, a Sunday morning stroll here will give you much intellectual and artistic stimulation.

The Eric Kayser Boulangerie is the crème de la crème of all bakeries in Paris, and probably the best in the world.

But when we first settled in our hotel in the Latin Quarter, we had no idea that we were only five minutes away from this bakery heaven. It was purely by chance, that we walked passed this bakery on Rue Monge and noticed the strong aroma of bread drifting out of the store. The next thing we noticed was the constantly long line of customers spilling over to the sidewalk.



We couldn't resist the smell of freshly baked bread and bought a croissant and a pain chocolat. Hmmmmmmmm, the subtle taste of butter and the golden and feather-light crust just melted in our mouths. It was pure ecstasy.



In the next few days, we came back to buy our "daily bread" and tarts. The fruit tarts there are heavy on fruit and have well-balanced butter crusts--perfect to go with a cup of coffee in the afternoon. The baguette there has a great reputation. It's succulent inside and crusty on the outside.

One interesting thing about the purchasing experience is that the line of customers moves quickly thanks to the extremely efficient service of the cashiers there. So we felt a bit pressed when we didn't know what to choose. But the next time we tried to make up our mind before we entered the door, and the purchase became much smoother.

Eric Kayser, founder of this bakery, is only in his late 30s but already has built up an empire of five bakery branches throughout Paris, and numerous branches overseas. The one on 8 rue Monge is the flagship store and there is another one right next doors at 14 rue Monge. There are some seatings outside that shop so you can sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy the bread or pastry while absorbing the lovely atmosphere of the Latin Quarter.



The addresses of the other three branches are:
87 rue d'Assas (5e)
79 rue du Commerce (15e)
49 rue Linois (15e)

Bon apétit!

Sunday mornings on île St Louis is the best time and place to enjoy performances of "artists du rue."

We were just taking a random walk around Notre Dame and we came upon the bridge leading to île St Louis--Pont St Louis. First we saw a painter sketching Notre Dame from the bridge. Then we suddenly heard jazz music from an American band. We stayed there to listen to a song and it was a fantastic performance.

As we approached the island itself, we found a juggler riding a unicycle and juggling a knife, a torch and an apple at the same time. He bit the apple every time it came near his mouth. In the end, he threw the last bit of apple under his right leg and into his mouth. This was so hard to do, that he only managed to succeed at the third attempt. There was a lot of excitement among the crowd. Then it was time to collect money. His plea to the audience was: "If you give me five (euro), I will be very happy. If you give me ten, I will go home very very happy. If you give me fifty, I go home with you!"