bonjour!

next stop… FRANCE! from milan we took the earliest train to france. the transportation system is pretty cool there in terms of getting around! i loved france so much. gosh, just writing about this and adding all the photos reminds me of the great memories made and all the sights i was able to see/take in! what i loved about france was the abundance of pastries (hello carbs), the shopping, the french pharmacies, the architecture. everything was so gorgeous. it stole my heart and i hope it won’t be long until i see myself in France again.

>>> IG REELS for more visual & music: LYON & PARIS part I & part II

currently on my playlist: paris in the rain by Lauv

LYON

Lyon was a good introduction to France because it was a quieter city than Paris. and apparently it’s known for its food. unfortunately, we went during a time when most places were closed due to holiday travel. even the ginormous food hall was closed, it was a bummer. we checked into our AirBnB and i was not sure how i was going to survive without A/C. well i didn’t. none of us did. with the heat wave it was hard to function let alone sleep the first night. we ended up checking into a hotel for the rest of the stay. LOL. the things you take for granted living in the USA i tell ya. i enjoyed the beautiful and quiet streets of Lyon. it was a good precursor to Paris.

some memorable moments included: not being able to survive without AC, my brother almost got pick-pocketed at the train station — this is where speaking a second language comes in handy! lol, my mom and i already saw this guy eyeing my brother bad. it also didn’t help that most of us were wearing athleisure, so we completely stick out as tourists! in Lyon, we woke up every morning in search for pastries. it was the best #simplethings

attractions //

St. Antonine Market — local farmer’s market where there are all sorts of fruits, veggies, cheeses, and even chicken being roasted as the grease drips down on come cooked potatoes (regret not getting some)!
Catherdrale Saint-Jean Baptiste — aka: Lyon Cathedral
La Part Dieu — did some shopping/browsing in this center where they had MUJI (organizer lover’s heaven), UNIQLO, and they had a french pharmacy which ended up being my favorite because it was massive!!! the funny part was it was early in the France trip so i was going to wait until we got to Paris. but you know that gut instinct!! i ended up going back and purchased A LOT. in hindsight, it had the best prices with almost EVERYTHING i was eyeing.

eateries //

Creperie du Major — my first real crepe in France! while i love dessert crepes, i opted for savory. interesting how it’s made of buckwheat flour. bu
Les Eclaireurs Patissiers — my favorite eclair place. we went 3x. the eclairs were perfection, from design to taste and variety of exotic flavors. i loved the rose + lychee and the passion fruit ones!
Les Halles de Lyon — the famous food hall in Lyon! unfortunately, 75% of it was closed due to people being on holiday. so that was a huge bummer, esp for my BIL who was really looking forward to it.

things i learned //

the city is known for this praline bread. just imagine this bread with hot pink speckles all over it with a crusted exterior. oh my. it was SO. GOOD. i wish i could take loaves home. i googled a recipe here.
there are free restrooms on the sides of the streets that automatically wash themselves! sooooooo. interesting. and for the most part, you have to pay to use the restrooms (that’s why they are clean)!
the french do not refrigerate their milk or eggs.
when in france, the first order of biz is always PASTRIES. and coffee!!

PARIS

our final stop was Paris. saved the best for last! i was very eager to get to Paris. unfortunately, the food we had wasn’t that good. this is probably because we were limited in needing to eat early (traveling with kids) and most restaurants don’t serve dinner until 7PM. i know. it’s crazy. like who eats that late?!?! since this was the last leg of the trip, there were many purchases to be made from gifts for friends/family, and of course gifts to ourselves lol.

despite all the things you hear about Paris, I LOVED IT. i’m not sure when i’ll be back but by golly, i hope soon!

attractions //

Tuk Tuk in Paris Tour — this was actually really fun! it was a quick and easy way to have someone show you around to get a jist of the city and the history behind it. they stopped at all the top attractions and let us down around the Eiffel Tower for photos!
L’Atelier des Lumieres — this is the exact spot where a scene was shot in Emily in Paris. it’s soothing to see the images and songs but not sure i would make a trip all the way out there for this again.
Louvre — the Louvre is HUGE. it would take more than a day to go through the entire museum. and good luck trying to find your way out of there!!!
Galleries Lafayette Haussmann — this shopping mall was GORGEOUS. probably my favorite. the tundra in the middle was just stunning.
Bon Marche — this was also a pretty shopping mall as well, much quieter than Galleries Lafayette Haussmann.
Champs-Elysees Avenue — this street is so beautiful. we went down it on the tuk tuk tour and i was so fascinated by the trees that flank this street. like who cuts them and how do they cut them so rectangular…
Arc de Triomphe — tickets were bought way in advance and you’ll want to do this because the lines are long if you don’t. this was on our last day and i was exhausted. at this point my feet were hella tired and i really wasn’t sure i was gonna make it up all those stairs. it’s a pretty view at the top but also something i wouldn’t do again.

eateries //

Galleries Lafayette Le Gourmet — this place was very BUSY. forget trying to find a place to sit for 8 people. i like how it’s basically an upscale food court you would find in a mall, but in a building adjacent from the mall (Galleries Lafayette Haussmann).
Pierre Herme — did you really go to Paris if you didn’t get a macaron? peirre does a good job!
Laudree — more macarons!
Pain Pain — probably the most epic in terms of pastries and cafe menu items! there was a line out the door so be prepared to wait.
Grand Epicerie — great little upscale grocery store with some eateries inside.
Cedric Grolet Opera — i’m one of those people who have problems when i go to bakeries. suddenly my eyes become wayyy bigger than my stomach and i end up buying goodies for what seems like a family of 5. and when you’re on vacay, price does not matter (i’m not the only one on this right?!) i ended up picking up a tart (small) that cost $45…. whoops. #yolo rest assured i made sure to eat the whole thing. each bite was HEAVEN.
Stohrer
Kintaro Ramen — yes, we had ramen in Paris. haha, everyone was so tired of crepes!

things i learned //

the shopping malls in Paris are interesting. they are categorized by floor. example, perfume and cosmetics on floor 1, handbags on 2 etc… then on each floor each brand has it’s own section with a representative and checkout. very interesting!
Parisians dress very nicely! athleisure is not a thing there.
a regular dessert crepe in just butter and sugar!