Wanderer’s guides are not exhaustive lists of everything to see and do in their respective cities, but rather a guide to city as I experience it- usually through aimless wandering, eating food, and treasure hunting. It is a collection of narrative images with the intention of giving you a jumping off point for your own adventure through the city, with a couple of very strongly recommended places. It is meant to show you the soul of the city, as I see it, and inspire you while you dream and plan your travels. At the end of each post you will see a link to my google map of the places I went and other places I recommend. Photos are all mine unless otherwise noted, and may be taken with my DSLR, iPhone, or Diana camera.
I think there is nothing to say about Paris that hasn’t already been said. It’s beauty. It’s magic. The way it sparkles, particularly at night. I know there are thousands of posts like this one, sprinkled across the interwebs, but I am compelled by the beauty to share my photographs nonetheless.
It’s been a positively crazy year for me, career and otherwise. And even the last few weeks have continued to surprise me in ways that I thought life was finished surprising me (I blame it on being somewhat young and rather naïve). But again the world takes on color and I am inspired and ready to move forward, whatever that may bring.
In the midst of this craziness, these moments from Paris take me back, they keep my eyes fresh and my heart floating. There are more moments like these out there, more adventures to be had.
In an effort to preserve the flow of the imagery, I have written minimal thoughts and information. Paris asks everyone to explore it as their own, and find what they will see. These photographs represent just a few of the things that I saw. My Paris map is embedded at the bottom of this post and if you click on it you can view more detailed information and recommendations.
The 6th arrondissement. Saint-German-des-Prés.
Café de Flore. In my opinion, the perfect place for an afternoon coffee and dreaming. You can’t help but feel there is so much life and art buzzing in the city.
The small streets in the 6th (and 5th) arrondissements are perfect for meandering through without a plan.
For a peaceful break in your wandering- Shakespeare and Company. An utterly perfect little bookstore. Complete with old ladders and a sun-filled reading room upstairs.
Even more quaint than the 5th or 6th, is the 4th arrondissement and the Île Saint-Louis. I thought it would abound with tourists, but it seemed to be nothing more than a few locals, going about their business.
La Caféothèque. You can find it on the right bank, just after coming over from the Île Saint-Louis. They pride themselves on their beans; in my mind, the place is the beautiful lovechild of a Brooklyn Roasterie and a Parisian café.
3rd arrondisement, Le Marais.
On a Sunday, Audrey took me for a stroll, as Parisians do- to some of her favorite places near her home in the 3rd arrondissement. I wrote a post about Audrey and her favorite places in Paris, but I wanted to include some of it here as well.
Outside the Centre Pompidou, which houses modern art. It also happens to be my favorite museum in Paris.
Rue Montorgueil (another favorite of mine as well).
This cafe. You must go. I can’t find any information about it, but you can’t miss it- in the 2nd arrondissement, 62 Rue Tiquetonne, nestled in between Kiliwatch and American Vintage Boutique.
Vintage shopping in Montmartre.
In my opinion, the best shopping in Paris is treasure-hunting at the Marché aux Puces (the flea market). It can, however, be extremely overwhelming. It’s also a little bit tricky finding the market, and this blog post here gives great instructions (along with pictures and a map!). Once you get to the market- there are still endless directions you can go, as it’s separated into multiple markets. Vernaison was my favorite for strolling through and “window shopping” but I did the majority of my real shopping on the streets surrounding the market. Many vendors just set up little tables of goodies that were much cheaper than the beauties inside the walls of Vernaison (and other markets). I walked down Rue des Rosiers towards Rue Gambetta and Rue Kléber- all along those streets around there I found tons of old things perched on tables that I could easily bargain for. But I still recommend walking around the markets as well. 🙂 This link offers information on each of the different markets at the Marché aux Puces, so you can figure out which markets you want to visit.
I couldn’t not mention this place- Candelaria– it shares my name and the tacos are deliciousssssss. I believe it turns into a pretty hoppin place at night too!
Because I only had 3 & 1/2 days in Paris, I didn’t get to wander everywhere that I wanted. But next time I certainly will! I pretty much focused on the 1st-7th arrondissements, but I know there has been a lot of gentrification in the surrounding neighborhoods that I can’t wait to check out. If I were to give my two cents, I would prioritize Montmartre (the 18th), Le Marais (the 3rd), the 5th and 6th, and of course the 7th for the Eiffel Tower. Also! No trip would be complete without stopping by Pierre Hermé for some macarons. They aren’t cheap, but you certainly get what you pay for. For the rest of my suggestions, and a more detailed view of the places I frequented- my Paris google map is at the bottom of this post!
And here is my map of visited places and recommendations. Click below to view it larger and with more details.
View Paris in a larger map for more details and descriptions about the places.
