It's official. I'm in love with Parisian picnics. On Sunday morning, after a well needed sleep having been so worn it from Versailles the day before, Madeline and I met up with some of the girls at a Carrefour by the Eiffel Tower to buy some things for a Parisian picnic. We bought two baguettes, six pink lady apples, a thing of goat cheese, some chocolate coated madelines, some bottles of Orangina (an orange flavored soft drink), and a bar of Milka chocolate. It cost about 22 euros in total and ended up being only about 4.50 euros per person, which is amazing. We took our lunch to the lawn before the Eiffel Tower and sat and had ourselves a proper picnic, watching the people around us and gazing at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
I've always been obsessed with the Eiffel tower, and it's even more magnificent in person, even from the half-mile or so distance we were away from it. It's so massive that even from that far away you feel as if you could touch it. I was surprised to discover that it's a tan color, not the grey that I always imaged. However, I think the tan is much prettier. By the end of the lunch we were all full and content and our group split into two, with some girls wanting to go up the tower. I stayed with the half of the group that wanted to get some shopping done (I needed more shoes), and we had an impromptu photoshoot, taking turns as we got our Instagram-worthy shots before the Iron Lady. Here are some we took:
Naomi, Annalee, and I ended up going to the Beaugrenelle shopping center near the Eiffel Tower for a few hours. If you ever need to do some shopping in Paris but don't want to spend an arm and a leg in French boutiques, I recommend checking out this center. It has some French boutiques that are a little more high end, but also H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and a Monoprix that we were able to find all the things we needed without breaking the bank. I bought a really nice hoodie from Zara, as all I had brought with me from home was a jean jacket, a rain jacket, and a Sherpa. Since arriving in Paris, the weather has been a bit on the cool and rainy side, and I've found myself needing some warmer clothes, so I'm glad that I found this cute hoodie. I also bought a pair of white sneakers and bootleg high-waisted jeans from H&M, also super in style in Paris right now.
After our shopping was done, we had to stop for Macaroons at Ladurée. Listen, I've had a lot of macaroons in my day. Granted, I have many more to still try, but I've had a lot. And so far the rose and raspberry macaroons I had at Ladurée are the best I've ever tasted. At first, you just taste the normal macaroon flavor, but as you chew the flavor intensifies and it's unlike anything else you'v ever eaten. If you're in Paris, you have to stop by Ladurée.
Around seven o'clock we met up with the rest of our party, who had ended up going to the Arc de Triomphe as well. All craving crêpes, we found Fricotin for dinner, a crêpe restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe . I had a vegan crêpe for my main dish and a Demory to drink, with a nutella crêpe for dessert. It was very good, if not a little pricey. I'm not sure if I would crave that particular crêperie again, but it was great to be able to try it.
After dinner, we all went our separate ways to get ready for the week of classes ahead. It was an amazing way to end my first week in Paris: picnicking at the Eiffel Tower, adopting more of the Parisian style, and finishing the night off with some crêpes. I so look forward to what the rest of this trip brings.