The Paris Recap Pt. 1
Airbnbs, French pharmacies, and travel tips
Hello hello! Today’s theme is good news, bad news. Good news is that today I have a whole lot of Paris reviews and travel tips for you, bad news is you will have to wait until next week for the restaurants. Some other good news is we had the best trip ever but the bad news is we both now have covid. My throat started hurting the second to last day in Paris and I declined from there. Marco is a few days behind and started going down when we got home. This was obviously a risk of going to Paris and running around the city. We were pretty cautious to always wear a mask inside and whatnot but our chances of getting it were still pretty high. I’m triple vaxed and am now doing fine but I will say I was incredibly sick for 3-4 days. The deep congestion and cough are still lingering and things taste off to me. My taste was very very muted for a few days which was wild. I can’t imagine what it would have been like unvaccinated and I don’t wish this on anyone.
After Paris, my mindset has shifted slightly and I now feel like we are learning to live with covid instead of avoiding or getting rid of it. Anytime you leave your house you are at risk of getting it and that’s just what it is. Once we are both better, I think we will start doing more activities but I will keep masking and choosing what activities are worth the risk. I certainly do not want to get it again!
Anyways let’s talk Paris! Below you will find a Google Map I made with a bunch of locations pinned. They are organized by color and I left notes to specify details that you might need. Every place I went to and mention today is on this map. It will live forever, you can reference it as much as you need, and I hope it is helpful. Next week it will be updated with cafes and restaurants.
Let’s start with the Airbnbs because after restaurants I got the most messages about where we stayed. Our trip was a little wonky because we had originally planned to be in Pairs for five nights and booked an Airbnb for those dates. Once we decided to stay the extra time on each end, it was too late to extend our Airbnb and we decided to book two others and bounce around. This was totally fine but after the trip, we decided in the future we only want to do one switch if any. The one downside to moving around was that check-out is usually around 11 am and check-ins are not until about 3 pm. We were able to store our bags and check-in early but this made those days a “travel day” where a good chunk of the day was occupied with waiting around. We are also people that like to settle and next time we want to stay put for longer in one place.
Stop one was for three nights in the 15th ARR right by the Eiffel tower. A little touristy but we thought it would be fun to do some picnics and walk around…until we got there. While we were here, it rained every day and we didn’t do a single picnic by the Eiffel tower. I actually liked the neighborhood and didn’t feel it was too touristy. We had coffee at a cafe right down the street every day and everything we needed was within walking distance.
We stayed in this “Cosy studio near Eiffel Tower” and it was just as advertised. Small but with everything you need. The bed was comfortable, the shower was great, and we felt safe. Marco describes it as “sterile.” Ya know when you get a whiff of disinfectant cleaning products as you walk in? I am a clean freak and personally don’t mind this because I know it is clean but I get people who are turned off by it.
Besides that, it is a tiny studio and there isn’t anywhere to relax beside the bed. We were out all day and it was fine for us but it’s something to keep in mind.
Our second stop was five nights in this “Charming apartment in Pernety Village” in the 14th ARR. I can’t even put into words how much we loved staying here. Charming it most definitely is. It is beyond cute and decorated very thoughtfully, has everything you need, and is incredibly comfortable. We felt like we could live in this little apartment and it was a real treat staying there.
Three things you should know because they might be deal breakers for you:
Lots of stairs. The apartment is on the third floor and the bedroom is in the loft.
The bed is a double bed and it is HARD. The couch, however, (pictured above) is incredibly comfy and I napped on it a lot. One adult could easily sleep there.
The water pressure was really low…I’m talking a slow trickle. I get it has to travel up three flights in old pipes but it really sucked at the end of a long day. I ended up hitting the tub with Lysol wipes and taking a bath.
Besides those three things, this Airbnb is perfect. The owners live there part-time and it is only available to rent from time to time. If you see open dates, BOOK IT!
The 14th ARR, Montparnasse district specifically, was also our favorite place to stay. It’s not touristy and outside of the action which we both enjoy. There were cafes, restaurants, boulangeries, shops, and everything you need right there but with real people going about their everyday lives. Nighttime was quiet and we felt safe strolling around on evening walks. If you stay within a few blocks of the Pernety metro stop you can get anywhere you need in the city easily.
We finished our trip in the 11th ARR and I can’t recommend our last Airbnb. It was fine but felt a little run down and not very clean. So I’m not linking it here. The 11th ARR was also our least favorite place to stay. It’s where all the trendy restaurants, wine bars, and bakeries are right now and that is very much true. Although it was nice to walk a block to dinner each night, it had more downsides for us. It was busier and very loud at night. Busier meant more homeless people and we didn’t love walking around at night. Like the Airbnb, it was fine but not great.
Marco and I both agreed when we go to Paris next we will stay in the 14th ARR again (hopefully in that cute Airbnb). We felt the most at home and loved everything around us.
I was on the hunt for three things – ceramics, kitchen items, and French pharmacy products. I walked away with two extra suitcases filled with those things plus new linen sheets and a set of steak knives.
Everyone needs to make a stop at Merci. It is a three-story shop with men’s clothes, women's clothes, and everything you could ever need for your home. It’s trendy, cool, and like nothing we have in the states. We ended up buying linen sheets for our bed, an apron for me, ceramic mugs, plates, and adorable cups for soft-boiled eggs. If we didn’t get new linen sheets…we would have purchased a hell of a lot more. Merci is a must-go in Paris.
Now that we are home we have two ceramic shops that we wish we bought more items from. The first is Poterie Severine Cuisset. Charming handmade ceramics with organic shapes. We brought home some expresso cups, tumblers, and bowls. They fit in the hand nicely and are so cute. OH, and everything is wildly affordable.
The second ceramicist is Patricia Vieljeux. Her items are the complete opposite. They are sleek, smooth, and beautifully thin. She uses dark clay and they are all a little moody. We brought home some bowls and a beautiful colander. I wish I had more!
Everyone here already knows how much I love products and you may already know that the French pharmacy is a thing. Pharmacies in France are so much more than just pharmacies. They are filled with beauty products galore, homeopathic products, and of course the normal pharmacy medicines. I had a list of products I had used in the past and I knew I wanted to get them during our trip. Then I ended up buying a ton of random things and trying them. Below are my top five items and the things everyone should purchase while in France. You can get some of these in the states but the reason I stocked up in France is that they are way cheaper over there. Biafine for example is about 5 euros in France and $25 online in the states.
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré - The best moisturizer out there. It has a cult following and you will quickly see why. Even Marco is using it now.
Biafine - Originally created to treat burns, this is an all-purpose cream that helps heal all kinds of skin irritations. Plus it smells amazing.
Homeoplasmine - Homeoplasmine is like a natural Neosporin. We have been using it for eczema, rashes Marco has from eating foods he’s allergic to, under my nose that is sore from lots of blowing, and chapstick. This stuff heals anything and does it FAST.
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk - You can get this in the states but with a big markup. It’s my favorite dry shampoo hands down.
Laboratoires de Biarritz Tinted Sunscreen - Tinted sunscreen is the only face makeup I use and the coverage and color of this one is absolutely perfect. It does leave you a little…dewy? Instead of super matte but I got over it quickly. A little powder on top got rid of that feeling. This is only sold in France!
When I said I stocked up…I meant it. That photo above is almost everything I bought. I made two other stops for a few last-minute things the day after I snapped this photo. Everything above is worth trying. Bioderma micellar water, La Rosée deodorant, Cica Biafine lotion, and Nuxe dry oil are the things I recommend after my top five staples above.
Everyone will tell you to go to CityPharma and they are correct. You can get great items at any pharmacy but CityPharma has the biggest selection and lowest prices. You need to be prepared before you go. It is three stories and incredibly overwhelming. Grab a basket at the front entrance (you will need it), have a list if you know what you want, ask for help finding items, and try lots of minis! I spent close to an hour in CityPharma if that gives you an idea of the size.
Two unlimited passes you need in Paris – the museum pass and the metro.
If you are going to go to museums, you need THIS PASS. You can choose how many days you want and you can visit 50+ museums around Paris. Not only will you save money but you get to skip the lines and for that reason alone it is SO worth it.
You can buy this pass at any of the participating museums. I recommend doing this at a less busy one (not at the Louvre) to make the purchasing process speedy. Then bounce around anywhere you want.
We purchased the six-day pass for €78 and hit eight museums.
Musée du Louvre
Musée d’Orsay
Panthéon
Centre Pompidou - Musée National d'Art Moderne
Musée des Arts Décoratifs *Mugler exhibit!
Musée national de l’Orangerie
Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme
Musée Rodin
Centre Pompidou is a favorite because it’s fun art instead of old art. Plus the city view as you go up the escalator is lovely. We were in and out of the Louvre quickly because it was a madhouse. The coolest thing to see at the Louvre is Napoleon’s apartment, don’t miss it. We popped into the Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme becuase it was on the pass and we were close by. The whole museum is in French so keep that in mind before you plan a trip.
Jadin des Plants and Les Catacombs de Paris are two things not on the pass that we paid to do. Jarid des Plants has outdoor gardens and an indoor greenhouse. We cruised through a cool orchid exhibit and it was a nice way to get “out of the city” for an afternoon.
The Catacombs website will tell you it is an hour activity but Marco and I walked through in about 30 minutes. It’s underground and there are a lot of stairs. If you like spooky things, it is a must-do, but it’s not spooky at all. I probably did the most reading in the Catacombs because it’s fascinating.
You can buy half-price tickets for the Catacombes on their website the day you want to visit. Check early in the morning and find a last-minute time that is available. This is a great hack if you are flexible on the time of your visit and helps you save a few bucks.
We took two Uber’s while in Paris and that was because we were moving our suitcases to the next Airbnb. Paris’s metro rocks! It is fast, efficient, and clean. You can pay per ride but if you are going to be bouncing all over, get the unlimited day pass. You can purchase the pass in most metro stations at the booth and the price is around $10/day. More details, here.
In the states, natural wine is a niche thing but in Paris, natural wine is everywhere. We had some wine bars on our list before we went to Paris but some of our favorites we found by randomly walking in off the street. La Cave L'Incognito was our favorite spot. We had casual drinks here before dinner and then returned late at night when it was a little rowdy.
The same goes for cheese shops. We wandered into a ton randomly but the one we returned to was Fromagerie Laurent Dubois. They had the best selection, the staff was extremely helpful, and multiple locations all over the city.
Chambelland was hands down the best gluten-free bakery. I tried a few of the goods and they were pretty damn good. I bought the book to try baking some of their recipes at home.
There are too many other shops to list in detail. Chocolate shops, macarons, boulangeries, etc. are all added to the map. Check the notes because I left important details on some pins.
I’m a little crazy, I know this, but I like to feel really clean and prepared for anything when I travel. These are a few things I brought that even Marco will agree made the trip more enjoyable. Plus a few things I purchased and used almost every single day.
I am *extra* and bring these five things with me when I travel:
I am a freak about feeling clean and being comfortable. If I’m uncomfortable where I’m staying I'm unhappy. Bouncing around Europe in Airbnbs is always a risk and we had a not-so-great spot on our last stop. Wiping down a dirty countertop, having slippers to wear, and slipping into bed with a cozy blanket and a clean pillowcase makes every situation better. I keep disposable slippers and eye masks in my guestroom at home anyway so I pack a few from there for trips. The disposable eye masks are great because if you drop one, let’s say on an airplane, you don’t have to put it back on your eyes after it sat on the floor.
I also packed a thorough first aid kit to have before we left packing all kinds of things for any “what if” situation. Advil, Tylenol, Pepto, Dayquil, Zofran, Sudafed, bandaids…you get the idea. We used this first aid kit daily and let me tell you, when I started to get sick I was really grateful to have it. I pack each item in these mini bags and make sure to label each one. Everything goes into a zipper pouch no bigger than a toiletry bag.
Lastly, these five things are not *extra* but necessary:
AirFly Pro wireless headphone adapter
We have this hard-sided suitcase in carry-on and checked bag size. The two of us love it along with packing cubes!! The AirFly pro was a game-changer for us watching movies and shows on the plane. Both Marco and I wore our Blundstones on this trip. It rained half the time and they were a lifesaver to have.
Now let’s talk about this $35 purse from Amazon. I saw an influencer post it and decided to give it a try. It has no structure and is an organic ball shape. This made bringing it great because it takes up no space and lays flat. I ended up using it all the time in Europe because the loops loop together keeping it closed and safe, even on the metro. The way it sits around your wrist feels very natural and you can hold it in your hand. I’m getting another one in black!
The most important Paris tip of all, buy the fresh-squeezed orange juice that you will see in every grocery store and corner shop. It’s a machine you self operate, oranges run through, and voila juice! It is the best orange juice you will ever have.
Okay, that’s it for today! Don’t forget to check out the Google Map with all the locations I mentioned today and so many more saved for you.
Next week we will tackle restaurants and cafes. Talk to you then!
Xx M
P.S. Substack launched a new app where you can read all your favorite newsletters in one place. Including this one! I have been using it and genuinely really like it. Give it a download and enjoy!
Wish u both well
Inspired 💓