France Roadtrippin' Part I: Paris

During the month of May, we were lucky enough to spend 10 days in France with Mom Sterdis. Over the 10 days, we got to see so many different areas of the country. What an experience! We started the trip off in Paris on a Friday. Since we have been to Paris before, and mom had already spent a few days there prior to our arrival, we didn’t feel obligated to see all of the notable sights. Instead, we focused on just enjoying the city. We wandered around the city all day and enjoyed a lunch outside. Since we were exhausted from all of the walking, we rested a bit at our hotel before heading out for a late dinner that was very…interesting. It was very different from the restaurants we usually choose, but the food was good, especially the mashed potatoes. We finished off the night with yummy “American-style” cupcakes that Matt had ordered beforehand, in celebration of our birthdays. It was a nice treat since Germany doesn’t have American birthday cake.

On Saturday, we enjoyed croissants from a bakery before walking to the Eiffel Tower. It was another beautiful day. Next, we explored the St. Germain neighborhood and the Latin Quarter. Both areas have tons of cool cafes, restaurants, and shops. The Latin Quarter is probably one of the most touristy places in the city, but it definitely has a lot of character. We had a quick pizza lunch before touring the Musée D’Orsay, which is home to many works of French art dating from 1848 to 1915. In fact, it is home to the largest collection of impressionist and  post-impressionist pieces in the world! We admired many masterpieces by Degas, Cézanne, Monet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh, just to name a few. The museum building itself is also very interesting, as it used to be a train station. In the evening, we headed to Montmartre, another area in the city. Montmartre is located on a hill and is home to the famous Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) church, which boasts fantastic views of Paris. The area itself is also very cool, with quaint alleys and many, many steep stairways. 

We enjoyed dinner at a really cute restaurant on the hill. Matt had a “torte” of sorts, with filling made of rabbit meat. He was a big fan! I also really enjoyed my pork dish. But the highlight of the meal was dessert—which was homemade salted caramel ice cream. So rich, but so delicious! On our walk back to the hotel, we spotted the Eiffel Tower, lit up for the evening. It was stunning. And then, to our surprise, it started “twinkling” – so breathtaking! Apparently, strobe lights make the tower twinkle for five minutes on the hour at night. The photos couldn’t really capture it, so you’ll have to take our word for it, but wow, what a sight on our last night in Paris!

On Sunday, we explored a new-to-us neighborhood: Le Marais. This area, which used to be the center of the city’s Jewish community, has a very unique and almost Medieval feel. There were so many beautiful buildings! There also are many unique shops and cafes that line the narrow, cobblestone streets. Since we were there early on a Sunday, it was pretty quiet and relaxed, which was a nice retreat from the usual hustle and bustle of Paris. It is easily one of my favorite parts of the city. So glad we had the chance to explore it this time around!

Before leaving the city, we grabbed lunch at Chipotle. I know what you are thinking—how could we eat at an American chain while in Paris?! But alas, the life of an expat is complicated and sometimes, you just can’t pass up an opportunity to have a taste of home. Since Munich doesn’t have a lot of American chains, we often find ourselves indulging when in other European cities. Plus, we still had 8 more days of French cuisine ahead of us. Anyway, Paris Chipotle did not disappoint (seriously, the nicest employees EVER, and, oh my gosh guacamole!), and after lunch, we picked up the rental car and headed out of the city to our next destination: the Loire Valley.

French Riviera Part II

On our second full day in the French Riviera, we decided to do another day trip. This time, we stopped at both Monte Carlo and a smaller town called Menton.

Monte Carlo is located within Monaco, which is unique as it is its own sovereign state – meaning that legally, it is its own country. With an area of only 0.78 square miles, it’s the second smallest country in the world. With over 36,000 in habitants, it’s also the most densely-populated. Monte Carlo is known for the famous casino, of course, as well as the site of the famous Grand Prix. In fact, while we were there, they were busy constructing the Grand Prix course. The town is extremely hilly, with very narrow, curving streets. I can’t imagine racing through at high speeds! Overall, the town was a bit underwhelming. It was cool to see the casino, but you can only enter the foyer unless you pay the admission fee and dress appropriately. We decided to pass on that. There are also some pretty gardens, and similar to Cannes, every famous high-end designer boutique you can think of. It was cool to see somewhere that you hear so much about, but like Cannes, it was not so impressive.

We got back on the train and headed to another nearby town, Menton. We were pleasantly surprised by the town of Menton. The old town here is very charming and the beaches are beautiful. It also helped that the weather cleared up and the sun was shining down. We had a lunch at the cutest creperie. We’ve had crepes before – in Paris and a few times at German festivals – but never like this! Mine was filled with goat cheese and olive tapenade and topped with fresh tomatoes and basil. Matt went for one with chorizo and cheese, and topped with a fried egg. We finished the meal by splitting a sweet crepe – one drizzled with homemade caramel, roasted cinnamon apples, and whipped cream. So delicious! We spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the small shops and then we sat on a bench by the beach for awhile to enjoy the sun.

We took the train back to Nice for our dinner reservations. We ate in a really cool restaurant – the lower floor was a cave! It was very romantic. The restaurant’s specialty is roasted meat – you pick which type of meat you want and your side dish. I went with the ½ chicken and ratatouille and Matt tried the beef and mashed potatoes. All of it was very good, but the beef and mashed potatoes were incredible. I thought Matt was going to lick his plate! After dinner, we made our way back to the hotel since we were exhausted.

This is a creepy photo of another couple having dinner, but at least you can tell what the restaurant was like.

On Saturday, we wanted to take it easy in preparation for the half marathon on Sunday. We took the train to nearby Antibes, which is a beautiful beach town. We explored the town’s open-air market and even purchased some local cheese and a baguette for lunch. We found a bench along the water and enjoyed our picnic. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. We explored the town a bit more before heading back to Nice to relax. We had a relaxed dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant so that we could carbo-load for the race!

On Sunday, we were up early to prep for the big race. The weather did not look promising. Although it wasn’t too cold, it was raining off and on. Fortunately, the rain held off for the entire race! Matt wasn’t able to run because of an injury, but I finished in 1:59. My goal was to finish in under 2 hours, so I was really happy. I was also completely exhausted!

After the race, we headed back to the hotel to shower and change. By this time, the rain had begun again, so we were fine with not doing too much sightseeing. The rest of the day was pretty low-key. We enjoyed our final dinner in Nice at a French-Japanese fushion restaurant. It was really unique and the food was delicious, especially the dessert we shared – rhubarb pie with yogurt ice cream! We really ate well on this trip!

On Monday, we did some window-shopping and sat along the water for awhile before it was time to head to the airport. Although it was not exactly what we had expected, we had a wonderful time in the French Riviera!