Easter in Paris
April 21st, 2010
Emily and I were lucky enough to spent a long weekend in Paris for Easter this year. This was my third time in Paris and by far my favorite. I’m think I’m starting to see what all the hype is about. Here is a rundown of our trip:
Friday - We arrive in Paris in the evening (via plane). We are staying at our friend Claire’s apartment, which is near the Jourdain metro stop. Claire and her fiance are on vacation in the Dominican Republic and generously offered to let us use their apartment while they were away. It is a great way for us to see a new part of Paris and get more of a local experience. After we dropped off our bags at the apartment, we had an amazing dinner at Le Coude Fou (Thanks for the tip, Nikolai!). After dinner we took a stroll around Notre Dame – a great start to the trip.
Saturday - We started the day with a run in the park by Claire’s apartment. Then we went into the city to play tourist. We started with a great lunch at a random brasserie; we had two French classics – les moules (mussels) & french onion soup. Delicious! Then we went up to Sacré Cœur, walked around Montmarte, and ended up by Moulin Rouge. We bought some wine, cheese, and a baguette on the way back to the apartment. After a little nap, we had a nice dinner at local place – L’Escargot. We woke up at 3am to watch the big NCAA tournament game (online) – Duke vs. West Virginia. Duke won (yes!) and, luckily, Emily is still speaking to me after the game.
Easter Sunday – We had a non-traditional Easter brunch of delicious pastries from a local boulangerie. We spent the morning walking around the Left Bank to the Luxembourg Gardens. Then we took a metro to the “chinatown” area where we got some Vietnamese food – pho, a vietnamese sandwich, and steamed bun (not exactly a standard Easter meal). We passed the afternoon having a drink at one of the many outdoor cafes and then watched the sunset by the Louvre. We finished the day by going back to Le Coude Fou for dinner again (try the goat cheese salad!) for yet another amazing meal.
Monday - Claire returned from her vacation and we had breakfast with her before heading to our hotel. After walking around so much the past few days and seeing all the tourist sights, we were ready for a day of relaxation. Emily got some sushi then I tried to go to famous falafel place, L’As du Falafel, but it unfortunately was closed. I ended up getting a kebab instead. We finished the day with a little picnic (a baguette and a beer) by the Pont Notre Dame.
Tuesday - Emily went to work in the Ebay Paris office. I went for a run through Paris, past the Opera House and along the Seine, and then it was time for me to head back to the airport (Emily flew back the next day). It was a great weekend, and I have to admit that Paris is definitely starting to grow on me.
See all our Paris pictures on Flickr
nikolai!!!!