Paris: Day 3 & 4 - 02 May and 03 May 2015

I'm combining these two days because we were still adjusting to the time on Saturday and took it pretty easy. Sunday we more than made up for it with extensive sightseeing. Here's a quick recap.

Breakfast at Mabillion Boulange

13 Rue Cadet, 75009 Paris  •  Google

Nothing special about this place, but it was convenient and did offer us hunger relief in the morning as we set out on our quest for basic necessities.

Help! We need WiFi and Internet Communication - Thanks Orange!

We were pretty pleased with the Orange Communication Holiday Plan. We'd recommend it to others traveling as well.

As of 2015, the Orange Holiday Plan was €39,99 per phone.

Here's how it worked:

1. We visited an Orange retaile store and brought in our existing U.S. phones.
2. One of Orange's sales representatives swapped our SIM cards out of the phones and replaced them with new Orange Holiday Plan SIM cards. He saved our existing SIM cards for us in the provided packaging so we could put them back in when we returned home.
3. He helped activate the new SIM cards in Europe. He confirmed that we were getting an Internet connection and that the phones were working. He wrote down our new Parisian phone numbers for us. Once he did this, we had the ability to call any French numbers we needed, text and have Internet service the entire trip. This way we could swap between the provided WiFi in our apartment and around town, but also keep continuous service on (important) walking routes between key landmarks - think Google Maps, Yelp, etc. Super important for a first-time tourist.
4. We took the opportunity to add our new phone numbers to our existing contact information for one another and tested to make sure the system worked. All systems go!
5. We gained our sanity back and greatly reduced our frustration when we did this and I'd make this a Day 1 "get yourself settled" endeavor if I returned. I recommend others do the same. There may be cheaper services through other providers, but we had such a great experience with this one I would use them again.

On to Groceries - Enter Monoprix

So I may have touched on the fact that our little apartment (a.k.a. room with a sideways toilet that doesn't quite fit in its little closet, next to the kitchen closet, etc.) needed a little love. So we had to outfit it with the basics - like toilet paper, soap, decent pillows, etc. So we needed something akin to a Target. We found it. Monoprix is one of France's major retailers that combines clothes, housewares and a full grocery. It takes a moment to do a little navigation between the women's bras and eggs (which are strangely close to one another), but after you get over the identity crisis they're having between an upscale department store and the corner grocery, it's quite handy.

The battle's on for best gelato...Amorino or Berthillon? Why not both.

You may find yourself trying to find the "best" ice cream or gelato in Paris like we did. Some might say it's the dramatic punch of Berthillon's numerous flavors that gives it a leg up (actually I might say that). Others (say, Chad) might say it's the creamy nature of Amorino's classics that make it the best, or the fanciful "flower" they create for each cone. No matter which you end up choosing, you can't go wrong with trying both during your first visit to Paris.  There are multiple Amorino locations. There is one Berthillon location (31 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, 75004 Paris), however we did notice that some other retailers use their product in their dessert and gelato selections.

The Amorino flower that can be custom created each time you want to enjoy their amazing gelato.

Let it Rain....and a Walk through Parks

So we may have mentioned that it's been raining a bit. Two umbrellas later, we're out and about to enjoy the city a bit more. The Seine reminds us just how much the rain means to the city. But even Paris gets more rain than it expects at times.

Lots of Rain for Paris, France, Spring 2015

The rain can't keep us down forever though, and the sun fights to show its face between Saturday and Sunday. We have really loved Paris' use of the tiniest of spaces to create some beautiful pocket parks all throughout the city. They even use their boulevards to make magnificent playgrounds for scads of screaming Parisian children. Trust us. They are well engaged with the outdoors and the nature of play!

One of Paris' numerous beautiful parks and playgrounds. Paris, France 2015

Afternoon Tea at Mariage Frères (Saturday)

13 Rue des Grands Augustins 75006 Paris  •  Google  •  Yelp

Something that Chad and I love, but don't get to enjoy often in the U.S. is afternoon tea. We started to fall in love with this in England, and continued to through Ireland. We have sought out tiny retreats across the world to stuff our faces with mini sandwiches delicately prepared, accompanied by a string of pastries and fancy teas in delicate china. I wish I could share the smell of this shop with you in this blog. It smelled like spring. Here is a sample of what we enjoyed.

Mariage Frères knows a thing or two about branding. Paris, France

Lunch at BREIZH Café (Sunday)

111 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75003 Paris  •  Google  •  Yelp

This quaint little cafe didn't disappoint. To give you an idea of scale, here's a quick link to their Google Business View. I have also included a pic of the yummy cider and crepes we had. We finished with two (2) sweet dessert crepes too. The line around the corner when we arrived was a true indication of what was to come...a well-prepared meal and enjoyable brunch. (The line does move quickly.)

BREIZH Cafe Crepes, Paris, France

The Smiths Bakery - Just around the Corner

12 Rue de Buci 75006 Paris  •  Google  •  Yelp

Make some time to get your fanny over to The Smiths Bakery for a palmier. Simply the best we had in all of Paris. Totally worth the trip. Plus, the staff speaks English and French happily. Also serves Berthillon ice cream from a cute little cart out front.

The Smiths Bakery- 6th Arr. - Serving Paris' Best Palmier

Centre Georges Pompidou & Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore (Saturday)

A fun building located in the 4th Arrondissement, the Pompidou Centre and its square are worth a visit alone to see the bright colors and interesting mix of folks.

George Pompidou Centre, Library & Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France

Made a quick stop to the Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore. The nooks and crannies upstairs were quite fun. They have some unique texts and certainly pump through a great deal of tourists. My favorite unexpected surprise was the bookstore cat.

The bookstore kitty doesn't let his perpetual audience interrupt his leisure.

Notre Dame (Saturday)

Notre Dame de Paris is certainly a crowd pleaser and a destination in and of itself. Added a couple shots for good measure. I am sure you can find thousands more online. We got to see a bride and her entourage while we were here too and it made me think of home. Hope wedding season is treating everyone well.

Notre Dame, Paris, France 2015

Notre Dame, Paris, France 2015

Saint Sulpice at Sunset (Sunday)

Lots of pretty churches and cathedrals to enjoy in Paris. Here is one we stopped to visit on our way home at sunset. Finally, the sun wins and makes a steady appearance.

Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France

Luxembourg Gardens - Jardin du Luxembourg (Sunday)

So many pretty pictures that we'll share with you later at the Luxembourg Gardens, but here are a handful of my favorites so far. Paris has so many wonderful gardens, monuments and oases. You can get lost for days in the hedges, rows and flowers. Luckily there is an abundance of public-provided seating at these locations and the government seems to work hard to keep the parks looking beautiful and enjoyable for the public at the same time. We certainly got our use of them while we were here.

Enjoying a sunny day in Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France

 More to come tomorrow...bonsoir!