6 Reasons to Visit Paris in the Spring

It didn't take much convincing to get me to move to Paris when I was 20 years old and a junior at university. My first trip was when I was 16 and the two weeks we spent wandering around the arrondissements and the gardens had me itching to return and stay for even longer. 

I started taking french classes my freshman year and only wish I had taken them longer so that I could've had a better foundation when I got there. I spent the first 3 months getting down the small daily interactions like how to greet someone(Ça va?, Salut, etc..), to always say good bye and thank you as you leave a boutique or small store and memorizing the grocery stores that are closed on Sundays or Mondays in my neighborhood  So here are some more tips for visiting my favorite city in the spring when everything is blooming and the sunsets will stop you in your tracks. 

1. Luxembourg Gardens.

One of my favorite places to hang out between classes and eat lunch was in front of the Medici Fountain inside the Luxembourg Gardens. It is tucked away in a little corner of the park and the seclusion from the vibrant city always felt inviting. 

The Luxembourg Gardens was always one of my favorite places to sit and people watch. 

2.  Rue de Rosiers

There was nothing I loved more in the spring than walking around Le Marais. I would always end up strolling through Rue de Rosiers for their falafals (best falafals in the world!)and vintage shops. Le Marais (the old jewish quarter) is beautifully preserved with cobble stone streets and small store fronts that are inviting and full of intrigue. One day I was in search of a book for school and popped into a book shop on Rue de Rosiers and quickly turned around when I realized that it was a naughty gay book shop that probably wouldn't carry a 17th century novel by Voltaire. It was embarrassing but I immediately started laughing at myself the second I left. 

3. Notre Dame + The Bell Tower

It was ridiculous that every day on my walk to school I got to walk past Notre Dame. It is absolutely stunning and the view from the top is even better. I had already been living there for 5 months before I climbed to the top with my cousin.

The view from the top is worth the 10-20 minute wait outside. I couldn't stop snapping my camera once I got to the walk way, you are able to see Sacré-coeur to your right and the Eiffel Tower to your left. Afterwards you can walk around the back of the church and sit in the peaceful park while admiring the buttresses and stained glass that often times get overlooked. 

4. Cafés and café au laits

I highly encourage walking around the city and going down little streets and wandering around different arrondissements and inevitably you will easily stumble upon a dozen or so outdoor cafés just waiting for you to take a seat and flip through your travel books and sip cappuccinos. 

5. Delacroix Museum

Yes the Louvre is an iconic Parisian landmark but wander off the beaten museum path a bit and visit the Delacroix Museum near St. Germain Des Pres. I had the luxury of having a student ID that got me into any museum for free so I took advantage of visiting some of the lesser known museums scattered around Paris. The Delacroix museum was a pleasant surprise because they had converted his old house into a gallery and just in back there was a beautiful little garden with benches and chairs to admire this space where he had been so creative.

Other museums worth a visit…

Musée de l'Oragnerie 

Pompidou

Musée de la Mode et du Textile

Musée Rodin

Musée des Arts et Decoratif

Musée Bourdelle

Musée de Cluny

6. Markets

Marché aux Puces de St. Ouen

The markets in Paris can not be missed, even if you aren't out to purchase a 17th century chandelier, the atmosphere and small trinkets you'll find are well worth the visit. While markets take place year round in every corner of the city and every day of the week, when the weather gets nicer more vendors will be out and you'll be more willing to wander up and down the aisles admiring each stall.Here is a weekly guide to the markets in Paris.

5 Things I Learned From Living In Milan

1. Milan never runs short on street markets. Every day of the week you can find a different market tucked away along the cobble stoned streets of the city. The weekday markets sell a variety of fresh produce, flowers and designer goods. You can go there looking for eggs and vegetables for dinner and leave with a live chicken. The flowers are always fresh and vibrant while the vendors that line the streets are friendly and always offering a smile.

The BEST market is held at the end of every month on Saturday and Sunday when vendors and locals flood the streets of Navigli with the most beautiful antiques, art and vintage clothes that will have you wandering up and down the canal all day. Luckily the streets are also equally as vibrant with their cuisine where you can find the best pizza and aperitivo for when your vintage hunting makes you hungry!

Mama Farina Via dei Valtorta 44 Milano

2. Carbs are your best friend. I actually already knew that before I lived there, but I definitely took advantage of it every single day in Milan. In Italy you just need to embrace carbs and appreciate every delicious bite of that brick oven pizza or penne arrabiata. In Italy you are expected to finish a whole pizza by yourself so when you sit down you better be up for the challenge! Mama Farina was one of my favorite local places to eat dinner near my apartment. I would have gone there every night but I wanted to make it seem like I had somewhat of a life so I would stagger my meals there to 1-2 times per week. The streets of Milan offer plenty of delicious options and sometimes in the most unassuming places, so don’t be afraid to wander and you might stumble upon the best pizzaiolo!

 

Milano Centrale 

Venezia

3. Milan is great hub to travel through Northern Italy.  Milan is a great city to use as your base for traveling around northern Italy. Every city from Cinque Terre to Venice is within a few hours reach. Even a bullet train to Florence will get you there in an hour! A beautiful train ride through the Swiss Alps isn't even out of the question for a weekend adventure. The main train station in Milan, Centrale, You could start your morning in Milan eating sfogliatella on your way to the train station and by the afternoon you could be walking down the streets of Verona eating 10 scoops of crema gelato. Who wouldn't want to spend their weekend exploring historic cities and devouring pastries and culture?

Luini : Via Santa Radegonda 16 

4. Luini Panzerotti will change your life. Every day people crowd the small street near the Galleria anxiously shuffling through the line to get his or her hands on these famous panzerotti. They take it so seriously that there's even a bouncer in full suit and tie ushering people through the lines as if they're escorting the president through the airport. Luini’s runs like a well-oiled machine. Once you get to the front of the line you have 10 seconds to order, pay and move along. If you have never indulged in panzerotti before I compare it to an empanada but about 10 times better. The dough is crispy and fluffy, while the inside is filled with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. It’s exciting and always a fun mid day adventure.

That's right, I MADE this!

The Mag Cafe in Navigli

5. Cappuccinos run through your veins in Milan. Espresso, real coffee is a lifestyle in Italy. My first day at the showroom I said, "of course I know how to make cappuccinos, yeah I'll make them for our high profile clients!" I had no clue what I was doing but by the end of my internship I had become a full-fledged barista. Starbucks would have been honored to hire me. The cappuccino culture there is borderline religious. The espresso is rich and the foam is always perfect. I could easily sit along the canals of Navigli at The Mag Cafe enjoying coffee, free wifi and reading material. 

Barcelona + The First City I Fell in Love With

Almost 14 years ago I first discovered Barcelona and I've been back twice to experience and explore the unique culture and architecture. 

My first time in Barcelona I remember I was 11 years old and crabby from just having experienced my first bout of jet lag and then we came up from the metro and I saw Sagrada Familia and my eyes bugged out with excitement. All of a sudden I no longer felt tired and irritated, I felt like an explorer who had just discovered an entirely new world and I couldn't get enough of it. 

At the top of Parc Güel you can take a survey of Barcelona's short skyline but what pops out is Sagrada Familia, whose construction began in 1882 (13 years after my house was built!)and it is STILL under construction. It has taken so long because the funding for it comes strictly from donations. 

Casa Batlló

Throughout the city you will find BEAUTIFUL, unique and kind of crazy architecture and its all most likely done by Antonio Gaudí. Probably my favorite building he designed was Casa Batlló. It is colorful and weird and looks like an exotic lizard. 

Colors are constantly exploding across the city whether it is in the architecture or on the street performers along Las Ramblas.

The Mercado de la Boqueria is tucked away along Las Ramblas and if you don't look hard enough you might pass up one of the most vibrant and lively staples Barcelona offers. When I studied abroad in Barcelona for 5 weeks I would visit the market once or twice a week just snapping pictures of the changing environment and of all the colorful fruits and candies most of the stalls sold. 

Had I not lived with a host family, I would like to imagine that this market would have become a part of my daily routine, shopping for that nights dinner or grabbing a snack before class because who can pass up Haribo candy?! 

Please excuse the tourist that got in my way!

If you didn't already figure it out, this market is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Barcelona because its not too touristy and you get the feeling like your a local doing your daily errands in this beautiful and colorful market. 

Barcelona will always spark a light in me and it seems that when ever I do talk to people about this city I get excited and passionate about describing the streets and culture and architecture. 

Bookshelves + Pieces of Me

My love of books has existed since I was little and saw Beauty and the Beast for the first time and knew I wanted a library in my home just like in the movie. Ok so I don't exactly have a library of books on that level quite yet but I take pride in my three bookshelves and my growing collection of books. 

Other pieces of my life have begun to inhabit these shelves and you glance quickly at them you'll begin to understand a little bit more about me. There's a shelf dedicated to every french book I own and read in the last 4 years. Then I have an entire shelf with travel books, mostly Lonely Planet and Top10, bursting at the seems. My passport is well preserved in a glass globe on one of my shelves with my daily little plate of jewelry. Some of my most valued momentos from traveling reside on these shelves and growing my collection of books and memories feels amazing. 

Elbowing Tourists and Penguins

Walking up the undisclosed winding road to Boulder Beach lined with palm trees and quaint houses you could never imagine that just around the corner lived thousands of little penguins on a secluded beach. The South African Government has built this raised walkway along the beach and through the trees so that people can transform to being flies on the wall to this colony of tuxedo studded birds. I could have stayed there for hours watching them stand on the beach and watching the rebel penguins swim in and out of the arctic current water.

At any attraction there is always that one sweet spot that gives you the best view and everyone knows about it and elbows their way to the front in frustration. There are the tourists that fight their way through the crowds and then there are the tourists that will tap their feet and roll their eyes and look at their watches until they make you so uncomfortable you have to leave. Then there was me who waited methodically for a spot to open then slithered my way in and didn't look back… and it was completely worth it! 

Observing these animated, wild and exotic animals (exotic to me having growing up in Chicago)was such an amazing experience. I fully embraced and enjoyed my few minutes in the golden spot and was blown away by the contrast of penguins and this incredibly clear turquoise blue water and palm trees.

Capetown Bound...

Starting my journey to Capetown with a 7 hour flight to Amsterdam. Waiting at the airport might be unjoyable for a lot of people but for me they are my playground. I've always enjoyed the buzzing energy of waiting at the gate and walking around the terminals. Maybe I'm a bit weird but I've always made the most out of being at the airport. The idea of having 7 uninterrupted hours on the plane to read books, listen to podcasts and eat the 10 lbs of snacks that I packed is bliss! 

Preparing for South Africa...

For the last 5 months my sister Ana has been living in Capetown and interning at the Red Cross Hospital. Based on her instagram, she has been living the life down there with weekend sailing trips, music festivals and wine tastings as well as persuing her passion to work with kids. I am so proud of her for following what makes her happy and for taking the opportunity to travel as much as I did during university. I am beyond excited to be reunited with her and have her show me South Africa through her eyes.  

Packing for this trip has been somewhat of a puzzle since on our way home we will be stopping off in Amsterdam for a few days and currently Capetown is entering their summer season and Amsterdam will be in their Fall season. Trying to pack as minimal as possible for 2 different climates is difficult but the challenge is exciting!

I’ve never been to South Africa and before my sister started living there I never imagined or desired to go there so soon. It was definitely not on the top of my travel list but the first time she came back with pictures and stories I was sold! So tomorrow my parents and I are traveling halfway across the world to visit her for 2 weeks and explore Capetown and Amsterdam.