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Published: August 18th 2013
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I've been to Paris a few times before and to be honest, the city has never really impressed me. It may be something to do with my ingrained hatred of the French that instantly taints my view of the city or it may just be that I'm not the biggest fan of large cities but this time I was actually quite excited about the trip and I was practically bouncing around the departure lounge. That's probably more to do with that fact that I was on my way to visit one of my nest friends who has been living in Paris and I didn't really feel like a proper tourist this time.
I may sound like a bit of a snob here but where possible (and affordable) I do like to fly Lufthansa - there's something about the German national airline that has just captured my heart in a way that Easyjet and Ryanair have failed to do (and it does make me feel a bit VIP when I can check in using my frequent flyer card even if I've barely got any miles on there). If you've never flown Lufthansa before as you are under the impression
that you'll have to sell your soul to afford it, I would seriously advise you to take a look at their website and get an idea of their prices, they really aren't that bad if you can book in advance. My return flights to Paris were only 99 Euros which may be a bit more than you would pay flying with some of the budget airlines but once you factor in the additional charges that budget airlines will charge you for check in luggage and the fact that Lufthansa offer you free refreshments and newspapers on board as well as in the terminal (at least at my main airport) I really think its worth it. Especially if you make the most of it and take a copy of every newspaper on offer and drink as many complimentary hot drinks that the machine in the terminal will give you.
The one thing that I will admit to liking about the French is that they do make damn good pastries and you don't have to pay a fortune to experience 5 minutes of absolute heaven. You can walk in to pretty much any bakery, no matter how shabby it
looks from the outside, and walk out with the best croissant you'll ever have. In fact, I prefer to go to the shabby looking bakeries over chic looking ones as I always feel that the chic looking ones are over priced and somehow manage to under deliver and I normally walk away feeling slightly disappointed and dissatisfied. Having said that though, Ladauree is definitely worth a visit, believe me no matter how long the queue you have to stand in, its always worth the wait. If you want to be the typical tourist you can stock up on Macarons there but I believe that they have so much more exciting cakes to offer - definitely branch out and try one of their spectacular looking cakes.
Crepes are supposedly something that the French are famous for but having visited many a European city, I've come to realise that they are easily available all over mainland Europe and in my opinion the French don't really do them much better than anyone else. Having said that though, who doesn't love a crepe filled with Nutella, although I'm sure we can all agree that the Nutella is the best part rather than the pancake. If you're walking by a crepe stand, definitely pick one up, they're the perfect snack to pacify your sweet tooth when you're on the go. The French are big fans of their outdoor markets and I can definitely say that I am too! There's so many different types of food and snacks on offer that you could easily buy breakfast, dinner and tea there for a week without having to eat the same thing twice. For me, these markets are particularly dangerous as I tend to want to eat anything that I can see/smell and with the amount of stalls cooking their specialties there and putting them right in front of your face for you to see and smell, I actually have to be dragged away before I buy everything in sight and stuff myself full. However, if you have a bit more self control that me, you can get some delicious food for good prices at the French markets and it will definitely be cheaper and probably better quality than when you'll find in the tourist restaurants.
It seems like this blog has turned out to be all about food so you'll have to wait for the next one of you want some info on the sights in Paris but before I go, one last food related piece of advice - Never eat a French ready meal.
Besos!
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