The Paris Diaries Fall Day 1

Welcome to the Fall Series of The Paris Diaries. This idea started two years ago when I took my first trip to Paris after starting the blog. It was a way to bring you into my daily life in Paris. It was a huge success with readers so I have continued it. I used to stay up late every night in Paris and write a recap of the day. Last year, a friend suggested that I live in the moment and enjoy Paris, I could write when I got home. It honestly took a huge weight off my shoulders and allowed me to be more present and enjoy my time in Paris.

I barely slept on the plane which is pretty normal. I ended up watching a few movies include “The Book Club” which I thought was hilarious. I am loving Jane Fonda lately from Grace and Frankie.

One of the blog readers I have gotten to know in Chicago ended up being on the plane. They had a girls trip and stayed at Adele and Jules. (It is on my Top Boutique Hotels List for Paris) You may remember this photograph from my trip in January.

We rode into the city together and I made my way to my first accommodation of many. I will say that the weather is always grey no matter what season I arrive in Paris, but this was the first time it was warm and sunny. I had to take full advantage of it and fight the jet lag and desire to climb into bed.

My first stop was the local boulangerie that was just around the corner from where I was staying. Boulangerie Utopie has one of the best croissants in Paris.

I stopped by one of my favorite coffee spots for a café crème, Boot café. As I walked out the door with a coffee cup in hand ( I took it to go). I immediately wanted to start shooting the city. I remember having to put my cup down along the way because I needed two hands to shoot. I craved a good cup of coffee but my heart wanted to capture Paris.

I had to run a few errands before the stores closed. This included a trip to the Pharmacie to pick up face wash, shampoo, and body wash. It has always been easier to pick up these things once I arrive so it doesn’t weigh down my suitcase and since I use mostly French products it saves me money. I will bring home the rest when I am finished.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I held out for La Favorite. I crave their smoked salmon! The portion is huge and I couldn’t finish it all. There was great people watching as I sat on the terrace and the weather was perfect.

I stopped for lunch in the Marais before picking up a SIM card for my phone. It is easy to pick up a SIM from Orange so I chose a lunch spot close by. After lunch, I realized Orange was no longer in the same spot. A quick check on the map and Orange was across the Seine and a long walk for my jet lagged body. I ended up finding a Bouygues store on Rue de Rivoloi. It was a quick transaction. There was a choice between a SIM card you could add to over time or one for my visit. I ended up getting 20 GB for 40 euros. I didn’t even use half of it during my two weeks and I was using it regularly to do Instagram Live videos. In the US, it is $10 a day with Verizon so this was the better deal in my opinion.

I made my way around the city for a bit in a jet lagged fog. It is always strange coming back even if I am only gone for a few months. The city changed so much in just a short amount of time. I walked around as much as I could before deciding to go back to the apartment. The sun was beginning to set and rain was starting to fall.

This was the only rain the entire trip. If I knew this, I probably would have walked a bit longer through the drizzle.

I set my alarm for a quick nap because I couldn’t say awake any longer. I pulled myself together for the grocery for snacks and couldn’t fall asleep until 2 am.

I am a terrible sleeper, but I live for that first good sleep when I make it abroad. I usually sleep so well that first night and the nap ruined it!

P.S. Don’t miss My Paris Agenda and Travel Essentials for Long Flights

You can read the Paris Diaries Day 2 Here