Weekend in Paris? Yes please. Last weekend Ryan and I spent three great days in Paris with our friends Adam and Angie. It was glorious, and rainy, and beautiful, and busy. We walked a ton, we saw practically everything, ate a lot, and went to bed exhausted every night. There’s definitely more to be done in Paris, and you can spend more time, but if you’ve only got a weekend here’s a jam packed recap of what we did and saw. I’ve tried to include lots of pictures but you can also see more here on Flickr. 

We left on Friday after work and stayed near the Arc de Triomphe. The weather was gloomy an unfortunately stayed that way for most of the weekend. On Saturday we woke up early and awkwardly bumbled our way through ordering croissants and coffee at a nearby cafe. Then we started off on our epic, over 10 mile, trek across Paris. We started by walking around the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champes-Élysées, and towards the Louvre. In spite of the rain, Paris is still really beautiful. The stone buildings have gorgeous ornamentation and romantic looking wrought iron balconies with flowers spilling over the side. The sidewalks and roads were so wide and lined with large trees. London streets are so narrow and crowded that all of us relished in the wide open spaces. The four of us are all also former Washington, DC residents and we could see exactly the French influence on DC’s city planning. Specifically the long streets with beautiful views ending in roundabouts made us think of DC. But, between you and me Paris does it was better. Paris has wider streets, longer roads, and amazing views. Although, to be honest it was so foggy the first day we couldn’t even see the top of the Eiffel Tower.

When we got to the Louvre the whole plaza was teaming with people all lined up to visit the museum. We looked at each other with trepidation. Did we want to wait in such a long line?! Isn’t the Louvre something you have to do? We decided to skip it for now and keep on walking. We walked over to the Seine River and crossed multiple bridges bursting with locks from couples. It was scenic and lovely, and even in the rain a bit romantic.

We arrived at Notre Dame and there was yet another gigantic line. Adam and I had been before, Ryan and Angie weren’t bothered so instead we walked all around and enjoyed the architecture from the outside. Obviously Paris is an international tourist destination, but we just hadn’t pictured such gigantic lines!

Next stop, lunch. We went to the Latin Quarter and browsed the shops and ate. The four of us shared a box of sweet macaroons, which I loved. Later in the trip we saw savory macaroons with flavors like tomato and basil and chevre foie gras. I didn’t try them, but I was curious. And after food, we went to the Musee ‘Orsay. There was yet another gigantic line but at this point in the day we felt that it was time we saw something, so we waited.

And I’m so glad we did! The museum is glorious. I love paintings that are colorful, somewhat abstract, have bold brush strokes, and great texture. This museum had everything I wanted in paintings because of their excellent collection of impressionists and post-impressionists. I was most taken with a Van Gogh self portrait. I’ve seen it a billion times in books and online, but in person it had more emotion and personality. I felt like he was staring at me. I felt sadness, and defiance, and strength all in the portraits gaze. I loved it and it just proves to me that visiting museums is important because it provides something you can’t get from a post card. For example pointillism – the paintings where everything is made up of tiny dots. I love it! I love seeing the blending of color and I love the juxtaposition of abstract color and form with really constrained order and attention to detail

.After that more eating! We shared a cheese plate, and wine, and then went out to dinner. Adam had a friend and her fiance who live in Paris and they organized for us to have dinner at restaurant specializing in food from Toulouse. They took care of the ordering and we had lots of pâté (which looked like a fatty meat cup but was actually silky and full of flavor), charcuterie, and the absolute best leg of lamb I’ve ever had. It was juicy and tender and was like steak. It was great having locals show us around and take care of us a bit. We went to bed exhausted and full.

Sunday we started the day with more pastries and coffee. Then we decided to walk a little less and wait in a few more lines. First we took the metro to see Sacre Coeur. This is one of the few places I remember strongly from when I visited Paris ten years ago. I’m not a religious person, and I wasn’t when I was nineteen either, but it’s one of the first amazing churches I’d ever seen. It was the first place that sort of astounded me with its beauty and it was nice to see it again. The church is sat on top of a hill and you can see all of Paris – and I just love views because you can imagine what’s going on in the world below. And inside the church (where photography isn’t allowed) there are some gigantic gold and blue mosaics. After touring, we then walked around the nearby neighborhood and snacked on nutella crepes.

After we decided to check out the catacombs, which is an ossuary which houses the remains of about six million people. The space itself was a mine, but became the catacombs in the 18th century. Basically because of disease and space issues, nearby church grave yards were exhumed and the bodies moved to the catacombs. Inside the bones are artfully stacked and line long winding corridors. It’s haunting and engaging. There were just so many bones, all stacked, and arranged, and staring. So many people. It was a bit intense. Adam said something which sums it all up for me: If this doesn’t remind you of your own insignificance, I don’t know what will. I didn’t take great pictures here, so please Google them, it’s worth looking up.

When we left the catacombs, thankfully the sun had come out (and decided to stay out until we left on Monday). We decided to take that opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower. It was glorious. The sun was out, the sky was blue, the grass was green, and the Tower was reigning above it all. For awhile we sat on the grass and people watched. It was one of those great moments where you feel like you’re doing exactly what you should be doing.

As with everything we’d done so far in Paris, there was a gigantic line. We stood in it for about two minutes before we decided to quit and have dinner instead. The guide book recommended a nearby place called Les Cocottes and I pushed my eating boundaries. The thing I had initially wanted to order was out, so I went with the thing I was curious to eat – pigeon. I’d never had pigeon before and was curious and nervous. Let me tell you all, it was delicious! Really freaking delicious. Small portion, but meaty and hearty like a steak and bursting with amazing flavor. I don’t know when I’ve tried something so drastically out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I did. Both my meal and Ryan’s meal (which was lamb) came with little pieces of liver. I did try both and didn’t like either – but I’m still pleased I lived on the edge with the pigeon.

After dinner we went back to see the Eiffel Tower at night, and luckily there was no line. We went up to see the views and enjoy Paris at night. It was a nice night, not too crowded, windy, and the city looked beautiful and twinkly. However, I did try to get out of the way of a couple taking a selfie and I tripped and fell into a bolt sticking out of the tower. Now I have a giant purple welt on my leg – a unique souvenir from the Eiffel Tower if I do say so myself.

On Monday, our final day, we decided to brave the Louvre again and were delight to find a really short line (like 30 minutes long vs the original 2+ hours from Saturday). Moral of the story, try to visit these places at off hours. Angie and I knew what we wanted to see – she wanted to see the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. I wanted to see the Dendera Zodiac (which I learned about from an awesome book called Loot) and the Nike of Samothrace. We planned our route, got lost a bit, stopped to see other cool things, and tried to see as much as we could.

Tired and heads full of art, we stopped for one last delicious meal before heading to the train station. I rode home with a full belly, tired feet, and a pretty satisfied wanderlust.

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Ryan and I recently went to Montreal for a long weekend. It was a wonderful getaway and the perfect mix of site-seeing, taking in a new place, and also sitting around relaxing. As with most vacations, we ate well and tried to seek out popular and local restaurants. I’m a little crazy about this. I read my guidebook and then I constantly talk about what I want to try, until we get to try it. I took pictures of some of our favorite meals and wanted to share in case you ever find yourself in Montreal.

I like taking pictures of food, even if sometimes the pictures come out a little weird. When I came back from my honeymoon a few of my friends teased me about how many pictures I took of the food. At first I was a little embarrassed, but then I realized that food is an important part of the vacation experience (at least for me). We’re tourists in part because we want to learn and experience a culture and life different from our own. As someone who interacts with tourists regularly for work, I’m often asked “what’s a good DC place to eat?” Food can teach us about a place’s traditions and trends. Food can teach about climate. Think of how we associate hearty foods with cold climates. Or oranges with Florida. Or olives with a sunny Mediterranean climate. Food is a part of a place’s identity.

My attempt to de-bone the fish

Mostly importantly for me, a picture of food can remind me of the way I felt and the adventures I had. One example is in Turkey, Ryan and I ordered fish and we got the whole fish. The first time, we failed miserably in removing the bones. The second time, I was nervous but determined to get most of the bones out in one swoop. And I was mostly successful, so we took a picture to mark my triumph. Pictures of food remind me of the excitement and anticipation of vacation. I’d also like to note, that when I asked people for recommendations of what to do in Montreal I only got recommendations of what to eat and where. Not one recommendation of what to see! I think that means other people are obsessed with food too. But without further ado, here are four foods/restaurants I think are remarkable in Montreal.

Poutine, from Resto La Banquise

Before we left for Montreal I knew I was going to try to poutine. I first learned about poutine when I was in grad school. I had a friend from Canada who was shocked (and possibly horrified) that none of us had heard of poutine before.  Apparently it’s a pretty legit Canadian dish. Poutine is made with french-fries, gravy, and cheese curds.  We went to La Banquise on a recommendation from a friend of a friend. We got there and the entrance was filled with about 15 people snaked around in a squished line. It went pretty fast and soon we were seated in their brightly colored and very full dining area.

The menu boasts over 20 different types of poutine. Ryan had his with ground beef, onions, and mushrooms. I had mine with hot dogs. Let me just say, I love hotdogs. Possibly I should be ashamed of that, but I’m not. I will buy a hotdog every chance I get – at the ballgame, from street vendors, at the bar, wherever it’s offered. I love it. But still, I was nervous. Last time I had eaten a hotdog off the bun it had not gone well. On our honeymoon Ryan and I wanted to have a night in and I went to the store and bought what I thought was pepperoni pizza (because I couldn’t read the package and the picture looked like pepperoni). It was HOT DOG PIZZA. It was gross and Ryan and I got sick.

But, La Banquise used to be a popular hot dog stand and so I thought they would know what they were doing. And THEY DID. It was hearty, warm, gooey, and delicious. The fries were crispy and didn’t get soggy. The gravy was so good that if it has been Thanksgiving I would have put it on everything, even the cranberry sauce. And the cheese curds were a little melty and gooey. I loved it and almost ate the whole mound. It was amazing on a cold and windy Montreal day. Seriously, I might try to make this at home next winter.

Montreal Bagel

If you’re a devotee of Manhattan bagels, this isn’t likely to change your life, but it’s worth the try. Montreal bagels are smaller, thinner, and denser than bagels than bagels sold here.  I had it with cream cheese, lox, lettuce, tomato, and their special sauce. The bagel was sturdy, filling, and held up well under all those toppings. I really liked it, until I saw Ryan’s breakfast.

Sweets

While I was eating a bagel, Ryan was eating an out-of-this-world crepe. You know how on menus the pictures almost never look as good as the actual food? This was not one of those times. The picture looked amazing, and the real thing looked just as amazing. The crepe was filled with nutella and fruits like strawberries, raspberries, bananas, and blueberries. It was decadent and I was totally jealous. You can definitely make this at home. It’s not hard at all. Here’s a recipe from Jacques Pepin. 

Ingredients – 3/4 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/3 cup cold water, 2 tbsp canola oil

Combine the flour, eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, salt, and sugar. Whisk well. Add remaining milk, water, and oil. Stir well until smooth. Heat a small skillet and butter the pan. Pour about 2-3 tbsp of batter into the pan. Immediately after pouring in the batter, lift the pan and swirl it around so the batter lines the whole bottom of the skillet. The batter can set quickly so you have to be fast moving the batter all around! Cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute, maybe 2 at the max. It should be cooked on one side and can be slightly brown but should not be dark. Flip the crepe over either using a spatula or with an awesome quick flip of the wrist. You’ll probably only need to cook the second side for 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter. Butter pan between each crepe.

Hey look at that, I included a recipe!

We also saw macaroon carts all over the place. I had never had one before and was drawn to the beautiful array of colors. I went up to a kiosk in the Underground City Mall (seriously called the Underground City, how cool is that?!) and I asked the vendor what I should get. I was overwhelmed by how pretty they all were and I couldn’t read any of the labels which were printed in French. He pointed one out (unfortunately not colorful) and said it was the most popular and tastes like Ferrero Rocher. Um, sold. Which, if you don’t know what that is it’s a delicious candy that has crunchy hazelnut pieces embedded in silky chocolate. That macaroon did taste just like them – delicious chocolate and hazelnut! It was chewy, soft, and sweet without making my teeth hurt. It was nice introduction to macaroons.

Ryan and I didn’t eat anything maple while in Canada. It’s surprising because it was the only food product I really associated with Canada before our trip. And we saw maple tea and lattes and such, but only in touristy places so we avoided them. But, with our last remaining Canadian coins I bought us some maple cookies for our plane ride home. They were touristy because we bought them in the airport and they were shaped like leaves, but they were surprisingly good. Like maple flavored animal crackers. They were nice, light, and yummy plane food.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Schwartz’s

Before going to Montreal, everyone Schwartz’s Deli. We walked there and it was a bit of a hike from our hotel and mostly uphill, and then when we arrived there was a long line. We were hungry and tired and hoped the hype was going to be worth it. It was. The place is tiny and different groups get sat together at the same table. The waiters squeeze in between people, and great you with “bonjour, hello,” trying to gauge what language you speak.

Regardless of language, everyone ordered the smoked meat sandwich. There are other things on the menu, but I did not see anything else come out of the kitchen. The sandwich is basically a pastrami type of meat piled high on white bread with a smear of mustard. So simple, and yet so good. The meat was tender but crumbly and fell out of the bread (and my mouth) with each bite. Those fallen pieces were a great delight to pick over once the sandwich was eaten. The sandwich was the highlight of our three-day eating tour of Montreal. We considered getting a third sandwich to share, but decided to make the smart decision and be satisfied with what we’d already eaten. The way I know it was an incredible sandwich was because Ryan asked me to take a picture of him with his sandwich. He doesn’t usually ask for pictures so I knew we had a winner. If you’re ever in Montreal go here. It’s cheap, the line moves fast, and the food hits the spot.

Our trip to Montreal was great. We saw beautiful churches, watched curling on t.v.,  wandered the old city streets, and ate really well. During the trip, after all this talk of food, I asked Ryan to name his favorite meal he’d had on vacation. It ended up being a lengthy conversation and we couldn’t pick just one thing. We laughed, remembered forgotten experiences, and salivated over delicious meals of the past.

What’s your favorite vacation meal?

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