jjd323's blog

I’m going to Paris to watch my brother run in the marathon this weekend. I’ll be there for four nights, and am staying pretty centrally. Sadly, my French language skills have eroded to the point I’ll definitely be needing to get a phrase book to get by (I refuse to speak English on my first attempt at ordering anything or talking to anyone).

I’ve been to Paris quite a bit, so I’ve “done” the main museums and most of the larger touristy things. This trip is all about chasing around for good food and finding the smaller pleasures. I have a couple of friends from France who have given me a few restaurant tips, but if you have your own particular favourite please post in the comments below. There is only one place I will definitely be going: I need to visit Angelina’s to catch up with my favourite hot chocolate. Whilst I appreciate that there are some world class restaurants in Paris, I won’t be able to get a table booked at such short notice; I want your favourite little café, not L’Ambroisie.

Last time I visited Paris I went to the Botanic Gardens , but it started raining incredibly heavily just as I had entered so I didn’t really get to look around. I’ve made a habit of visiting national gardens when I visit foreign countries, so I’ll probably go back to finish looking around. I expect that the gardens at Versaille will be worth a visit at this time of year too (I’ve been before, but if it’s a nice day I can just sit outside and read my book). If you know of any other public gardens that might be worth a visit, please let me know.