Sunny Day in the 5th: Rue Mouffetard, Jardin des Plantes, and Tea at the Grande Mosquée

Okay, let's face it - when I use the word Sunny, what I actually mean is that a handful of sun rays peeked through the clouds intermittently during the day. What I DON'T mean is the bright, powerful, stark sunshine of California - That kind of sunshine, my friends, I probably won't be seeing anytime soon. But for now, a few warming rays bring a much-needed feeling of warm happiness. This Saturday, I went on a little wander through the 5th Arrondissement with my friend Ellen. She introduced me to a really great Crêperie on well-known Rue Mouffetard that has made its appearances on many a travel itinerary, but which I had never heard of. In fact, I had never even walked this famous foodie road until now! I was pleasantly surprised with how charming it was - on a slight incline, full of delicious scents of roasting meat, felafel, and sweet crêpes, miscellaneous shops, an American diner... shall I go on? The Crêperie, called Au P'tit Grec, offers GINOURMOUS sweet and savoury french-style pancakes at really modest prices. Not only was the Egg, Cheese, and Ham crêpe super filling and yummy, but even the typical Nutella crêpe we had for dessert was exceptionally good - I have a theory it's the butter they use on the grill when heating. If you decide to go, be advised that there will probably be a substantial queue for both take-away and sit-down, and that the interior seating is extremely limited. But don't let that stop you! More info at the bottom of the post. The temperature was really so lovely, and strolling down Rue Mouffetard, Nutella crêpe in-hand, was bliss. And of course, flower shops only add to the ambiance. After a little brainstorming, Ellen and I made our way over to Jardin des Plantes, which was only just beginning to sprout flowers here and there. Not only is it a botanical garden during warm weather, they also had an Orchid exhibition in a massive greenhouse, a Natural History museum, and a small Zoo. We satisfied ourselves by merely walking around, as we both had no desire to stand in line and pay for entrance tickets ("help me, I'm poor" - Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids). We finished our Journey in the 5th with some hot, sweet mint tea at the Grande Mosquée de Paris. We chose to sit in the front courtyard, with white walls, blue tile work, soft, diffused lighting, and a chorus of songbirds. The tea was a nice treat, sweetened to my taste. I saw a few people enjoying sweet-smelling hookah. We had a look-see around the interior, and it certainly didn't disappoint - different rooms with painted walls, red curtains, gold accents, the works. I highly, highly recommend stopping in if you're in the area. It was so lovely to experience a little slice of Paris I had never tasted before. Just when you think you've seen it all, that there's nothing left to explore or ignite that sense of adventure and discovery - a friend takes you somewhere new. It's really made me want to branch out more, see places in Paris I've never thought to see.

Places Mentioned:
Au P'Tit Grec Crêperie - 62 Rue Mouffetard, 75005
Jardin des Plantes - 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005
2bis Place du Puits de l'Ermite, 75005
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The Paris Memoirs: Marché Aux Puces de Saint-Ouen

Flea Markets - where else can you find such a wide array of STUFF? When you go to flea markets, you find things you never knew you wanted. For instance, I don't typically sit at home making shopping lists that consist of "fabric scraps," "miscellaneous beads," "gilt frames," "amateur oil paintings," "skeleton keys," and "kitschy teacups," and yet, the minute I set foot within a flea market, I just want ALL of the things!

The Flea Market of Saint-Ouen in northern Paris is perhaps the most famous in the city, I've heard there are plenty more that are more reasonably priced, but this one sure is charming, only once you get past the two blocks of seedy-looking pop-up shops selling the lowest quality clothing, phone cases, and, pardon my language, other random shit.

Once you get out of the metro, keep your eyes fixed straight ahead and make a beeline for the REAL flea market, don't be fooled by the tourist trap that comes first. This blogpost gives really good directions, complete with map and all!

Now - enjoy these photos! I only took pics of the little alleys that contained mostly "junk" or knick knacks. The market also boasts a large collection of fine antiques, which you should check out if you have the money or the desire.






















I bought the postcards in this post from this little market stall. I tried speaking French to the little lady there and she gave me a small discount :)



I plan on visiting other Paris flea markets in the future, and when I do I'll be sure to let you know how they compare.

For clear directions to the market, see:
This blogpost
The official website

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The Paris Memoirs: Magical Moments

The memories that remain with you the longest aren't the landmarks you saw or the things you bought - they're the experiences you have with people and the feelings you get. I could go on for hours about all the amazing meals, nights out, nights in, and inside jokes I had during my five months in Paris, but no amount of storytelling skill would convey the reality of each personal experience.

So instead, in order to make this way more accessible, I've decided to share my top four memories of Paris, that is, the images I get in my head when I think of this city. These were the magical moments.


Autumn Leaves and Springtime Gardens


One reason, among millions, why Paris is so charming, is because of its green spaces. There are so many parks and trees that provide a nice relief from the gray stone color of the buildings.

And the floral design in the major parks are so beautiful! Whoever the landscape designer is should be applauded, because the wild bunches of flowers bring such life to the parks! These were both taken at the Tuileries, you just HAVE to come here during spring or summer.



Le Musée D'Orsay


My absolute favorite time period in Art History resides here, at this magical palace of beauty. The museum is housed in a renovated train station - a fancy one, bedecked in gold, with a massive, arched, coffered ceiling.

You're not allowed to take pictures of the art, but they have one of the largest collections of Impressionist paintings, as well as lesser known artwork from the time period, including a small room dedicated to the Nabis. There's also some Van Goghs and a fantastic miniature cut-away model of Opera Garnier.




MONTMARTRE - all day, err'day


If you asked me the place I visited most, it would be Montmartre, by far. I can't even remember how many times I spent an afternoon ambling about there. Although I lived in the south of Paris, and Montmartre was at the very opposite end, I still made the trek out there because it's just THAT good. I was lucky enough to live on Metro line 12, which had stops at both the Musée D'Orsay and the base of the Montmartre hill, so it wasn't too much of a hassle to get there.

My favorite route up to the butte was from Metro Abbesses. Less tourists, and zero obnoxious salesmen forcing you to look at their eiffel tower keychains or string bracelets (don't even get me started on how damn annoying they are). Using this route, there are a number of small boutiques and cute restaurants to check out. I particularly enjoyed the vintage shop Vintage Desir for it's cheap prices, and Chîne Machine for its higher end inventory. Be sure to head downstairs into the stone basement at Chine Machine! Lots of amusing things to try on, including giant fur coats, wacky 80s prom dresses, and the like.

One of my favorite sections of Montmartre was near the vineyard, near La Maison Rose and, further down the hill, Au Lapin Agile. That Bohemian charm still remains here, even if it is usually swarmed with tourists. Just avoid the sales men that lurk at the bottom of the hill near the carousel… they are bad news. And another piece of advice, if you see a stand selling sausages on baguettes with grilled onion, buy one. You won't regret it.

{Basement of Chîne Machine}


Île-de-la-Cité and Île-Saint-Louis


Saving the best for last! The two islands that sit in the middle of the Seine river are perhaps the most quintessentially Parisian. You have Notre Dame here, St. Chapelle there, a famous ice cream shop over yonder, little booksellers lining the river banks, a charming park, Shakespeare and Co. across the river (technically not on the islands, but close enough!), AND MORE.

My preferred plan of attack: visit St Chappel with it's amazing stained glass windows, pop into Notre Dame, then make your way down side streets, over a bridge to the quieter Île-Saint-Louis, stop at any vendor to get a fix of Berthillon ice cream (my favorite flavor is caramel beurre salé, aka salted caramel), then amble across another bridge and down to the river bank as you savor the ice cream snack. You could even be ambitious and bring bottle of wine to drink by the water's edge. CAN YOU GET ANY MORE CHARMING?!

I find the back of Notre Dame much more beautiful than the front. Theres even a little garden in the back with plenty of benches.


There's still so much to share about my Paris study abroad experience! I have a few more planned before I depart for a new new life in Versailles in one month! On the planner - "Le Musée," "Marché aux Puces," and "Restaurants." After that, I'll be able to share my new experiences settling into French life. <3




*Top image made with A Beautiful Mess app

*Places Mentioned:

Vintage Desir - 28 rue Yvonne le Tac, Metro Abbesses (also one in the Marais)

Chîne Machine - 100 Rue des Martyrs, Metro Abbesses

Berthillon Ice Cream - 31 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, Metro Cité + walk

Shakespeare & Co - 37 Rue de la Bucherie, Metro Saint Michel



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Musée Gustave Moreau

When my Mom was in Paris, we took an hour to check out the Gustave Moreau museum. Most people, even people who have some knowledge of art history, aren't super familiar with this artist, but I gotta say, he's extremely interesting!

{View of the lower studio space}
He's considered a Symbolist painter, so many of his tableaux are a fantastical melange of biblical, mythological, medieval, and otherwise imagined references. Some of his work is more textured, expressive, and colorful, like the later work of Delacroix, while his more famous works are expertly drawn, highly ornate, and almost scintillate with detail. His mix of symbolism with extreme attention to detail bring to mind, at least in my own head, apocalyptic yet ancient, and cult-like, ritualistic themes. I picture his images taking place in an imaginary time that is futuristic, yet extremely ancient at the same time, and it's pretty easy to become lost in them.














This museum doesn't take long to visit, so I would highly recommend it as an extra outing when you need something else to do in Paris. I say that like you'll actually run out of things to do... NOT possible! haha

What's also pretty unique, is that the museum itself resides in Moreau's actual home, and planning for it began while he was still alive, by Moreau himself. As a result, you can see not only some of his living quarters, but also take comfort in the fact that it was organized and preserved according to the artist's own vision. Pretty neat!





{Amazing staircase!}