CAPE COD // To Do: Cape Cod Rail Trail

A few weeks ago, I went to Cape Cod and took a bike ride on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The CCRT is a 22 mile path that begins in Dennis and ends in Wellfleet. It passes through Harwich, Brewster, Orleans and Eastham as well. My mom and I started at mile 1 in Dennis and went to mile 9 before biking back home. I hadn't biked in years, but the trail is almost entirely flat and though there are many well-marked road crossings, it's mostly off-road and really easy to navigate.

By the end of the bike ride, when we had finished the trail and were biking the two miles home, there was a traffic light at the end of the road. We were going to be turning right at the light, which was green at the time. I was trying not to think about how much my butt hurt and how tired I was and how much I wanted to be home. I saw the green light and felt a sudden, certain kinship with Jay Gatsby looking at Daisy's green light on her dock: the impossible dream so far away.

“…he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away…”

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

(Eventually I did make it to the green light and home, and I look forward to someday soon biking the entire trail!)

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More information about the CCRT here

PARIS // To Do: The Louvre

I took an art history class in high school. Not only did it make me feel super cool because I learned how to talk about art, but it gave me a deep appreciation for the different types of art and how scattered across the globe the world's greatest pieces are. So it was a privilege for have free access to a whole new set of them for five full months.

I should start by mentioning that my living situation in Paris, though it came with some challenges, was the most centrally located place I could've ever hoped for. Let's take a look:

Google says it takes twelve minutes to get to the Louvre, but I promise that it was more like seven. And what a great seven minutes those were, since they were all that separated me from entrance to the world's most visited museum and all the art I could ever want. I would go every week or two, whenever I felt like seeing something new. Nocturne Louvre, when the museum is open for four extra hours on Wednesday and Friday evenings, was like a dream. 

The night that all my friends left Paris, I grabbed my headphones and wandered around the museum for the final time of my study abroad trip. I meandered, going wherever looked interesting and taking as much time as I wanted, visiting pieces I'd never seen before and rooms I'd never stepped foot in. I haven't even come close to seeing as much of the museum as I want to - but there's plenty of time to go back and see it all.

I'm not here to convince you to visit the Louvre. I assume if you're going to Paris for the first time, you probably will, even if it's just to visit the Mona Lisa, a painting so popular that there are whole signs in the museum directing you to her location.

Instead, I ask that after you visit Mona, stay awhile. Look at all the other paintings and sculptures and art pieces that are just as cool. Visit the Napoleonic Apartments. Visit the sculpture garden. Hang out for a while and people watch. There's some pretty crazy things to see if you're willing to look for them.

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The Louvre is closed Tuesdays. More information here.

PARIS // To Eat: Crêpes!

I 100% didn't intend this, but as I was writing I realized that these were my first and last crêpes in Paris! 

It's no secret that crêpes are one of the things most associated with France. I couldn't tell you how frequently Parisians eat them, but I can attest to the fact that there are crêpe stands all. over. the. city. And I took full advantage of this. A ham and cheese crêpe served as my dinner when I didn't want to cook, a Nutella crêpe would be mine when I was looking for a dessert, and sometimes I would grab a butter and sugar crêpe when I was feeling peckish.

Crêpes tend to be fairly affordable. As a general rule, if you're paying more than €2.50 for a straight up Nutella crêpe, you're paying more than you should and will be able to find somewhere cheaper. You might not care. I was poor, so I cared.

Moving on. Here is my roundup of the best crêpes in Paris.

Nicest Crêpe Maker... Chocolat Rouge (50 rue Rambuteau 75004)

This is one of the first places I went in Paris. It's around the corner from my school in the Marais. This place wins for nicest crêpe maker because the man got to know us. He waved one morning as I walked by, calling out "Bonjour!" and then never really stopped every morning after that. He was willing to chat either in French or English. After a while he even started to give us discounts. They also sell paninis, drinks, etc, as many crêpe places in Paris do. Plus they have heaters on when it's chilly! It's across the street from the Centre Pompidou.

Cheapest Crêpes... Crêperie Genia (15 Rue de la Harpe 75005)

This place doesn't necessarily have the greatest crêpes I've ever tasted, but if you're on a budget, you can't beat their deal. You get a savory crêpe and a dessert crêpe plus a drink for only €5. It's around the corner from St. Michel metro stop. They prefer that everyone in your group is ordering something there if you're going to take advantage of their decently sized (for Paris!) seating area upstairs.

Coolest Location...Oh! Regalade de la Tour Eiffel. (75007, facing the Eiffel Tower between the tower and the Seine)

This is the only place I was able to find a strawberry and Nutella crêpe, though I'm sure there are others. Because it's facing the tower, it's expensive for a student budget (€7.50 for the crêpe I had), but it's worth it for the experience to eat crêpes in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

Great Crêpes after a Night Out... Unknown name (4 rue de l'Ancienne Comedie)

I'm not sure of the name of this place, but I street viewed it on Google Maps (click for link) and it's the place where the man is sticking out his arms. I went here for dinner on my 21st birthday just because I could. It's nothing particularly special, but I mention it because it's in the Odeon area, where there are a lot of bars, so this might be useful to know! There is a seating area upstairs too.

Overall Best Crêpe.... Creparis, located near the Eiffel Tower in the 7th arrondissement. I desperately wished I had lived closer to here because I would have gone all the time! Unfortunately I checked their Facebook page and it looks like they've closed. Which is really sad. If you're going to Paris, research to see if they've reopened, because they were truly delicious.

This is only a handful of the crêpe stands I sampled while I lived in Paris. I'm sure there are other wonderful ones, but these are the ones that stand out in my memory. Wherever you get your crêpe fix, I hope you cherish each and every bite.

STUDY ABROAD // Diary Excerpts

An unedited peek at what my life was like all those months ago!

15th February, 2014

Paris, what a place. Life here is full of good food and crazy metro rides and lots of wine and a million photographs. 6 weeks later it's hard to believe this experience is actually happening, that what I dreamed about is really my life. Do I ever have to go home?

This evening I met up with Cole, Lacye, Sabrina and Aya at Aya's metro stop so we could go to Sacre Coeur. It's at the highest point of the city but somehow we managed to walk the exact opposite way. The area seemed kind of sketchy but miraculously we managed to avoid all creepers all evening. The church is gorgeous. When we'd been there about 15 minutes took a bunch of photos, and then walked inside we went back out and it started to POUR! Like, heavy, heavy rain. No Sacre Coeur at sunset for us! We went back inside and waited until Magda got there. Then we went to the Pink Flamingo, which has a location in the Marais as well. It a little more expensive at this location, but that makes sense. I got a Dante pizza and a Corona.

Being able to drink here seems so... normal. I guess it is better to get used to the culture of it here and then nothing will change. It's just much more relaxed here, and I honestly prefer it this way - it's a casual part of the culture but people don't spend hours talking about it. I guess with my birthday coming up in less than 3 weeks I'll be legal to drink in the States and alcohol won't be much of a thought anymore. Weird.

DUBLIN // To Do: Guinness Storehouse

My dad grew up in Dublin and my mom grew up about an hour south of the city. I've grown up going there to see my family. Because of this, I don't tend to do a lot of sightseeing anymore when I'm there. But bringing my Californian friend to Dublin from Paris seemed like a good opportunity to do a lot of things I'd meant to do for years.

First up was the Guinness Storehouse. The tour begins on the ground level and you work your way up. You first learn about barley, which is one of the fundamental ingredients of Guinness, and about the history of the company, which was started by Arthur Guinness in 1759. Arthur signed a 9,000 year lease with St. James's Gate, which is where the brewery is located. Thus, we'll never see it move to another location in our lifetime!

The tour is quite interactive, with exhibits ranging from old advertisements to the proper way to taste Guinness to pouring your own pint! The highlight is at the end, when you can visit the Gravity Bar, a top floor all-glass bar with 360 degree views of the city. This is where you can redeem your voucher for a free pint, which is included with the ticket price. This tour was something I had wanted to do since I turned 18. I think you can do it if you're younger, but you won't get to try any Guinness, obviously. The whole tour is very reminiscent of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory - you feel like you're being let in on some pretty cool secrets. It's a self-guided tour so you go at your own pace. There are a few cafes inside, and I recommend eating something before going up to the bar!

Information

St James's Gate Dublin 8, Ireland
Phone: + 353 1 408 4800

The Storehouse is open seven days a week from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, with the final admission at 5 pm. The most updated information and ticket info can be found here.

PARIS // To See: Eiffel Tower

Growing up, I had an Eiffel Tower poster on my bedroom wall. This carried over to college, where one poster turned into three. I guess it makes sense that I went to Paris after all :)

Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person was incredible. On the first full day in the city, after a lot of struggle to buy metro tickets and navigate our way while avoiding the men who aggressively sell Eiffel Tower trinkets in the vacinity (little did we know we would have to continue this avoidance for five months), we saw the tower in all its majesty. Read more about my first impressions here.

The pictures above represent almost every time I posted the tower on my instagram. At the time I felt like maybe I was aggressively instagramming it, but the sight of it grounded me to where I was and made me realize how lucky I was to be there. In May, it finally got warm enough to have picnics in the grass, an absolute dream of an activity. I didn't climb the tower until my last week there. It was perfect, because I was able to recognize major buildings - a true testament to how much I'd learned. My last night in the city, I went back to the Eiffel Tower, this time to Trocadero, and this time with different friends. We ended up staying over an hour, saying goodbye to each other, to the city, and to its biggest symbol. I miss it every day.

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Ticketing information

The view from the top of the tower is gorgeous, but the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris, why go to the one place you can't see it? On a quick trip to Paris, I recommend visiting Tour Montparnasse instead for an equally cool view - this time with the tower.

PARIS // To Do: Versailles

The Palace of Versailles is well known as a symbol of the absolute monarchy of France and for the role it played in the French Revolution. When the palace was built in the late 1600s, Versailles was far enough out of the hub of Paris to be considered the country. Now, it is a suburb easily accessible from the city. You've never seen opulence like the opulence on display at Versailles - it is absolutely crazy. I can't even imagine how much everything must have cost. Try not to imagine the millions of starving people who were allegedly told to "eat cake" and picture yourself living there instead, otherwise you'll think it's insane. It's one of the coolest places I've ever been because of the history and how much has happened there.

Tips for visiting Versailles:

1. Get there early. As early as possible.

2. Maybe don't make other concrete plans for the day. Give yourself plenty of time for the palace, the gardens, Marie Antoinette's hamlet, etc. 

3. You must, must get some Angelina's hot chocolate (pictured below). The greatest, richest hot chocolate you will ever have.

4. Watch Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette before you go if you're feeling fancy!

Accessing Versailles:
Take RER Line C to Versailles (make sure the train is going to Versailles, some trains don't stop there!)
From the stop, follow the signs (or the crowd!)

Tickets:
18€ for adults
Free for students/under-25s

Hours:
1 April to 31 October
Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 am to 6:30 pm
*closed Mondays!

1 November to 31 March
Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
*closed Mondays!