Wow! It's been a whirlwind of craziness since I landed in Paris on January 9th. Thankfully, I arrived with all 4 of my bags (traveling light is not in my vocabulary) and was whisked away to my apartment in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a southwest suburb of Paris. The apartment is just what I was looking for and I can't believe I found it on craigslist! I even have a pull out couch for guests so if you're ever in the neighborhood, you have a place to stay, fresh pastry included.
I celebrated my 26th birthday exploring Paris and eating amazing food with my friend Amanda (she was an English assistant with me in Nantes). We started off at L'As du Falafel, (32, rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris) where you can eat the best falafel in the world - even Lenny Kravitz agrees. For dessert, we went across the street to La Boutique Jaune de Sacha Finkelsztajn (27, rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris) and Amanda had amazing cheesecake. In the US, you can find cheesecake almost everywhere, in France, not so much. When you mention "gâteau du fromage," people look at you like you're crazy.
Amanda's first falafel from L'As du Falafel
My tomato, onion, and goat cheese galette
Our third and most exciting stop of the day was Pierre Hermé (72, rue Bonaparte) - a gourmet chocolate and pastry shop in the very chic 6th arrondissement. Amanda had an Ispahan - fresh raspberries and rose cream suspended between two rose flavored macarons. I had the Pléntitude - a chocolate macaron topped with dark chocolate mousse and ganache, pieces of dark chocolate made with sea salt and caramel - best birthday cake of my life!
Best birthday cake EVER
Amanda and her Ispahan
Pierre Herme birthday treats - Plentitude and Ispahan
Our last stop of the night was a Breton crêperie. I've been craving real galettes and crêpes for months and finally had my favorite, a crêpe with salted caramel sauce..absolutely delicious! It was a fabulous birthday and I'm so glad I was able to celebrate it with Amanda, especially since she's moving back to the States after being in France for 5 years.
The dining area
The kitchen corner
The living room
My apartment building. Guess what's on the first floor...McDonalds!
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