Blonde and Abroad: The Tales of a SoCal Girl Living la Vie Parisienne: Exploring the 5e, 6e, 10e, 11e, and 12e arrondissements of Paris

In between my final exams as they took place over a (stressful) 10 day period,

I spent time walking around different arrondissements

in Paris to better familiarize myself with their layouts, their

streets, their sites, their cafés, etc. Instead of wandering aimlessly

in these neighborhoods and stumbling upon new places--although

that in itself is something fun to do--, I used my Mom's self-guided walking cards

to lead and orient me in these different sections of Paris I had yet to discover.

You might be wondering: well, Natalie has been for 5 months, should she know

Paris by the back of her hand by now? The truth is that I do not as Paris is so

large and has so much to offer that I simply cannot visit every park,

see every museum, eat every café all while having the plan of each arrondissement

memorized. True, I have seen quite a bit-- my loyal and few blog followers

would know--- but I would argue that seeing different monuments in

different arrondissements and understanding how each

arrondissements is laid out are different and not necessarily related.

Thus why I decided to really start to delve into little neighborhoods and

memorize street names and layouts, which is a task that I know I will have

to continue and improve upon

in my coming years in Paris.

CHATEAU DE VINCENNES:

One of France's oldest, most important, and better preserved castles

dating back to the Middle Ages.

For more information: http://en.chateau-vincennes.fr/

A view from outside of the castle walls

The front entrance

The wall that surround the fortress itself

The chapel: unfortunately, my pictures
do not do justice to how austere
and beautiful this chapel was

PROMENADE PLANTEE

Created in 1988 by Philippe Mathieux and Jacques Vergely on the former railway line, which linked Place de la Bastille to Varenne-Saint-Maur from 1859, the Promenade Plantée mixes areas of wild vegetation that has sprung up alongside the railway line with more modern landscaped areas.

The length of the park is roughly 3 miles long and was a very pleasant experience to walk!

As you can see here, the park sits above the viaduct and below
currently lie cutting edge artisan shops, galleries, and studios.

A flower market by Bastille

Back at Place de la Concorde for the end of the year
Middlebury reception which both Muriel
and Nicolas graciously attended!

10E, 11E AND 12E ARRONDISSEMENTS

Both of these arrondissements are located in the east of Paris, on the right

bank, and near Bastille, Republique, and Nation. Moreover, they are young and trendy

as they are home to alternative cafés, hip clothing shops, and great nightlife.

Over the course of 4 days, I came back there 3 out of the 4 because I was so intrigued

by what these places had to offer, and I hope that my photos

reflect that.

MARCHE ALIGRE, 12E

Located just 7 minutes away from Bastille, Marché Alligre

is a bustling, high-energy, and noisy market that has an incredible amount of goods to offer.

You can't walk a few feet without someone yelling at you from their stall that

they want to sell the best, the freshest, the cheapest XYZ. What was also interesting is that

this market caters to the neighborhoods' large North African population and

many of the goods and stores around this area reflected that influence.

Anyone hungry?

Looking through the photo books on a variety
of subjects was probably my favorite part of the market

Hand's down one of the best lunches I have had in Paris
at La Ruche au Miel, a Moroccan restaurant right near the
marché Aligre:
Curry chicken with spiced, cooked mangoes, apples and a prune,
delicious and sooting mint tea, homemade focaccia bread,
and a flaky small honey dessert
All for 15 euros!

RUE DE LA CHARONNE

and surrounding streets- 11e

About a month ago, I read a NYT travel article about the best

undiscovered streets in Europe, and the author named

this street for Paris given its understated-cool and boho vibes.

The most famous Parisian ballet flat maker

The "Without Underwear" Bistro

Bastille in the distance

Place de la Republique, 11e

Cool café

12E ARRONDISSEMENT

Stumbled upon the Element Skateboards Store

A famous boulangerie in Paris

A few years back, this place was voted to have the
best chocolate croissants

Eating a goat cheese and tomato bread roll
(from that place) along the Canal St. Martin

Hôpital St. Louis' Hidden Square

Does this design make you recall another famous square in Paris?
It should! The architect of this hospital
was also the architecture of Place des Vosges in the Marais.

Children playing and laughing

Quite frankly, not a bad view to have
from a hospital room!

Canal St. Martin

When you sight see alone, you end of having
to take a selfie to have proof that
you were actually there and the one
taking the photos

Parc Bercy, 12e

Up, up, up, there Aaron goes!

EXPLORING MORE OF THE

LATIN QUARTER -

5e and 6e arrondissements

Although I have spent a fair amount of time

here already, I spent this past Sunday afternoon

walking down every little street and trying to understand how it

all connects and layouts, while stopping at various

shops and parks along the way.

One the many art galleries I passed on Rue de Seine

The petit choux de La Maison de Choux
(Bottom right are some of my self-guided walking cards- the front
has the map of the walk while the back gives an explanation
of what you are seeing along the way)