All American Burger

After a week of amazing and decadent food in Paris, as bad as it might sound, I sort of just wanted a burger. So I decided to finally go try a New Yorker secret hangout, the Burger Joint. A small, old school burger shop hidden inside a hotel in midtown. If you don't know where it is, you will probably walk by it over and over, as I watched many tourist do. After walking through a curtain and waiting through the line I ordered my burger and fries and my friend snatched one of the few booths and as we waited for our food we decided to write on the walls covered in notes from people from around the world. When we finally got our burgers we were joined from some other people, and looking around at the size of the place, sharing tables seems to be the norm. The actual burger itself was good, no bells and whistles just a patty, cheese, lettuce and tomato. I don't think that the hype of the restaurant is worth it, but it does make for a fun scene. So I guess I'm still on the search for the best burger in New York.

Au Revoir Paris!

Unfortunately it's time to start wrapping this vacation up and for one of our last nights we went Bateaux Mouches. We thought that we would get decent food and lots of tourist while seeing all the sights all lit up at night. We ended up on the newest boat with a beautiful table and fantastic food. We listened to live music and drank champagne while cruising down the Seine, if that wasn't a great ending to the trip, for our last night we went to the Baccarat Cristal Room the next night before we left in the morning. Everyone knows about Baccarat crystal, but in Paris they have a museum for their world famous crystal and a small restaurant. This small restaurant is covered in their beautiful crystal in reds and greens, over-sized mirrors and brick walls. After an amazing week, its was time to head back to school and say bye to my parents. I had the best time in France seeing all the gorgeous architecture, learning about champagne and tasting all the delicious French cuisine. I wish I didn't have to leave, but I know this won't be my last time in the incredible country.

A Touristy Few Days in Paris

After a very long meal at Guy Savoy, it was time to walk it off, and where better to walk then through the streets of Paris. We walked along the Seine looking at all the artwork and stores and over the famous bridges and noticed the locks on some of them. I had to google this peculiar tradition and learned that people from around the world leave "lovelocks", locks with names or initials of couples. A long day of walking calls for one of my favorite parts of traveling, room service of course. It has become an important factor in my travels, who doesn't like being served in bed? The next day we went to my new favorite place, Versailles Palace, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Although its vast size, not one small detail is out of place and everything is in perfect condition. Just looking at the gates I knew this was something special and then walked into the hall of mirrors and understood why its world famous. The enormous chandeliers, gold leaf molding, vibrant tapestries and walls of mirrors throughout the whole palace truly makes this a special place.

Paris Part Deux:Foodie Addition

What a day! Since the weather has been so amazing we decided to drive out of the city to Epernay, champagne country. We started with a tour of Moet & Chandon, the largest champagne company in the world. We learned about the company and then we had a tour of the caves, they have the most land for their grapes and the largest caves in Epernay. After the tour and tasting we drove around to other chateaus and through the town. Then it was time to head back into the city for dinner at Guy Savoy. What a meal, starting of with the bread cart, yes a bread cart and also a cheese cart that was outrageous . The food was incredible and the courses seemed never ending, with a dessert course the was beautiful. But I haven't even told you the best part yet. Guy Savoy himself came out from the kitchen to introduce himself and ask us about our meal, when one of the waitresses noticed how excited we were afterwards she told Guy and he invited us back into the kitchen! He was so nice and what a perfect ending to a great day!

Bon Jour from Paris!

Finally in Paris, I've been having so much fun exploring this city. First thing we did when I landed was go to La Duree, famous for its macaroons and cakes. Its right on the Champs Elysees and inside decorated in golds and green. We decided to call it a night early and the next morning we started off at the Musee de l'Orangerie, to see Monet's water lilies. We then walked through the Tuileries Gardens to the Louvre, found a cafe and ordered a few croque monsieurs and espressos. After some caffeine for the jet lag we were off to my favorite spot, Montmartre, north of Paris, known for the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur (Basilica of the sacred hearts) a beautiful white church and for being an artist's village. Its been a great first couple days and I can't wait to see more of the famous sights and try more of the french food, although I could get used to a croque monsieur everyday. Bonsoir