I am seriously hooked on this coffee.
Green tea, what green tea? ;) Someone save me! No, actually don’t save me. I don’t ever want to be apart from this coffee. I’m sad because I hear that the coffee back at home won’t taste as good as Paris coffee. Is this true!?
What are your favourite brands of coffee to make at home? We do have a brand new coffee maker that we have only used twice for guests before (it was a wedding gift). Perhaps I should dust it off when I get home. ;)
The highlight of breakfast this morning included this VOO Parfait my sister made for herself! I was so proud.
My breakfast was similar to my previous days. :) Delicious and filling as always.
Then we were off to Versailles! We walked to the train station. I meant to mention the other day that the Metro (subway) system is just amazing here. It was a piece of cake to navigate once we figured out how the lines worked.
We were serenaded on the train…
It was charming.
That is, until he walked up to each person afterward, stuck out his coin purse, and asked for money. lol.
After about 30 minutes on the train, we made it.
If you couldn’t tell, the weather here has been perfect! Sunny every day and around 20-25 Celsius. We couldn’t have asked for more. I heard Paris is typically cloudy and gray, but we haven’t had any clouds the entire stay!
The Palace of Versailles is amazing!
Ohhh yea.
Those are some fire logs!!
The gardens were beautiful and went on forever!
Afterward, we stopped into Starbucks for a refresher.
This is the face you make when you find out that Paris Starbucks don’t make Pumpkin Spiced Lattes! I wonder if pumpkin is not popular in Europe? I haven’t seen any baked goods made out of pumpkin yet.
Kristi has a little obsession with Pumpkin Spiced Lattes. ;)
Not long after our stomachs wanted food once again. We stopped in at a nearby restaurant for lunch.
We started with Guacamole and chips:
My mom had the chicken salad which was humongous and so beautiful! The presentation here is just wonderful.
And Kristi had another kind of salad that was equally as beautiful!
They loved both of them!
I decided on a pizza!
It had roasted red peppers, artichokes, eggplant, and mushrooms. It was SO delicious!
They brought me this pizza oil and it was really good to drizzle on.
Part II of our day is coming on up. :)
Wednesday is our last full day in Paris and then we depart Thursday morning for home. Six nights goes by so fast!
Wow! Wow! Wow! So beautiful!! Never been to Europe….so far from moi! Love the pics!
Aloha,
A
Ahh isn’t Versailles incredible? Feels like a peek into another time. Did you see the gardens?! I almost thought those were better than the palace itself. I want to move in…
I’ve heard bad things about Paris but you are putting those rumors to rest, it looks absolutely breathtaking! As does the food :)
Oh, so beautiful! Stunning to think people used to live there. I hope you’re having an amazing time!
the pictures are gorgeous, what a trip!
and all european coffee is phenomenal, and it pales in comparison to anything we can get in N. America I think!
i have to chuckle as I really dont like starbucks, i think their coffee is wayyyyy over rated. It was good like 10 yrs ago but something happened. I think it was a blessing in disguise she coudlnt get a pumpkin latte, just means more room for REAL coffee while still on this amazing paris adventure! :)
Yes, the European coffee tends to be a lot better than American or Canadian coffee (sorry guys!) – that’s why Starbucks is so successful over there and not really successful over here!
I live in Germany and here you can get decent (up to really good!) coffee at every bakery.
Just do a little research when you come back on where to get really really good coffee from (your sister will have some precious advice, I’m sure :-)) and then invest a little … totally worth it!
Don’t know if they allow you to take some coffee over – but you really should ask the people at your hotel what coffee they’re using and take a bag home with you :-) !
Oh my, I would love a slice of that pizza!! Yummy!
PS.
I don’t think pumpkin is popular outside of North America. We don’t have pumpkin spice lattes down under either! Pumpkin baked goods aren’t popular here either. I hadn’t even heard of using pumpkin in baked goods until I read it on the internet!
Oh this is making me laugh. You’ve found coffee and are flying headlong into the love affair so many of us are trying to end! However, yes, it’s a wonderful and delicious thing. I’d guess nothing will ever taste like your first coffee love in Paris, but if I were you I’d buy whole beans from your local health food store. The Equal Exchange brand is usually what we see here in the US, but usually whatever they have at the health food store is organic and fair trade. Not only is coffee a highly sprayed crop, but somehow the organic stuff just tastes better to me. I agree, grind your own and get a french press or a simple drip like a chemex. If you heat the soymilk it will be just like cafe au lait!
Your pictures are amazing indeed. Glad you and your sister and mom are enjoying your trip and found some good food in the process.
As for coffee, I like Timothy’s World Coffee (needs a Keurig machine as they are K-cups and make individual cups of coffee or tea). Starbucks is good too. But for when I make a pot at home it’s Maxwell House Dark Rich Roast. I too am not a fan of Foldgers.
ok I forgot, the absolute best coffe I’ve had to date comes from the Dominican Republic. I so need to go back and get another bag of coffee beans. (I have a grinder and I use a French Press too) Never been to Europe or Paris, but I’m sure if you ask your friends/family for suggestions you can find something you like. Try going to some of those “brand name” coffee websites and see if you can get a free sample or a coupon to try it for the first time. Great way to taste-test and see what you like without putting up a fortune. (if you don’t like it and someone you know does, hand it off to them)
Coffee is the best! If you’re going to start brewing coffee at home – please buy Fairtrade coffee!! :)
PS – in Australia, we don’t use pumpkin in baked goods either – we make it into soup or roast it! (or, as I did tonight, roast it and put it into a salad with rocket or baby spinach and pecan nuts, drizzle with olive oil and caramelised balsamic vinegar :)
I am loving these Paris recaps! It makes me want to go to Paris with my mom and sisters! =)
WHAT, no PSLs?? Tragic! I think the Versailles photos make up for it though. It looks beautiful! My next trip might just have to be to France… ;)
The whole year I lived in Germany I didn’t see pumpkin ANYTHING, including during trips to Sweden, Portugal, Amsterdam, and Paris. At Thanksgiving I scoured all the stores and ended up having to buy an actual pumpkin, roast it, and mash the insides just to make pumpkin cookies. I guess it’s just not a thing!
:-D Yes, that’s true … not a bit of canned pumpkin in sight in Germany!! Makes me very sad when pumpkin season starts in the US & Canada and you guys make the loveliest looking meals and I just cannot make them!! (well, or I had to go and roast a whole pumpkin … might actually have to do it this year ;-))
Okay, my husband and I are GOOD coffee fiends – we don’t drink crappy coffee, so here are our best tips to have perfect coffee at home.
– Buy GOOD coffee to begin with. Good quality (see what brands they might offer in stores there), freshly roasted if you can find it at coffee shops near your home.
– GRIND the beans right before you make it. Freshly ground coffee makes SUCH a difference.
– Use either a french press or coffee syphon to make the coffee. We love our french press, but we honestly haven’t used it once since December when we got our coffee syphon. It’s so fun to use and it makes amazing coffee!
those salads look so wonderful! I can’t believe your time there is almost over! did you go to the eiffel tower?
I went to Latin America this summer and got hooked on their coffee. It’s funny how coffee can taste so different from place to place. I loved it so much I bought several bags of grounds and beans to take home and enjoy later.
I can’t believe your trip is almost over! It seems like you just left!
Mooo hoo ahha, welcome to the world of coffee addiction/love. I like the french press as well – as long as you grind the beans as you go and get yourself some high quality beans…. right now I have the Starbucks anniversary blend which I like..