Paris, France

From the time we landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport till the end of our trip, which brought us back to Paris to fly back to Bangalore, we felt an attachment to the city. An attachment so surprisingly strong (but don’t know why) that we can’t wait to go again. Maybe this is what happens when a Francophile goes to France.

It’s easy to fall in love with Paris. We had heard and read quite a lot about how Paris charms her every visitor so effortlessly. And the City of Lights did have a tranquillising effect on us. Sedated in her beauty, we walked all we could to capture every bit of it on our iLens. Our average mileage was approximately 12+ km daily. And therefore, Dilip had no regrets of missing out on his marathon training after all the guilt-free eating.

Parisians are infamous for being uptight and rude. They’re not. We found help without asking. And when we asked, they always obliged us with a smile. Having a few French phrases up your sleeves always helps. A polite bonjour (hello) and merci (thank you) can do wonders when in need. I used all the three semesters of French I’d learnt (which is not too much, mind it) and we travelled happily ever after in France! And I was his Google for Dilip. A rare compliment…yay!

Being the first destination on our BIG trip, and not having international BnB experience, we chose to stay at a hotel the first time we were there. Our first Airbnb stay was in Bordeaux. The second time we were in Paris during our trip, we stayed at an Airbnb accommodation hosted by Marc, a very friendly and helpful person.

How can we forget to tell you about all the good food we had? Our source of food were patisseries and restaurants with awesome ratings and reviews on Yelp and Tripadvisor, and some we found on the way. And while staying at our Airbnb home, we got the best of the ready to cook packs. You can pick up some real good stuff from local stores, such as Monoprix, a French supermarket chain. And you get a perfect meal for two all for under €10.

The tender, flavourful duck meat at Villa Berri

When you’re in France, anywhere really, here’s a tip you can use to save money in restaurants. For drinks, ask for a carafe du vin or un carafe d’eau. Wondering what those are? Carafe d’eau is the equivalent of our “regular water”; it's what locals drink and safe, too. And when it’s a carafe of wine, it’s usually house wine, which is as delicious and not as expensive as a bottle or glass of its branded counterpart. Steer clear of bottled water; it's more expensive than wine and beer.

What interested us when we were looking for the “best” place to eat was the concept of set menus. A set menu is a fixed-price menu of appetisers, main course, and desserts. And most restaurants have them for lunch and dinner. Some have set menus for breakfast too. Whether you choose a set menu of an appetiser and a main course, a main course and a dessert, or all the three (depending on what a restaurant is offering), it’s far more cheaper compared to ordering the dishes separately from the normal menu. Another great way to eat the best and yet save money. What’s more, a bread basket is gratis at almost all restaurants. Isn’t that great!

A chicken dish, no competition to the duck confit (above)

While we were in Paris, we wanted to attend an event to get a feel of the city. But we hadn’t planned it in advance. So the hustler in Dilip was in action here. He figured out a local Couchsurfers’ social gathering organised by Socializus.org. It was an evening well-spent with drinks and making new connections. So here’s a tip. Whenever you’re visiting a new country/city, check out the events section on Facebook. The most valuable assets for travellers are the friends they make on their journey. Cheesy, but true!