Two Fridays ago marked the end of classes for a week and the start of our first week-long travel break. After my class finished, I headed to the Copenhagen airport, bound for a week in Nice and Paris with four other Bucknell girls.
Nice was the first destination on our weeklong tour of France. Arriving to the airport in the evening, we took a taxi to our hostel. I was very pleasantly surprised with my room and the hostel in general – it was clean and nicely decorated, and our rooms were complete with private bathrooms and balconies overlooking the alleyway below. We were pretty hungry after all the traveling, so we asked for dinner recommendations at the hostel. The receptionist directed us to downtown Nice, where we could find plenty of small, reasonable priced restaurants. Walking down the street for the first time, I was surprised by how much Italian influence can be found in Nice. I guess it makes sense, considering how close Nice is to Italy. We picked a restaurant where we could sit outside, eager to soak up the warm(er) weather. We ordered three pizzas to share, my favorite being “quatre fromages,” or four cheese. It was so nice to sit and relax after a long day of traveling!
After dinner, we walked around the area known as Nice Old Town and through the park where Carnival de Nice had been taking place since mid-February. There was a stand set up selling crepes, waffles, and churros.
I was eager to experience my first crepe in France and it didn’t disappoint! We continued our walk along the Promenade, the walkway that borders the breathtakingly-beautiful Pebble Beach.
The next day, I woke up a little early and decided to head out for a run along the Promenade – it was so beautiful at night that I just couldn’t wait any longer to get out and explore it in the daylight! My curiosity kept me going the whole way around small cliff, which, when I came to the other side, revealed a port town that looked like a whole separate town from the main part of Nice. I wanted to keep exploring, but I had to remind myself that I’d have to run back so I reluctantly turned around. The run back was just as enjoyable though!
Once everyone was awake and dressed, we headed to breakfast at a cafe near our hostel. I had two croissants (the chocolate one was so good), eggs, “bacon” (more like ham), and café crème (coffee with warm cream).
The sound of the ocean waves was calling us to go check out Pebble Beach in the daylight. We walked along the rocky coast for a while, snapping pictures and soaking up the sun.
We were a bit sleepy after our big breakfast, so we used our winter coats as blankets and took a little nap by the water. After the beach, we explored the shops around Old Town until Carnival Festivities began for the day. Carnival is a festive season, occurring just before Lent in many cities with a large Catholic influence. It reminded me of Mardi Gras, with parades, floats, and street performers throwing flowers to the crowds on the street!
We joined in the festivities in style…
Unfortunately, our Carnival fun ended a little early when one of my friends had her phone stolen out of her pocket. We looked on the ground everywhere, but after about an hour of searching it was clear that it was gone. Still, she dealt with it all really well and we didn’t let it ruin our day.
We returned to Old Town Nice later that night, hoping to catch a glimpse of another Carnival festivity that was taking place later that night. Finding a place to eat dinner before the parade was a challenge because the town was so packed for Carnival. We finally found a place that could seat us, but we all felt a little uncomfortable being the only Americans in the restaurant. We tried to keep our voices down, but we got a lot of stares when people heard us speaking English. An older man came up to me, saying something in French; when I apologized, saying I could only speak English, he rolled his eyes and walked away. It definitely wasn’t the case with everyone we encountered in France, but this was just the beginning of several less-than-welcoming interactions we had. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed my Osso Buco and wine!
Unfortunately, it had been pouring rain all throughout dinner, so the Carnival parade was cancelled for the night. We were disappointed, but it had been a long day anyway so we decided to head back to the hostel and plan our adventures for the next day…
An friend of mine from Bucknell who used to live in Nice told me one of the things we had to do while we were in Nice was visit Parc de la Colline du Chateau and climb up Castle Hill. After more croissants for breakfast, we headed over to the hill and began our climb. The view from the top was so worth the walk:
At the top of the hill was a big, beautiful park. It was filled with kids playing “football,” couples enjoying picnics with baguettes, cheese, and wine, and even a few musicians. We found a nice sunny spot, soaking up the sun and enjoying the music for about an hour.
Though we could have laid there all day, we eventually got hungry and headed back down the hill for some lunch. We ate at a beautiful cafe right on the water. After lunch, we got some gelato and regrouped back at the hostel for a bit. We were planning on going to Monaco the next day, so we wanted to ask the hostel staff for the best way to get there. Not only did the receptionist give us info about the bus to Monaco, but he told us about a great Greek place called Mama’s. He had apparently been there for dinner on his birthday and then went back for breakfast the next day, so we figured we’d give it a shot. It didn’t disappoint – the Greek owner of the restaurant was warm and welcoming and the food was delicious. After we had finished eating, he even brought out shots of Italian liqueur for the table (and one for himself).
Walking around Nice, we had been seeing an surprising amount of salsa bars. There was one near our hostel, so we checked it out on our walk home. Inside, the dance floor was filled with people of all ages (and dancing abilities). Though at first we were intimidated by the local’s expert moves, we eventually worked up the courage to join in the dancing for a few songs!
When the bar started clearing out, we headed for home – eager to get some sleep after a day filled with so much fresh air and dancing!
The next day we woke up to gray skies, threatening to rain out our Monaco plans. We decided it was now or never, though, since it was our last day in Nice before we headed off to Paris. We stopped at a bakery for breakfast on the way to the bus stop (more croissants for my friends, a freshly baked bagel with locks, capers, and cream cheese for me). Leaving the bakery, the clouds opened up and the rain started pouring. The bus stop was quite a hike and by the time we got there our feet were soaked all the way through to our socks. I completely forgot about my wet feet once we were on the bus, journeying through the beautiful hill of Nice on the way to Monaco. The bus ride there took about forty-five minutes, but I enjoyed every second of it; we rolled along through little towns built right into hillsides along the coast. It was pretty much exactly like what I would have pictured Nice to look like, but unlike anything I had ever actually seen before.
Unfortunately, it was still raining when we got to Monaco, but we made the most of it, grabbing lunch in Café de Paris right beside the famous Monte Carlo Casino. Even though we could really only afford soup at the pricey cafe (or mashed potatoes and hot chocolate for one of my friends), we sat for a long time warming up, drying off, and doing some of the best people watching I’ve ever experienced. The French really love their little dogs – they even get their own water dish at restaurants…
After lunch, we went inside the Monte Carlo Casino. I’ve never watched Casino Royale, but my friends and now have plans to have a movie night after our visit there.
Cameras weren’t allowed inside the casino, but it was one of the most extravagantly decorated places I’ve ever seen. We watched a few games of blackjack and checked out the slot machines. I really wanted to put a few coins in one, just so I could say that my first time playing a slot machine was in Casino Royale. Unfortunately, the minimum amount accepted by the machines was five euros, which I figured would be better spent on some postcards. Leaving the casino, we took a bus to a car museum showcasing the car collection of the Prince of Monaco (at least I think that’s who the cars belonged to – we had a little trouble communicating with the man at the front desk). It was neat to see so many classic cars, as well as race cars from the Grand Prix.
As much as there was to see in Monaco, it was still raining when we left the museum and our feet were still soaked. We decided to walk around for just a bit longer and then head for the bus back home. On the bus, we all decided that dinner in the hostel sounded great for both our tired feet and our wallets. Nice had plenty of “Charcuterie” shops, inspiring us to collect quite a feast of meats and cheeses on the walk back from the bus stop. Some baguettes, fruit, and wine from the supermarket beside our hostel completed our feast!
Feeling well-rested, I enjoyed my last morning run along Pebble Beach the next morning, then met up with the other girls. We had a nice, relaxing breakfast at a creperie near our hostel and then made the most of our last afternoon in Nice, strolling through the Old Town area some more before heading back to the hostel to pick up our luggage and head to the airport. The journey to the airport was made rather interesting when the bus didn’t stop at our terminal (not sure why), but we made it eventually! Before long, we were on the plane bound for Paris.
The city of Paris is about a 45 minute train ride from Charles de Gaulle Airport. Navigating the metro in the dark was a little intimidating, and I definitely felt myself missing the security of Copenhagen! Thankfully, one of my friends had been to Paris last Christmas with her family, so she helped navigate the way to the hostel. Relieved to get to the hostel and tired from a long day of traveling, we quickly checked in. I was a little nervous because, since my friends had booked the hostel before I decided to go on the trip, there wasn’t room for me in their room. I booked a spot in a four person female dorm, but wasn’t looking forward to the idea of sharing a room (and bathroom) with people I didn’t know. One of my friends was a little flustered, too, because of issues with her debit card. The poor guy checking us in at the front desk seemed rather flustered dealing with five American girls, especially when a few tears were shed over issues with the debit card; he looked like he wanted to run away when he saw me again after I found out that I was locked out of my room. He kindly came up to the room with me and knocked on the door – turns out that my fellow roommates were already asleep and had locked the door with the deadbolt, preventing me from getting inside. I felt pretty bad about waking them up, but I tried to quietly put my things away and returned to the room where my friends were staying.
The next day, we woke up early for our first day of sight-seeing in Paris. Our first stop was Notre Dame. It was really amazing to see such a famous monument in person! The inside was incredible, too, with one of the biggest organs I’ve ever seen.
Next on our list of places to go that day was the Louvre. On our way there, however, we got a little distracted when we spotted one of the famous “love lock bridges” in Paris, the Pont des Arts. We couldn’t pass by without putting a lock of our own on the famous bridge!
We made it to the Louvre after our brief pit stop, pausing to take a few touristy pictures outside.
Once we got inside, we were most interested in seeing the Mona Lisa – clearly everyone else was too because we just had to follow the crowd to find our way to the famous painting. As I had heard before, the painting itself is much smaller in real life than it often appears when photographed. Still, it was really cool to kind of just stare at the painting; the myth that her eyes seem to follow you when you move from one angle to another is true in my opinion!
We decided on a few other areas to explore, but we only saw a small fraction of the museum. You’d need a couple days to see everything! After a couple hours, our growling stomach told us it was time to go (our free breakfast at the hostel consisting of croissants and coffee wasn’t very substantial!), so we headed off in search of Le Soufflé, a place that had been recommended to one of my friends. Walking into the restaurant smelling the buttery aromas and seeing tray after tray of impressive soufflés being delivered to all the tables, my mouth immediately started watering. I can’t remember ever eating a real soufflé, especially not one filled with Camembert cheese and apples (so good). For dessert, we split a hazelnut soufflé and a traditional chocolate soufflé. The hazelnut one had a really strong (and delicious) flavor, and the chocolate one came with fresh chocolate sauce that the waiter poured down the middle when he delivered it to our table.
We left the restaurant daydreaming about lounging in soufflé clouds…
Our busy day of sightseeing continued along The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the most famous shopping streets in Paris. We just window shopped, admiring window displays in all kinds of stores, from H&M to Louie Vuitton. We walked the whole way up one side of the street, which ends at the famous Arc de Triomphe.
Luckily, since we’re technically EU residents for the four months we’re living in Denmark, we got to go to the top for free. There was only one way to the top – a very long and winding staircase. We arrived at the top dizzy and sweating, but the view was definitely worth the climb!
Walking back down the opposite side of the street, we passed the Ladurée, the Parisian bakery famous for its macaroons. The line to get macaroons and other baked goods to go was huge, so we decided to sit down and enjoy our desserts. The variety of macaroon flavors was incredible – everything from vanilla (my personal favorite) to rose, salted caramel to Marie Antoinette (a blue macaroon with hints of orange flavor).
Our whirlwind tour of Paris had left us pretty tired, so we headed back to the hostel to regroup and decide on a place for dinner. My friend’s dad had told her about a place where he went on a trip to Paris when he studied abroad in Europe in his college days. He said it was located near our hostel and described it as a small vegetarian restaurant. After croissants, soufflés, and macaroons, some veggies sounded pretty good. We rested at the hotel for a bit, then walked to the restaurant. It was definitely close to the hostel, only about a ten minute walk (if we wouldn’t have gotten lost). On our way there, we wound through small side streets, lit up with cafes of all kinds. If we wouldn’t have had the street number, we definitely would have walked right by the place (when my friend’s dad said “small,” he really wasn’t kidding). Walking inside, I felt like I walked into someone’s living room. There were three tables, two of them sitting only two people, but luckily, the six person one was open. I quickly realized that the restaurant was a one woman show, and she cooked all the food in a tiny room that was basically connected to the room with the tables. Apart from my friend who’s dad had recommended the restaurant and myself, I’m not sure if the others were very excited about the eclectic little hole-in-the wall of a restaurant, but we decided to stay. I ended up ordering something with seitan, brown rice and lots of raw veggie salads. Any reservations I may have had about the restaurant at first glance went away after eating the food – it was really delicious!
Feeling good after our healthy dinner, we were in the mood to check out a nearby bar. One of my friends has a friend who is studying abroad in Paris this semester and she recommended a place. When we got there, it turned out to be a shots bar. I’m not really a fan of the super sweet shots they usually serve in places like that, but we still had a good time… I’ve never seen so many flaming shots in all my life!
Our hostel was located just a short walk from the Sacré-Cœur, a famous Roman Catholic church. We decided to go check it out before we headed out for more sightseeing. We were met with more stairs, but, again, the climb to the top was well worth it!
We reserved the rest of the day to see the palace and gardens at Versailles. The train ride to Versailles was about forty-five minutes, and then we walked about fifteen to get to the actual palace.
We decided to go to the gardens first because the line to get inside the palace wrapped through the waiting area several times. Even though they weren’t green, the gardens were still something to marvel at. Apart from their size, they were meticulously groomed.
We got lunch at a cafe inside the gardens and then rented bikes to explore Marie Antoinette’s quarters and other parts of the gardens. Biking is definitely the way to go when trying to see as much of the gardens as possible! We returned our bikes and headed back to the main grounds of the palace, happy to see that the line had died down considerably. We walked through room after room, one more exquisite than the next.
My favorite room was the famous Hall of Mirrors (bottom right).
Since we all ended up loving the place that my friend’s dad recommended for dinner the night before, we decided to try out another one of his recommendations. It was a steak place called Louie’s, which, once again, turned out to be a hidden gem. We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to find it after searching for about twenty minutes, but eventually we eventually came to it. I felt right at home when I walked in and saw the pile of raw steaks ready to be thrown on the open fire! The little restaurant turned out to be a real hit when we found out that they had escargot and the steak with blue cheese that I had been craving!
With full bellies we headed back to the hostel. As we passed a creperie on the the walk to the metro, my friend overheard someone say “those are supposed to be the best crepes in all of Paris!” Naturally, we went inside. Even after feasting on about a quarter pound steak each, we still found room for salted caramel crepes! After our dinner and crepes digested, we went to a nearby bar with lots of dancing and cool decorations – a fun end to a great day!
The next day was our last day in Paris, and there was still one very important thing we had to see: The Eiffel Tower! We got an early start with a good breakfast (egg and cheese crepes!) because the hostel breakfast of croissants wasn’t very substantial. First, we stopped at Musée d’Orsay, a museum on the left bank of the Seine river. The museum is house in the former “Gare d’Orsay,” or an old railway station that was in operation in the early 1900s.
The museum’s collection of impressionist pantings is very well-known. It was my first time ever seeing a bunch of impressionist style art, with works from well known painters like Monet. After the visit, I decided that if someone ever asked me who my favorite artist was, I’ll say Monet because all his works were really beautiful and interesting to look at. The neoimpressionist works were really neat as well. We also got to see a few Picasso paintings!
Leaving the museum, we were told that the Eiffel Tower was “just a short walk down the river.” The “short walk” took about 45 minutes, but it was still enjoyable. Finally, we arrived at the base of the Eiffel Tower! It was really impressive, but my first reaction was surprise at the color; I had always pictured the Eiffel Tower being silver but it turned out to be brown! We really wanted to go to the top, but the line was really long and not moving quickly. We decided we’d rather take care of another item on our “to do in Paris list:” enjoying wine and cheese on the grass in front of the tower! My friend who had visited Paris last year knew of a great little cheese shop, that claimed to be Julia Child’s favorite cheese shop when she lived in Paris. We walked to the shop, stopping on the way to pick up a baguette, wine, and fruit. We got three cheeses – brie (the best brie I’ve ever had), goat cheese, and Comte. I can see why Julia Child loved the place – I wanted to try a piece of every type of cheese in the shop!
We took our goodies back to the park in front of the Eiffel Tower, making a lovely picnic spread. It was definitely the most luxurious picnic I’ve ever had!
All that food made us pretty tired, so we lounged in the grass for awhile before taking our last pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower and heading back to the hostel.
For our last dinner in Paris, we took the advice of my friend’s dad once again since all of his other suggestions had been a hit. He recommended a cafe called Polidor, a restaurant on the Left Bank and a favorite of students at the University of Paris Sorbonne and College de France. It was apparently a favorite spot of James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway, and scenes from the movie “Midnight in Paris” was filmed there. It had a cozy atmosphere and long tables, serving up lots of French style comfort food. We enjoyed a long, relaxing meal for our last dinner in Paris!
The next morning, we were up and packed bright and early, ready to catch our flight back to Copenhagen. We made it to the airport easily – finally having figured out the metro system now that it was just about time to leave!
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience in France and I couldn’t have asked for better friends to travel with! We made the most of our short time there, seeing all the sights we wanted to see, but still leaving time to relax and enjoy just being in such beautiful places. Even when things weren’t going so well (one friend had her phone stolen and another was almost pick pocketed on the metro), we bounced back and didn’t let negative experiences ruin the day. I can definitely say that I learned a lot about being “city smart” in France, and it made me really appreciate how safe I feel in Copenhagen. Arriving back to my kollegium Saturday afternoon, I was glad to be back in home sweet Copenhagen and excited to see all the friends I missed while I was away!
Dirt Roads to Denmark 