How could I not marry this guy?
That’s right friends, the time has come. Me and my boo Jason are tying the knot this weekend!
What does that mean for you, dear reader??
For starters, Jason will be around to help me re-arrange furniture, lift heavy objects and open stubborn jars, now that I’ll have a man around full time. More immediately though, it means that our blog posts are going to take on a slightly more foreign flare.
We are going to London, Paris, and Belgium for our honeymoon! But here’s the thing: Jason has never been out of the country before! I’ve been to London and Belgium more recently (I have family in Belgium), but the last time I was in France I was 9 years old. We’re a little nervous about Paris, because neither of us speak French (our plan is to just be very polite and try to talk as little as we can), and my BFF Kristy taught me some helpful French phrases, such as:
Where is the…?
Ou est le/la…?
Excuse me.
Pardonnez-moi or Excusez-moi
I’m sorry.
Je suis desole.
Thank you.
Merci beaucoup.
May I pet your dog?
Pouvoir je caresse votre chien?
That last one is pretty important to me, if there is a cute dog that needs petting I will be there. In spite of our fear of the French language, Jason and I very excited to experience each new place together.
The plan is to keep to my normal Tuesday/Thursday posting schedule, although the hours might be a little weird (I’ve never been great at figuring out time differences).
Me and my BFF Kristy went to London last year, so there are some things I definitely want to do again (eat cheese sandwiches from Borough Market!) and not do again (get stuck in a hedge maze in the rain).
Instead of staying in Hotels ($$$), and rather than staying at a hostel (sorry hostel-goers, we just don’t want to party with a bunch of strangers on our honeymoon), we’re staying in apartments we’ve booked through AirBnB.com ! When I went to London last year we used a similar apartment rental service, and it was great.
So give us some tips! What should we do in each city?? Is there some sort of awesome, out of the way spot that you discovered that you’d be willing to share with us? Any trip mistakes you’ll prevent us from repeating? (For mistakes, see hedgemaze photo above)
I’m so excited about this small travel adventure, and big life adventure with my pal. Thanks to those of you who have been a part of our lives thus far, we can’t wait for everything the future holds.
KATE! I am so jealous that you’re going to London. Museum wise you have to take Jason to the TATE and to the National Portrait Gallery. Where in Belgium are you going? Bruge would be pretty idyllic for a honeymoon. An activity for Paris I would recommend is buying a bottle of absinthe and trying to walk to the Moulin Rouge, if you’re within a manageable distance. You just have to finish the bottle by the time you get there.
I’m not sure if you guys have any extra time, but one of the most fun things I’ve ever done was take a bus tour of Scotland through Haggis Adventures. Definitely worth checking out.
ISAAC! We ARE going to Bruges! I have a lot of family in Belgium, so we will go other places too, but we’re spending 2 nights in Bruges. Definitely want to go to the National Portrait Gallery.
Best picture of Jason ever. And I think VERY highly of my super J drawing.
Haha I love that you learned how to say, May I pet your dog? You will see plenty of little white dogs being walked around. If you see some without a leash, it’s normal, don’t try to steal it (like I wanted to). Ahh, I miss Europe!
hahaha, I want to steal every dog I ever meet. I wonder how do you say “Hello Mr. Dog, can we be best friends? Do you want to go home with me?”
Hi Kate.! I found your blog via FB. I making up for missing you today.. I got some Paris travel pointers from my friend, Jessica, who lived there for a couple of years. Jess worked with me at GamePro. All great recommedations. Needless to say, I ate my way through Paris. Amuse-toi bien!
In the Marais (4th), there is the best pastrami sandwich on the planet at Sasha Finkelstein at the end of rue de Roseiers
Also in the Marais, there is a chocolate shop called Cacao et Chocolate at 36 rue Vieille du Temple that has the most amazing hot chocolate (chocolate chaud). There is another shop in Saint Germain, but I can’t remember its location. CHOCOLATE! Remember artisan chocolatiers…
For another snack, the best bread in Paris is at a small bakery on rue Saint Antoine (at rue St. Paul, I think) called Miss Manon. Order a “baguetelle” and pick up some cheese at the market down the road. Yum!
Dinner at Le 404 (Moroccan food)!! I suggest the duck and apple tangine – divine! It’s tucked away at 69 rue de Graviers in the 3rd. Looks like you can make a reso online now here: http://www.toptable.com/venue/?id=8479&refid=tripa
Sights:
• Notre Dame. (I actually prefer the interior of Saint Chapelle. It’s a very small church, but the entire upstairs is all stained glass & it’s so beautiful.) (Nancy: thumbs up!)
• Walk around the Latin Quarter, Saint Germain, and the Marais
• Centre Pompidou (in the Marais) for modern & contemporary art. (Also, you can have a drink at Georges Restaurant at the top and get one of the best views of the city.)
Where to buy Berthillon Ice Cream in Paris
The Berthillon ice cream shop is located on the popular little tourist destination of Ile St-Louis, or Saint Louis Island. Ile Saint Louis is actually a real island located in the middle of the River Seine which divides the city of Paris in two, creating the famous left and right banks. The Berthillon ice cream shop is located at number 31 Rue St-Louis en l’Ile. The nearest metro station in Paris is at Pont Marie, just cross the bridge when you get out.
If you decide on other hotel options, booking.com worked out well me in Europe. We stayed at Hotel de L’Ocean near Opera. Clean and not expensive. http://www.paris-hotel-ocean.com/pages/hotel_1.html. I’m guess you’re taking the Thalys to Paris from Brussels? Have a grand time!
You are awesome!!! Thanks Nancy. I miss you guys already–I’m totally going to make a list from your suggestions and see what we’re near, all of them sound awesome (especially CHOCOLATE!)
I have two suggestions for your time in Paris, and they’re both within a couple blocks of Notre Dame! There’s a place that has amazing ice cream, called Berthillon. If I remember correctly, it’s about a block and half behind Notre Dame. And in between the church and the ice cream is a bridge where hundreds of people have put locks on the fences of the bridge to profess their love to each other. It’s like 10% cheesy, 90% awesome. The bridge is called Pont de L’Archeveche, and it’s in the 5th arrondissement. Have so much fun!!