20230326_134637Rue des Thermopyles (March 2023)

After a busy birthday spent the day before, I woke up early once again to head out to meet up with one of my French friends. We would spend the morning strolling some small neighborhoods (“microquartiers”) in the city’s northeast quadrant. As I was staying near the Galeries Lafayette, it took a bit of time to reach that side of town, but I soon arrived and met up with my friend for a morning of exploring.

I first met my French friend, “V,” through blogging during the pandemic. We followed each other’s blogs and even guest-wrote for each other. Sadly, “V” decided to shut her blog after some time, so she’s no longer on the platform– however, she’s still on Instagram, so we stay in touch! When I met up with her last spring, she was living in Paris and working for Eurostar. I found “V” to be super nice, easy to talk to, and we shared a lot of our stories on France, work, and travel during our stroll through the microquartiers.

We first headed to the Butte Bergeyre, a neighborhood located in the 19th arrondissement just behind the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. It’s perched on a hill and it offers lovely views of the Sacré Coeur in the distance, as well as a small, community-grown vineyard. There is a small handful of narrow and winding cobblestone streets to wander through, and Butte Bergeyre was a pleasant area to start our microquartier stroll.

Next was a 40-minute walk to the campagne à Paris in the 20th arrondissement. It was a bit of a schlep over, but we didn’t mind. We soon found ourselves in a charming cul-de-sac, also lined with cobblestone and garden homes that date back to the early 20th century. Originally, the neighborhood was built for a working-class community atop an ex-quarry dump, and today, it’s home to one of the most-desired (and expensive!) properties in the city. It was my first visit to the campagne à Paris, and I was more than impressed!

20230326_125847Campagne à Paris

I said goodbye to “V” after our tour of the campagne à Paris and caught the metro all the way to the south of the city. I hit up the rue des Thermopyles, a side street tucked away in the Plaisance/Petit-Montrouge neighborhood. It certainly did not disappoint! The buildings were charming and served as ateliers for local artists to practice their craft. There were also some vines snaking along an over the buildings, and I learned that they bloom into lush greenery during the warmer months. A quiet and beautiful respite from the bustling city!

20230326_135006Rue de Thermopyles

I didn’t have much else planned until dinner, so I decided to catch the metro into the heart of the city, first stopping by the Louvre to see it from the outside and then grabbing some onigiris and matcha at some Japanese takeaways in the area. Then it was a matter of heading on my way back towards my Airbnb, but not before taking the escalators to the top of the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps Haussmann for free city views. I even got a drink at the latter’s terrace, to chill out and enjoy the panoramic sights.

20230326_161839Views from Printemps Haussmann

After returning to my Airbnb and resting for a few hours, I headed back out once more: I would be getting a Senegalese dinner with a friend, whom I’d met when we were teaching in France. The dinner was pleasant, as we caught up over some decent dishes. She opted for the yassa du poulet (which I enjoyed when I last ate there), while I tried the thiéboudieune, a fish stew which I didn’t like as much as the yassa du poulet, but it was okay. I was exhausted by the end of the meal and bid my friend goodbye to return to my accommodation, as I would need to wake up early (again!) the next day for a day trip to Luxembourg– more on that later!

20230326_200514Thiéboudieune

There were a few miscellaneous things I did and see the following days in Paris that would be too short for its own post, so I’ll squeeze them in here. For instance, after returning from Luxembourg in the early evening, I had dinner at one of the bouillons, Bouillon Julien, as it wasn’t too far from the train station. The décor inside was stunning, but sadly, the dish I ordered, hache parmentier, was lukewarm and very average. I attribute it to ordering the wrong plate, but hey, it was worth the experience.

20230327_185309Inside Bouillon Julien

On my last day (following a visit to Chantilly and Senlis– again, more of them later!), I returned to Paris in the afternoon to have a quick visit to the square de Montsouris, which my friend “V” recommended to me. Located in the south of Paris (near the Parc Montsouris), it’s a small, residential street that’s home to some beautiful Art Deco architecture, built back in the 1920s and 1930s. The street is on a slight incline, cobblestoned and absolutely lush in early-spring vegetation. A recommendation well-done, “V!”

20230329_163801Square de Montsouris

I also grabbed a dessert at Cédric Grolet on my way back to my Airbnb. The storefront was near the Palais Garnier, and there was a notable queue to get inside. It’s a high-end pâtisserie, to the point that there was a security guard outside to deter people from jumping the queue. I arrived close to when the store was about to close, but I was very lucky to get in within 10 minutes of closing to purchase a dessert, which cost me 17€! It was a rose-shaped pistachio treat, and it was fragrant, nutty, and absolutely decadent. Not sure if I’d go back, because of the queue and price, but it was worth a try!

20230329_180651Pistachio dessert

Finally, I had my last dinner at another bouillon, the Bouillon Pigalle. It was a 10-15 minute walk from my Airbnb, and the interior was a bit more-modern than other bouillons I’d been to, but still chic and classy. I ordered a gratin, which wasn’t too bad, and it was a nice little meal to end my last day in Paris and to end my travels that spring.

20230329_192207Bouillon Pigalle

More of my time in Paris to come. Until then! 🙂

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

57 thoughts on “Destination: Paris, France (Exploring Microquartiers, Senegalese Dinner, and Miscellaneous– DAY 3)”

  4. That is really neat that you made a friend through blogging, and stayed connected with them! The streets of Paris and the houses look so beautiful, and it seems like the perfect place to meander about.

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  6. I admire your stories of Paris. They make me want to get on a plane and go right now. Especially since there’s a ‘French’ V, and she sounds like someone I need to know!
    I know these are past stories, but I’m curious about where your next trip is planned for. Care to share?

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    1. Paris is a city that evokes magic and romance at every turn of the cobblestone streets; I always look forward to going whenever I can! Alas, the “French” V doesn’t blog anymore, but she’s really cool and was a pleasure to spend the day with! I won’t give away where I’m going, as I usually let my readers know after the fact, but I do have a few domestic trips lined up this summer, and I’m hoping to visit your home country this fall (although we’ll see)! Thanks for your curiosity, V 🙂

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  7. Trip to Cedric Grolet definitely worth it. I’m slowly, but surely working my way around the major patisseries. Loved those charming streets and their archtecture.

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    1. Cedric Grolet was a splurge! Long wait, but worth it for a delicious (albeit expensive) dessert. I’m glad I tried it! Hope you try out more pâtisseries in France 😊

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  8. There are so many wonderful places to see in Paris. And while it is a good idea to stop by the monuments you often see on postcards, it is also worth exploring its many hidden treasures and lesser-known neighbourhoods. My favourite place in Paris was the 20th arrondissement as it had some quiet streets with a village feel, such as Villa du Borrégo and Villa de l’Hermitage. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day. Aiva xx

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    1. I agree! I’ve only dipped my toes in the 20ème arrondissement, but what I’ve seen has certainly impressed me! There’s a lot more to Paris than just the center, and I hope to explore more with each return visit. Thanks for stopping by, Aiva 🙂

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  10. We enjoy exploring the quieter neighbourhoods of Paris but haven’t been to the Butte Bergeyre so that’s a useful tip for our next visit – thank you 🙂 I’ve enjoyed reading your impressions of Paris and am looking forward to your day trips too.

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    1. Thanks, Sarah! I’ve visited the Butte Bergeyre a couple of times, and it’s such a gorgeous, hidden spot outside the bustle of the Paris city center. I have one more post on Paris before we head into the day trips I took. More to come soon!

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  11. One of my favorite parts of Paris was walking everywhere and seeing all the beautiful buildings and streets along the way. You sure covered a lot of ground and at some delicious pastries and meals! It’s always so fun to meet up with other bloggers too.

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    1. Absolutely! I met up with a lot of bloggers during that London/Paris trip, and it was great getting to see them in person. Lots of good food and sights to be had, and there’s more to come!

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    1. Absolutely! The microneighborhoods were fun to explore, and it was a good day spent with good company and good food! The last of my Paris post will be up soon 😊

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  14. This blog makes me yearn to wander Parisian streets again. Your charming pictures and descriptions stir my heart. Paris appelle mon cœur tendre…or so the song goes.

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  15. My time in Paris was too short to do any of these. But trying Senegalese food will definitely be on my list when I go back to the French capital one day. It’s great that you managed to see a lot and tried a lot, including that eye-wateringly expensive dessert!

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    1. Paris is a city that requires multiple visits to even scratch the surface of what it has to offer; I’ve visited over a dozen of times, and there’s still so much to explore! The Cédric Grolet dessert was very expensive, albeit delicious– I think it’s a treat to try once, but I don’t know if I’d have it again!

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  19. I have never been to Paris’ “microquartiers” but I would love to explore them on my next visit! Coming back to Paris is always such a wonderful experience, and I love its vibe! I passed by Cédric Grolet’s store on my last visit and was very tempted to try a pastry too, but I didn’t feel like queuing in the rain… Hopefully next time!

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    1. Queuing at Cédric Grolet was like queuing for Louis Vuitton! Seriously, just for a dessert…a delicious one, but I don’t know if it’s worth a long wait and for 17€…I’d say it’s worth getting once for the novelty, and then it’s up to you if you want to return! Thanks for reading, Juliette 🙂

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    1. With the exception of the Cédric Grolet dessert, the dishes I had were just-okay, but I attribute it partly to ordering the wrong plate. No worries, though, as the majority of food I had in Paris was delicious! Just an off-day. Thanks for reading!

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    1. Absolutely! The Cédric Grolet dessert was fantastic, and I’d love to have it again (if the budget allows me)! Thanks for stopping by, Han 🙂

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    1. You’re welcome, Leighton! There is so much to see and eat in Paris that I probably didn’t do it justice, but I tried my best! Cédric Grolet’s desserts are like the Louis Vuitton in the pâtisserie world, but worth trying at least once! Thanks for reading 🙂

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