Top 3 Purchases in Paris

I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but since I've returned from Paris life seemed to start rolling faster and faster, and while I could barely keep up, before I knew it I had been back in the states for a full month. At any rate, I would love to get back into the habit of writing again. Even my personal journal has greatly missed my presence in the past few weeks.

In Paris, we were bombarded with bad luck every way we turned. But there were a few things that stood out; purchases which guaranteed goodness and dared to make our lives easier during our stay. If you ever visit the City of Light/Love, I wholeheartedly recommend sparing some change for these three particular items.

Purchase no. One:
A week-long pass for the Metro (or a few day passes if you won't be staying a full week...). The system is complicated. You're tired or hungry and confused and can't fully communicate with the people around you. On top of that, you have to figure out your route on the train system (or brave the nightmare that is driving in Paris... good luck with that!), to see your sights or return home for the day, plus figure out which ticket to buy, and how much of the fare you really should be paying. And if you manage to do that successfully, you have to figure it out again in a few hours when your ticket expires.

Having a week-pass I'm sure saved me from many, many tears. You show up at a station, wave your card by the entrance doors, and voilà! You're already half-way through the potential headache. If you know what train you need to be on, all you need do is board, then you have plenty of travel time to navigate the rest of your trip. Look at you, being all savvy and avoiding some unwanted attention!

Purchase no. Two:
A bike tour (preferably at night, which includes a river cruise and wine!). Actually, I wish I would have taken this trip more towards the beginning of my stay, because it locates excellent sites to go and explore further on your own time. We went with Fat Tire Bike Tours, which is filled with super-friendly folks, filled with helpful knowledge and all English-Speaking (our tour guide was a surfer-dude from Southern California who was in love with the Parisian culture).

Purchase no. Three:
ANY pastry. Not kidding. This people is famous for their baking for a reason! You owe it to your tastebuds (and your peace-of-mind) to sit outside a café, order up a pastry and coffee, and take in the sights. People-watching is, after all, their favorite passtime. There are a lot of interesting things happening in the streets. Sit back and enjoy it.

Hope I helped! I hadn't had really any advice before I had gone to the city. Just a few rumors on their attitude. If you can make it to Paris, go! Whether you have a bad experience or an excellent one, it will last you a lifetime, guaranteed!