A Healthy Balance: Train Ride to Paris

We got our last breakfast and lunch in Nice from our favorite little bakery. The owner speaks perfect English, and she was so nice to accommodate us with fresh pastries and packed sandwiches for our train ride to Paris. We placed our order last night, and she had it ready for us before the bakery technically opened this morning, so we could have our food in time to make our train. And they said French people were rude to Americans.

I went with the Croissant Amande (Almond Croissant) for breakfast today. Oh. My. Goodness. This practically melted in my mouth as I savored every last bite.

I think if I could choose one "unhealthy" food to be healthy, croissants would be it. Don't you wish this buttery, flaky delicacy of a pastry was packed full of protein, fiber, whole grains, and B-vitamins? I sure do. This is a food I would typically avoid in my everyday life at home, but my new philosophy is: When in France!

In anticipation of Paris, I sported my best Parisian look!

Isn't my hat so awesome? Apparently, these hats are "the thing" in France, and I think I look pretty stylin', if I do say so myself. I really wish hats were cool in America. Perhaps, I'll start a new trend when I return to the States?

My parents both got the ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, while I went with the roasted chicken, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. It was drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with rosemary, which gave it a really nice flavor. As we were leaving the bakery, my dad complimented the owner by saying "Your English is very good." She replied, "Yes, and so are my sandwiches." She was right! The bread was so fresh and the chicken was very high quality-much better than anything you could find off the street!

I forgot to mention that we bought out the entire fruit stand at a grocery store yesterday. I had a Pink Lady with my sandwich, and we had grapes and cherries to snack on also!

I really like train rides-they're fun!

Here's why they're a better form of transportation than planes, cars, buses, or subway:

Planes: You're on the ground and get to enjoy the scenery through your window. Let's face it, clouds get a little old after awhile. There's also no dealing with all the security and bag-checking madness.

Cars: You just to get to sit back and relax. You don't have to worry about traffic, directions, or driving on the wrong side of the road (if you're in a different country).

Buses/Subway: This is a no-brainer, but instead of holding on to a pole for dear life to prevent yourself from flying every which-way, you actually get to sit down and in a comfortable seat. It's not cramped or crowded and is also much cleaner.

I did actually get a lot of studying accomplished for the RD exam, as we weaved our way through the beautiful French countryside.

We arrived in Paris late afternoon and checked into our hotel. It's so cute!

After getting settled in, we strolled the streets of Paris. It's PACKED in Paris-there are so many people here!

The first thing on the agenda was a café au lait pour moi (See, I can speak French). I ended up changing clothes, because it's a little on the cool side here. As I was walking around, I felt like the season had changed from summer to fall, as I changed cities from Nice to Paris. It felt like a crisp day in late September-in my opinion, this is the perfect weather!

In front of the Arc de Triomphe.

Walking down L'avenue des Champs-Èlysèes. I get a little kick in my step when I'm in big cities. I walked wayyyy in front of my parents. I do not mess around in Paris.

In front of the River Seines.

We ate dinner at a little café called La Belle Ferronniere. My parents had eaten here two years before when they came to Paris with their friends and really liked it. I ordered a glass of Cotes du Rhone Chapoutier with a mushroom omelette and a side order of haricot verts (green beans) that I shared with my mom. With the addition of a little ketchup to my omelette, I instantly felt at home.

After dinner, we went back to the Arc de Triomphe and walked 284 stairs up to the top. I'll count that as my exercise for the day-I was definitely feelin' the burn!

The view was gorgeous!

I love the way Paris is designed. The streets look like spokes on a wheel coming out from the roundabout where the Arc de Triomphe is located.

After all that hard exercise, we headed to a famous bakery called Ladurée to treat ourselves to macaroons! I'd never had a macaroon before-and to be honest, I always assumed that I didn't liked them. Boy, was I wrong! What better place to have your first macaroon than Paris?