melaniemathieuphotography-blog

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While in France I had a plan mostly of what I wanted to try photographing, eating and just wandering. I also used instagram for inspiration. One day I decided to just look at what was popular in Paris and this street came up on the feed. I said why not lets check it out. It was on the way back from walking to Merci so it worked out perfectly, since I hadn't visited their yet. 

As you can see the street was fairly empty, there was a photoshoot going on but other than that pretty clear for some nice photos. You also can easily miss this street if you don't know what you're looking for. It is completely random and almost hidden. 

Anyways I had a great time photographing each house and just seeing how creative the street was sprung creativity in my work as well. 

-MM

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Walking along the quai’s in Paris is so much fun. This area unfortunately smelled so bad, but to take neat pictures like this one you can make it through. Paris is known for having a smell to it and being dirty. Not all of France is like that though. Paris is just a busy city, and they do actually clean everyday or so it seemed. I saw sweepers everyday, keeping the streets clean and changing the trash. 

The quai’s though are neat in the summer, because they have Paris Plage, with is different activities along the water for children and people of all ages. They even have sand in certain areas to make it similar to a beach, for those who can't make it to the actual beaches. 

Another thing from this photo is how no one is in it. When I was in Paris I would go in the mornings and it was also the end of July. Parisians are usually sleeping or getting ready to be at work by around 9 am and then they start to go on vacation around the last weekend of July. The first two weeks of August Paris is empty. It was really crazy to experience that. The people out and about are usually tourists. So if you want the real Parisian experience I recommend not going end of July beginning of August. September is really a nice time and May as well.

Notre Dame

#Paris #parisjetaime #nikon #france #travel #lightroom #adventure #architecture #love (at Notre Dame De Paris)

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Found this little gem of a place called Belle Blonde crêperie in the 14th arrondissement. Perfect place to fix your hunger after going to the catacombs for those who are still hungry after the visit. The formule was perfect, they give you 4 savory gallets (savory crepe) to choose from, dessert crepes and then beverage choices. I decided to go with the bistro gallet which had goat cheese inside and a little salad on top and bacon bits. Quite delicious and light. I chose to pair with the meal an apple cider which was also fairly light balanced flavor. The dessert was a chocolate crepe but not Nutella, it’s a chocolate “fais maison” with dark chocolate. So sweet and yummy. We were the first ones to arrive right at 12 noon and then it quickly filled up. By the time we left at 1:30 not a seat was left on the terrace. Quite wonderful experience.

-MM

[melaniemathieuphotography-blog]

Les macarons de Pierre Hermé.

When tourists come to Paris they want to try Macarons. You hear of the names Ladurée and Pierre Hermé. I had a discussion with my family here in Paris and they all said each company is equal but most chose Pierre Hermé. I was walking around Galleries Lafayette and saw the Pierre Hermé stand and decided to get some. I got a chocolate one and then an apricot, orange and saffron, I thought it would be good to go with a “normal” flavored one and then have a fun one. I haven’t eaten them yet but they look delicious. The one photographed on top is either Lime and raspberry or Olive Oil and Raspberry. I’m pretty sure its the lime and raspberry. I really just loved the gradient of the pink color against the green. 

-MM

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After being in Paris for a couple days I was finally able to check out one of the many restaurants on my list. This is Frenchie To Go. Its in the 2eme Arrondissement and just near the sentier Metro stop. As you can tell in the name its a quick restaurant. Not like most places in Paris that do “to go” it’s becoming a fast trend though. Frenchie is just a few doors down but the hours of operation are after Frenchie To Go is closed. They serve breakfast and lunch which is great. The menu is short and sweet, only about 12 things on the menu. I had the Pulled Pork sandwich and frites. (They also have french fries which are thin cut.) The flavoring on the sandwich was wonderful, the cabbage was pickled and gave that beautiful magenta color. It was just enough ratio for everything in the sandwich. The brioche bun helped make the sandwich as a whole not to heavy. The frites were nice and crispy, the French really know how to make good fries. The ketchup they give you had a smokey flavor almost like a barbecue sauce. It was heavenly. The rest of the menu looked tasty and as if it wouldn't disappoint. 

I overheard someone say “its a very hipster joint.” They were pretty accurate with that description, to be honest. The atmosphere is neat it has 4 long tables to sit at, and if its nice outside you can sit on the other side of the interior bar. It sounded 50/50 American and French speaking. Even when you order they speak english first.  Whether you're American, French or from where ever I suggest checking out this little sandwich joint. The street its on is also just a neat one to walk down with the smells all in the air! Refreshing. 

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Coffee and some food. When you can find views such as the photo on the bottom you really should take them in! It was a beautiful morning this morning. I finally went in to Paris and wanted this to be the first thing I took in. I continued the day looking at the soldes and taking in the architecture. That in itself will need its own post! So I will continue on to walking around, pedestrians really have no care when crossing the roads. It would be terrible driving in Paris because of this. I kept passing all these restaurants and brasseries but couldn’t pick one even though they all serve just about the same food. It’s pretty interesting honestly because the only thing that changes from each place is the price. You also had to take note on what time of day it was to not have to much sun while eating. I kept strolling along the little roads because they had the most shade. I finally decided to eat and ordered a croque monsieur. It was alright, the bottom piece actually started to get soggy. I ate it all though because I was so hungry. Anyways tomorrow will be another adventure and can’t wait to see what happens! -MM

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There's something about markets in France that is just so neat that we don't get to really experience in the States. The market is everyday in and can jump from the different arrondissements. You can easily look up the times and where online. The cool things you will come across are clothes stands, jewelry and best of all the food! Seafood, Legumes, Bread, and Cheeses, are just some of the things and smells you will find. I still have dreams of walking down the aisles. The markets are usually pretty packed, so be aware of your surroundings and don't be scared to try the foods. 

Where I live in the States we only have a farmers market every Saturday, but in the summer the market closes down. Its a bummer because you can't beat the freshness of food. 

When in France, the Parisians go to the markets everyday for their meals. Everything is about quality and freshness over there and that is what is great about traveling overseas. Looking forward to going back to Paris for taking photos and experiencing the food!

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Usually when you ask people what they like about France, chances are they will say the food and will probably specify the cheese and bread. Honestly those are such simple items. but together make a wonderful creation. Once you add a little saucisson and wine, its the perfect go to meal/ snack. 

When my friends and I were planning our trip to Paris last fall, they told me they wanted to eat good bread, cheese and wine. Simply enough we did just that on 5 out of the 10 days we were there! This photo was a little picnic we planned for when we went to see Sacre Coeur. There is grass area right in front of Sacre Coeur with a great view. The weather was perfect and we couldn't help but notice others had the same idea as us. There was people watching, soaking up sun and just enjoying the food. 

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[melaniemathieuphotography-blog]

Alright going to try this blog thing out on my photography page and see where it goes. 

I went to France with a couple friends back in the fall and due to certain things I have just now finally been able to post photos. I figured I'd start this blog post with some photos from Jules Verne the restaurant at the second story of the Eiffel Tower. That lunch was our second day in France, and it was pretty scary but incredibly delicious. Before getting into the meal my friends and I got all dressed up and took an Uber to the Eiffel Tower. It was also fashion week in Paris so when we all got out of the car people were looking at us and seemed curious as to who we were. It was pretty funny experience and good to start off the day. Now back to the meal, we started out with Ratatouille which was a one biter, and then my friends and I all got different dishes. I got Fois Gras, which was a very nice portion almost to much to finish, after that course was sting ray with a cream sauce, which was fall off the bone tasty. Lastly for dessert I got chocolate mousse which was very rich but perfect ending to the meal. The richness of flavors and tastes, you just felt like you were in heaven.  

Once the meal was done we were able to go out this special door and wander around on the observation deck. 

I recommend going to Jules Verne (mainly for the view) but to make a reservation before you actually go to Paris. 

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