Souvenir Story: Paris 2014

So this week, I wanted to introduce something kind of new to the blog. Normally, my posts have consisted of places I’ve visited recently, so far just over this past summer. But something kind of hit me while I zoned out the other day, staring at my mom’s “souvenir closet” in the corner of the living room. Inside, my parents have filled an old glass-paneled wooden cabinet with various trinkets, big and small, from the places we’ve gone as a family, and things I’ve brought back from all my trips.

The first one I decided to include in this little throwback is this kitschy little plastic Eiffel Tower keychain that *DISCLAIMER* I did not actually buy. I’ve never been one to buy a ton of crap when I go away. This is mostly because I usually have no room in my suitcase, but I also always prioritize things like food, nightlife, and excursions over bringing physical things home.

(Take only photos, leave only footprints, amirite???)

That being said, I do try and come home with one little thing (especially if it’s for my parents or sister) that will remind me of everywhere I’ve been. One thing I love about holding something tangible like that in your hand, is that it will always take you back to where you got it, who you were with, and what your adventure was like, creating its own unique snapshot of that experience that will never leave you.

This origins of this little Eiffel Tower began, coincidentally, at the end of my time living in Paris. For five weeks, from the end of September to early November I ate more stinky cheese and croissants than I thought humanly possible, saw more art than I’d ever seen in my first 20 years combined, and nearly ran out of money.

I got to see so much of this incredible city and still only barely scratched the surface. Because we were part of a study abroad program, we had 1-2 excursions weekly with teachers and other program directors to places around Paris. I was so bummed that I had to miss the last one to Père Lachaise Cemetery (although I can’t for the life of me remember why), so I decided, just two days before we were to leave Paris, I’d set off and explore the star of the 20th Arrondissement on my own.

So, like, I don’t have to tell you that walking through a graveyard by yourself is creepy.

Halfway through, I think I even put my headphones in because I was really spooked. Besides that, it was really awesome, and definitely a much different activity than just following a Google map to the monuments around Paris. I was holding a paper map written in French, trying to follow the winding paths to find some of the famous tombs - among them were Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Gertrude Stein, Modigliani, Chopin, Jim Morrison and lots of others. I could only find Jim. :(

While I wasn’t successful in finding like anybody, the tombs I walked through where nonetheless, haunting and gorgeous. Some were overgrown, cracked and warped by tree roots and weather over the years. It was in such direct juxtaposition with the spotless and elegant aesthetic of the rest of Paris. I think it was a grit that I really started to miss having been there for so long.

Somewhere along the way, before I actually made it to see Jim Morrison’s resting place, I found this little gold Eiffel Tower on the ground, presumably abandoned or lost by its previous owner. Besides a couple of Monet prints I picked up at Musée de l'Orangerie, I realized I hadn’t gotten my usual little trinket to bring home with me, so I figured it was meant to be.

I get a really interesting feeling when looking back on that day, because it was the definition of bittersweet. I had loved my time in Paris, but was more than ready to move onto our last stop in the program, which was Rome. I was upset that I didn’t get to explore some of the most popular places in Paris, like Montmartre or Marais, and that lots of my days were eaten up by afternoon classes and tons of work (that semester was a doozy). I was upset that, unlike Seville beforehand, I never settled in or got to feel at home in Paris. I imagine I felt the discouragement lots of transplants feel when they first move to New York.

My little Eiffel Tower is unique in that it doesn’t fill me with these enchanting “Midnight In Paris” kind of rosy-colored memories. That part of my study abroad was past the honeymoon stage, and I can look back on it as the times where I learned how not to travel, how not to spend my money, and how not to budget my time. I learned that some people aren’t meant to travel together, and that’s okay. I’ll forever be grateful for these lessons and will never ever take them for granted.

I absolutely fell in love with Paris while I was there, despite feeling like an outsider. Since then, I think I’ve gotten used to this feeling, embraced it even. It’s a necessary mindset I think everyone should (even HAS to) go through if they truly want to travel the world, uninhibited. Until then, I’ll just keep adding to my list all of the things I’ll do next time I’m lucky enough to visit the city of lights.

I hope you guys enjoyed my first “souvenir story” post! Please let me know if you liked it - I have a cabinet full of stuff that I’d love to keep writing about. If this was helpful and you liked my little feature, feel free to share it or pin it below!

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting D.C.

So let me preface this by saying that overall, I had a GREAT time in D.C. a few weeks ago and fully intend on going back soon. I got to attend a friend’s beautiful wedding, celebrate my birthday on U-Street, revisit some of our national monuments, and cover quite a lot of ground in the short time that I was there.

With that being said, there was definitely a learning curve on this trip. This was my first time back to D.C. as an “adult”, so here’s a few things I learned that you may want to make note of.

1. Don’t Bring a Car to D.C.

The primary reason my friends and I were headed down to D.C. that weekend was for a wedding, so I figured with our extra stuff like garment bags full of dresses, driving would be the smartest thing to do right?

NO.

Photo [via]

Okay first of all, what you might save on an Amtrak by driving instead, you’ll immediately rack up in tolls (and gas). Sure, we had a nice comfortable ride down from NYC, but once we entered downtown D.C. en route to our first hotel near The White House, I seriously thought I was going to run someone down. I guess this is the truth in any new city, but between the odd setup of the streets, low traffic lights, and nonsensical one-ways, you’re in for at least half the frequency of panic attacks that I had. Which is still a lot.

Like most major cities, parking is also a nightmare. Most of the time, we left the car at the hotel because we had to pay $50+ a night just to park it there. Ugh. But when we did have the car, finding a metered spot/any parking was like next to impossible.

We had to deal with a broken meter, a $100 parking ticket, and near gridlock traffic at one point. Overall, so not worth it, guys.

That being said, we were happy to learn that Uber in D.C. is actually really reasonable considering how much we’d pay regularly and at surge times in NYC, so that’s a really great option for anyone visiting. The Metro is also reliable from what I’ve seen; just keep an eye out on their hours of operation.

Normally, I’d say when in doubt just walk everywhere, especially around the Mall area where all the major sights are concentrated, but we definitely struggled a little with that. Which brings me to my next point...

2. Don’t Go To DC In the Summer

The heat and humidity we were hit with in a mid-August Washington DC seemed to render this city unwalkable - at least during the daytime. If you’re walking between icy, air-conditioned buildings and museums, I’d say sure - it’s doable. But the fact of the matter is that there’s so much more of D.C. to see, and it’s hard getting motivated to walk miles and miles during the day when it feels like the air is made of boiling hot soup. It really does take a toll.

Ice cream was our only lifeline.

If you find yourself in a Southern city like D.C. (notice I didn’t say “The South” for fear of mass controversy), seriously don’t underestimate dressing for the weather. I wore sneakers and these cropped jeans two of the days exploring and have honestly never sweat more in my life. It was a struggle.

3. Don’t Miss Out on Smaller Neighborhoods

While my friends and I were really committed to museums and sightseeing, we definitely did our best to check out some of the smaller neighborhoods of the city. One mistake I think people make in a lot of major cities is getting way too caught up in all of the 'checklist items' to even enjoy the local flavor. It’s something I hear from people all the time when I mention NYC - they swear up and down how much they hate it, and then I find out they never left the lines and chaos of midtown.

Map [via]

I got to spend a night exploring the U-Street corridor where we had AMAZING Ethiopian food at Dukem, the weirdest/most delicious gelato I’ve ever had at Dolcezza, and drinks at a few local spots including my new favorite bar, Cafe Saint-Ex.

Another recommendation is to stroll around the Capitol Hill Neighborhood - we stumbled upon it while wandering around after visiting the US Botanic Garden. Next time, I definitely want to see Georgetown, Adams Morgan, and Dupont Circle (that’s where our hotel was, but we never explored the area).

4. Don’t Leave D.C. at Rush Hour

I feel like this goes without saying, but I had no idea how bad it would be until we stupidly decided to try anyway. If you think New York or LA traffic is bad, jeez. You’ve seen nothing yet. It’s reason enough to follow my first recommendation NOT to drive in Washington, D.C. at all.

5. Don’t Do The Monuments During The Day (if You’re Strapped For Time)

Finally, if you’re only here for a night or a short weekend...just don’t waste your day looking at the monuments at the Mall. This is something I really regret not doing, considering how hot and crowded these popular tourist destinations get during the day. After learning more about them while we were there, I found out that these don’t close at night, and are stunningly lit up when it’s dark out.

Photo [via]

Did I forget any? Let me know if you experienced any blunders while visiting Washington, D.C. or if any residents want to school me on some “don’ts” that I missed. Make sure to pin this if you found it helpful!

Monument Hopping During D.C. High Season

I would say that walking around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in mid-August was kind of like walking in a herd of sheep...but the sheep were lost, walking into frame at the worst times, waiting in lines, and covered in sweat. Sweat like you’ve never felt, man.

I hadn’t been to D.C. since I was 14 on a school trip. When I received an invite several months ago to my good friend’s wedding in D.C. (the main reason I went down there), I was really excited to rediscover the city as an “adult”.

While we only had a weekend down there, I was excited to plan some activities around the wedding to get to know the city a little more. I remembered bits and pieces of how beautiful the monuments and statues were, how clean it was, what it was like seeing the Hope Diamond for the first time...but one thing that seemed to have escaped my memory is the sheer volume of people and how hard it would be to maneuver around them.

I realize there's a deceivingly small amount of people in this photo. Just trust me on this one. 

I learned the hard way that we’d shown up during peak or ‘high’ season in D.C., when everyone and their 18 family members who couldn’t come for the Cherry Blossom Festival decided to spend some of their summer vacation there instead. Not only did temperatures climb into the upper 80’s and 90’s, but hordes of people would descend upon the National Mall, and the line outside the National Museum of American History would wrap around blocks and intimidate those who were just there to see the giant star spangled banner (which is still very, very cool).

That being said, there is so much history to see down in Washington, D.C., and all challenges aside, nothing really kept us from enjoying the monuments and large public areas of the Mall (museums...were a different story).

After a frustrating ordeal of finding available and legal parking around the Lincoln Memorial area, my two friends and I endured the heat and followed the droves of people walking in that direction. We had seen the Washington Monument up close the day earlier, but decided to focus on the opposite end of the Reflecting Pool on that Saturday.

I had seen this exact area when I was in D.C. years ago, but as I’m sure it does to even locals, it still took my breath away. We climbed what seemed like 500 stairs on that 90 degree day (it was 58), stopping along the way to get some very satisfyingly symmetrical shots of the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument in the distance.

One thing that was really different was the now unavoidable presence of cell phones, selfies, selfie sticks, Snapchat, and all other trademarks of 2017 that were pretty much non-existent on my last trip here in 2009. Listen, I’ve been to other famous monuments, I’ve been to concerts, and I’ve walked through Midtown Manhattan - I get it. Everyone’s gotta get a picture! Hey, how did you think I got all of these?

Maybe it was the volume of people, but I had to circle around the crowd on both sides of the statue to even get close enough for some of these photos because I kept walking into people’s frames, into their selfie sticks, or into their arms because they weren’t paying attention. It was just a lot.

Now, if this place was empty? Or even had half the people in it? I could stay here for hours. The seated Abraham Lincoln towers 30 feet over visitors, housed in a classical Greek-style columned structure commanding their attention like Zeus himself. On the north and south walls beside him, I got to read his second inaugural address and Gettysburg address before exiting down the steps where I stumbled upon a little spot that most visitors probably don’t even see.

On my way to find the bathroom about halfway down the steps, I see on the other side of the entrance there’s a tiny little museum! I didn’t get any pictures because I only did a quick sweep, but definitely go check it out. There are mock ups of the memorial before it was built, old equipment used to carve the marble stone, and lots of other historical tidbits. It’s also an amazing place to cool off because it was sweltering when we were there.

Afterward, we hung around the Reflecting Pool for a bit before heading over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial just a short walk from where we were. We made a friend before making out was over there, but sadly, had to leave him behind.

Before running back to our quickly dwindling meter and checking into our new hotel, we headed toward the memorial where we were met first with the famous Three Soldiers Statue. I actually remember this one from years ago. The three men, meant to represent those fallen soldiers in Vietnam, gaze solemnly at the Memorial Wall containing the names of 58,307 individuals who were killed or declared missing in action.

The structure itself is so, so beautiful, but the atmosphere is much more different there than in the Lincoln Memorial. We whispered, in reverence of those visitors looking for a friend’s or family member’s name, like the woman crouched down, taking a pencil rubbing of her husband’s name towards the end of the wall.

When I read up on the memorial, I learned that the designers of the wall intended it to symbolize a convergence of the past and present; a reminder of how the sacrifices of years ago are never forgotten, and to never take our freedoms for granted. Despite not recognizing any of the names on that wall, I think that’s a message we can all relate to and really take with us, even after leaving the beautiful structure behind.

After walking the length of the Memorial Wall, we decided to grab a popsicle and head to our hotel before venturing back out to another site. We ended up never having time, but I’d really love to visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial and FDR Memorial in the same area next time I’m there. I definitely want to get more into how we spent our time in D.C. on the blog, so stay tuned!

THE QUEST FOR A PERFECT SLICE

For my first post, I decided to begin right here in New York City on what seems like the endless quest for the perfect slice of “New York pizza”. It’s not only a popular conversation among visitors of this great city, but often becomes a heated debate between those of us who have our homegrown favorites. Me, I’m a Russ’s pizza girl myself (this tiny Greenpoint spot), but we’ll save local favorites for a different post.

For now, I wanted to dive into what I found to be a dizzying number of supposedly “essential New York slices”. Having my usual spots, I’ll be honest, I hadn’t even been to a couple of these, which made for an interesting experience. I was, in all honesty, skeptical and wanted to see which ones really lived up to their popularity and write-ups in seemingly every NYC food blog.

Prince St. Pizza

After employing the company and appetites of my two friends to help me on this pizza quest, our first stop was the legendary Prince St. Pizza, on none other than Prince St. in SoHo. Upon turning the corner off of Mott St., we were met with an unnervingly large crowd outside of the pizza place. Had I underestimated how popular this place was? Is this like the pizza equivalent of the cronut?

But alas, the agitated mob of onlookers, paparazzi, and weary pizza consumers surrounded - wait for it - KIM KARDASHIAN AND HER TV CREW. Yes. I have never before been to Prince St. Pizza, and the random Monday afternoon that I chose to pop in, I ran into an uber celeb. Bummer.

I can’t really begin to quantify how little my interest in Kim Kardashian paled in comparison to my interest in this supposedly legendary pizza, so I was happy that after five minutes of waiting, the crowds dispersed, and we waited on a line of only two people to get our margherita slices.

I’m happy to report that they were absolutely worth the chaos, and I 100% understand why Kim K. and her posse decided to stop by. While a bit steep at $4.25 for one slice, I was definitely satisfied and would absolutely come back to try some of their other slices.

 

Ray’s Pizza

If you’re like me, you might have seen the movie Elf once or twice (or several hundred times). Among many quintessential New York spots mentioned in the movie, the Famous Original Ray’s Pizza was one of them. In one scene, Santa recalls, “there are, like, thirty Ray’s Pizza’s, but the original is on 11th.”

If you’re not familiar with the almost “urban legend” quality of the story behind Ray’s, I’ll fill you in real quick, without getting too history-nerd on you. The first and only TRUE Ray’s Pizza opened up in 1959 and quickly expanded. Basically one “Ray” after another started opening up their own Ray’s Pizza shops, riding the coattails of Rosolino Mangano, who some credit with building the “Ray” brand to what it is today (you can read more about it here).

We were saddened to learn that the true, original Ray’s Pizza did in fact shut down in 2011, leaving behind litany of imposters citywide in its wake. This, of course, does not stop people from seeking them out, no matter what neighborhood they’re in, to try one of Ray’s Famous Original Slices (RIP). So we took the scientific approach and just picked a random one near Times Square.

I wish I could say that I was as pleasantly surprised as I was with Prince St., but for $3.00 for a plain slice I was underwhelmed. My friend and I walked a few blocks up from the Times Square B stop past the buskers and the sirens and the ever present chaos of Times Square in hopes of finding solace in the warm embrace of a hot slice.

Yeah this wasn’t where we were gonna find it.

The cheese itself was dried out like it’d been reheated multiple times throughout the day, and the speciality slices looked even older. Now pizza is pizza...so I ate it. I really wanted to like it, but I’m sad to say that if it’s a “New York slice” you’re looking for....look elsewhere. This is one “must-see” whose heyday has long since passed.

Lombardi’s

Proudly in operation for over 100 years, Lombardi’s claim to fame is that they were America’s first pizzeria. Located on Spring St. just around the corner from Prince Street Pizza, this is definitely not your typical NYC slice. Unlike the other spots on this list, this is a sit down restaurant that serves their pizza family style in either 12” or 18” pies.

Like any famous NYC establishment, this was evident and capitalized upon from the moment we walked in and got seated. The first thing I saw at the door were t-shirts for sale with the phrase “I ate at Lombardi’s” on the back and noticeably more families of tourists than at the other pizza places I visited that week. The barrage of merchandise met us at the table as well, conveniently on the menu next to the beer (talk about point of sale marketing).

I split a small margherita pie with one person which was more than enough food for the both of us, and honestly I have nothing bad to say. Of the margherita pizzas I’ve had it was tasty, but not the best I’ve had by far. I'm no food critic, bit it definitely could’ve used more cheese, and would average you $12+ which puts it in a different category than other casual pizza places.

Because of its proximity to Prince St. pizza alone, I’d almost say skip it if you had to choose, but, I’m a sucker for history. So while I probably won’t be jumping to return there anytime soon, I’m happy I got to see why this place is such an iconic NYC dining spot.

Artichoke Basille

Ah, Artichoke. You just get me. Their slices are the size of your head and covered in a garlicky, cheesy, artichoke alfredo sauce - what more could your drunk self ask for? (Or sober, not judging). As far as “New York pizza” goes, this one’s a lot different. While they do have a great, margherita slice, what they’re really known for is their previously mentioned “artichoke slice” that’s, in all fairness, inspired a lot of controversy.

Pizza purists will argue that it’s just a “trendy” food like ramen burgers or cronuts and I get it - it’s not for everyone. For all intents and purposes, it’s pizza-shaped but not really pizza. HOWEVER...while you may need to unbutton your jeans to survive the Artichoke experience like I do, it is so, so delicious, that I really couldn’t tell you not to go and try it out. It’s something that you really can’t get outside of their nine NYC locations and that exclusivity is about as “New York” as it gets.

While this trip wasn’t as special or research motivated as the last two since I'm an Artichoke veteran at this point, the fun thing is never knowing what to expect as you turn the corner check your wallet for any lingering dollar bills. Being that it’s busiest late at night, I decided to go after a night out with a friend of mine around 11:30 PM. We got lucky, as it was a Tuesday, so there was no one in line.

With minimal seating and a kitschy “A Christmas Story” leg lamp glowing in the window, it certainly looked the part of a typical NYC pizza place. At this point, I started to regret how much money I’d spent on pizza that week, because delicious as it may be, that last slice was $5.00. The margherita, for reference, wasn’t much more affordable at $4.75, but nonetheless I am #TeamArtichoke and it absolutely deserves its title as a NYC slice.

WELCOME TO THE TOURIST'S GUIDE

Welcome! Not sure how you may have found this, but I’m so glad you did. I wanted to start my ranting and raving on this blog as soon as possible, but I figured it would be a great disservice to readers not start off with this little intro and just say ‘hi’ first.

Klein Curacao

For those of you that may not know me, my name is Stephanie - I’m a New Yorker, recent grad, aspiring creative, writer, travel junkie and photography newbie.  

I’m a big fan of travel blogs and an even bigger fan of traveling, and I’m so excited to be able to create one of my own. For those of you that do know me, you’ll know that like most other things I’ve done in my life, this launch is about two weeks later than expected, so thank you for bearing with me! 

A few years ago, I caught the travel bug in the best way. I was lucky enough to spend close to 5 months living in 3 different countries for a study abroad program with my University, and as you may have guessed, I just couldn’t get enough.  

The Seine, Paris

Plaza de España, Seville

Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome

At times, I’d catch myself rolling my eyes at people looking like tourists, like they don’t belong, like they weren’t trying as hard as I was to “look like a local”. But something I’ve come to realize, is that it’s a waste of your time. The reality of it is that no matter where you go, you are a tourist.

Read as many blogs as you like, and scroll through Pinterest until your eyes fall out, but I promise you, not one person on the street in Paris will think you’re not just a kid from Pennsylvania with 2 years of college French under your belt.  

In the words of Marisa Tomei, "yeah...you blend."

And that’s okay! In fact, it’s more than okay. Nothing is more humbling than feeling like a complete alien in a new place.

Nothing is more challenging and rewarding than feeling like you don’t belong but being okay with that, because you are simply lucky enough to be a visitor. I love off the beaten path spots as much as the next traveler, but this is not going to be a blog where I tell you not to go to Times Square; because if you’ve never been to New York, I know you’re gonna go there anyway.  

Like when I attempted to take photos on a site-seeing bus in London and they all came out like this. You live, and you learn.

What I find is a lack of actual real accounts of the attractions and the sites that seem so popular, some that may even land on all the “Things NOT to Do in (Insert City)”.

Tourist destinations are as such for one reason or another, and I’m determined to climb down off my high horse, go forth with complete objectivity, and fully embrace that moniker, whether it’s in my home city or across the country.  

Central Park, NYC

I’m fully committed to making myself uncomfortable, taking my camera out when I don’t want to, and putting myself in any situation that I possibly can for your entertainment.

So that whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or a novice traveler, you’ll be able to sit down, enjoy my stories, and hopefully find some insight on the places you may want to go next - no matter how big or small.