The Paris interview with Rebecca Plotnick

I started my current blog as a way to share my life. I lived in Paris and now I live back in Chicago. I am homesick for Paris every day. My lifestyle still has the Parisian way of dressing, eating, recipes and style so I wanted to reach the Francophile community.

credit photo: Anastasia Abramova-Guendel

Why did you start traveling?

My first trip abroad was when I was 20. I was a junior in college and studied in Florence. I was bitten by the travel bug and knew right then I had to find a way to travel and see the world.

What’s special about your blog?

My blog has an audience all over the world. I am able to reach a wide age range of Francophiles some who have been once dream of going or are planning their first trip to Paris. It’s a community.

What would be your top 3 things to do in Paris?

• Get lost in Paris. Throw away the map and see where the city takes you. Forget the touristy things and really observe how the locals live.
• Visit a market on a busy weekend. Taste French food foie gras, escargot, cheese.
• Experience the city with sights, smells, and tastes.

credit photo: Anastasia Abramova-Guendel

Your Top 3 good addresses in Paris?

Au Petit Fer Au Cheval in the Marais. It’s a little bar in the shape of a horseshoe. It has the most amazing people watching. I don’t really go for the food or coffee but people like it. They have a good cheese plate. You could sit here for hours and it would be the beat the best thing you watched on TV all year.

Shakespeare and Company on the left bank across from Notre Dame. Explore all of the floors and get lost in the books.

The Bastille Market on a Sunday. Make a picnic and take it to Place des Vosges just a few minutes away.

Your favorite landmark in Paris?

The favorite building of Paris would probably be the Eiffel tower. It’s so cliché but she represents Paris. You can view her from different vantage points around the city and at night every hour on the hour she sparkles. I love the museums don’t get me wrong but part of Paris is enjoying the parks and cafés and that is all outside.

What is your favorite neighborhood in Paris?

That is a tough question! I love the tiny corners and streets. Paris in the early morning when the city is just mine is my favorite. I walk and get lost and watch the sun rise on the Seine. Ile St Louis is fun to stroll and you can grab a seat at Cafe St Régis for a coffee or glass of wine.

credit photo: Anastasia Abramova-Guendel

Could you give us your recommendation to first timers in Paris?

Skip the touristy stuff. If it rains you can visit the museums but the best way to see the city is through the eyes of a local. If you can find someone that lives there or grab a coffee at a local bar and ask the man behind the bar or people sitting next to you at a café what is something not to miss. The locals will lead you the way. The Eiffel tower is best viewed at the Trocadero. Head there for sunset.

credit photo : Anastasia Abramova-Guendel

Thank you so much Rebecca, keep on enjoying Paris

Merci beaucoup :-)