Travel Diaries: France 2018

February 18, 2018

Day 1 – The Food in Paris

A major part of traveling (at least to us) is the local cuisine. I had a very specific menu in mind of all the things I need to try in Paris, ranging from duck confit to escargot and of course, foie gras.

This trip also happened to fall on my birthday, so our gastronomical adventures ranged from Michelin star super-duper-fancy to tourist-frequented budget cafes.

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Since I’m a fashion blogger and can’t eloquently describe restaurants without using “amazing” 3 times per sentence, let’s get to the fashion portion of the post! This is the kind of look I am most drawn to: very comfortable, simple in structure and palette and for the main part: shape-less. I can’t say this was inspired by one trend or blogger, because I had about 15 screenshots saved of Instagram looks incredibly similar to mine before putting it together.

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But there is a reason why this combo of black/white/denim is so popular.

As the fashion world becomes more and more comfortable, pulling in notes from 90s boxy denim silhouettes, 70s painless block heels and oversized outerwear, fashion and travel bloggers can’t not jump on this type of look for travel comfort.

LE
PROCOPE

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Paris! The food here is UNREAL. And! Very affordable. Matt and I both ordered the duck (#twinning) and it was absolutely amazing. The overall interior of the restaurant is filled with notes of history, from gorgeous paintings, to massive wall mirrors, to Napoleon’s bicorn in a glass case at the entrance. This restaurant is frequented by tourists for it’s authentic French vibe and is virtually never empty, so probably best to have some reservations down ahead of time.

CAFE DU TROCADERO

This is an awesome little spot to stop by for a snack with an incredible view! I mean, you’re basically sitting there eating escargot with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Can life get any better!? Don’t see how… Speaking of escargot, this was the place where we placed an order for some, along with some French cheese, wine and a french onion soup. I don’t think it’s THE spot for authentic French cuisine due to its touristy location, large size and incredibly fast service, but in general, the food and the overall experience was still magical!

ALAIN DUCASSE at Plaza athenee

Matt booked this restaurant for my birthday night, and it ended up being probably the fanciest restaurant we’ve been to…ever. The interior of Alain Ducasse in Paris is GORGEOUS with a mix of futuristic and classically luxurious vibes. I also happened to have the world’s best spaghetti here. It is definitely much more on the pricey side, with prices printed only on the menu presented to men; which seemed a little strange in the world of 2018, where a woman is very capable of learning the price of her own spaghetti (which she can purchase herself) along with her own designer bag and her own designer shoes… So this portion of the experience seemed a bit strange and regressive, but otherwise, the food was amazing and we had a ton of fun!

Day 2 – The Weather in Paris

While NYC fashion week is in full swing, Matt and I ventured out to Paris in the hopes of non-existent tourist crowds, crisp winter weather, escargot and (in my case) some Parisian FW-2018 street style sightseeing. Where do I even begin…

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I was hoping it would snow in Paris, so at the end of the day, I blame myself.

It snowed basically from the minute we landed straight into a flurry of snowflakes to our very last night. And the snow transitioned from a cute “winter wonderland blizzard” situation to a “let’s-destroy-your-hair-and-shoes” blizzard to just flat out gross slush, to then turning Paris into one giant ice skating rink. This post was clearly shot on the “gross slush” day (try not to look at my feet).

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My 2 tips for traveling in Paris in February:

Unless you’re shooting for a blog or have some kind of a creative job that requires you to have a specific wardrobe, DO NOT pack suede, velvet, or any other delicate fabrics. Also, just in general, stay away from bringing expensive footwear you don’t want to destroy. The streets of Paris are not prepared for a Siberian climate and it’s extremely hard to navigate the city in anything outside of 0% participation.
Know what to expect and you’ll have a great time. The upside to bad weather is very few tourists around. There were virtually no lines to get into any museum, reservations at restaurants were super easy to make and crowds around famous landmarks were tiny compared to summertime.

With all this weather complaining out the way, I must say that I LOVE Paris. The city is just magical, no matter what time of year. And I don’t even know what to attribute the magic to… Chic people, gorgeous architecture, cute narrow streets, all the history, all the amazing food and fashion… I mean, the Eiffel Tower alone! All these Paris attributes combine into one bouquet of pure magical romance.

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About me

I approach this blog as a diary – taking you on my honest sustainable fashion & lifestyle journey, with sustainability aspects I slowly adopt, struggle with and feel passionate about. I’m building INNABOSE.COM to be an informative, visual & creative resource inspiring even the smallest changes in the world.

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I’m also a Ukrainian New Yorker – having strong pride and patriotism for both: my homeland and my current home . For years, I’ve been on a side mission to capture my stunning NYC and elevate the depth and beauty of my Ukrainian culture, fashion and language (some of my posts are in Ukrainian!)

February 24, 2022 – my digital space shifted to include information about russia’s war on Ukraine, the devastation and destruction my home country is dealing with and the bravery, strength and inspiring spirit they are facing it with. A large portion of my posts today highlight Ukrainian brands, fashion, culture & the strong, incredible Ukrainians making gorgeous clothes you can buy & support local businesses, economy & people fighting for freedom every day. We are also a community who donates to Ukrainian organizations found in any of my recent posts!

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Inna Bose