TRAVEL DIARIES | PARIS, FRANCE

PARIS, FRANCE | JAYADORES

OH PARIS. you magical, amazing DREAMBOAT of a city. 

i had a feeling i would love paris, but this city exceeded any and all expectations i had. it’s a big city with big city vibes, but it also has that small town charm with its tree-lined streets and lack of  high rises. combine that with sidewalk cafes on every corner, cobblestone streets, and old palaces? perfection.

and can we just talk about french women for a second?! i think i had a girl crush on every french lady we passed by…they are so effortlessly chic! like every single one of them. it’s fascinating. another fascination we had with paris (and all of europe, actually) is that europeans are not glued to their phones! we rarely saw anyone take their phone out during the entirety of our [3 hour] meals. it was a refreshing thing to see and it made me want to be on my phone less (easier said than done).

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we rented an airbnb in the marais and while it was super cute and in a perfect location on rue st antoine, i don’t know that we would stay there again. it was just a tad too small and all of the windows faced into the courtyard (and into the neighbor’s apartments) which made for a few awkward moments :)

things we did

my friend lauren sent us a million recs of things to do in paris and we pretty much did all of them! thanks laur.

rent bikes | riding bikes together is our favorite thing to do here at home so we had the best time riding bikes in paris! we biked along the seine to the eiffel tower at sunset on our first night and on our last night we rode around the city at midnight with friends. our biggest tip: return the bikes every half hour to a station and take other ones out! the bikes are commuter bikes so they aren’t meant to be taken out for super long periods of time. we were so dumb and didn’t read the fine print and kept them out for like 7 hours at a time in which the fee was growing exponentially with each half hour. FAIL.

flea market | sunday afternoon we visited the clignancourt flea and successfully walked away with some treasures to take home (notably this vase i got for 3 euro!). i wish shipping stuff home wasn’t so expensive because if you’re looking for mid century chairs, this is the jackpot.

the louvre | this place is incredible. we could have stayed all day, but were running out of time to visit other places on our list so we roamed around for a few hours and then got kicked out when it closed. other museums we wish we had made it to: musée d’orsay and the palace of versailles.

shop | there are SO many cute shops all over paris. i don’t remember a lot of the names but the ones i do remember are cos (very similar to zara), merci (aka home of the most instagrammed little red fiat there ever was), and kilo (a thrift shop where you pay by the pound!).

walk, walk, walk | our second day in paris we just walked and explored all morning. thanks to offline googlemaps we were able to save the places we wanted to go while we were connected to wifi and then pull up the same map when we were offline (a true lifesaver!). for the most part, we were able to get around without getting terribly lost. we walked all over…around the marais, along the seine on the île de la cité, around st germain, to the notre-dame, and all the way over to avenue des champs-élysées.

where we ate

for our morning coffee + croissants, we loved cafe kitsune located in the gardens of the palais royal (where we met up with friends from hawaii who were on their honeymoon), boots cafe, and la favorite.

our favorite lunch was cafe charlot in the marais. parisian charm at its finest.

our favorite dinner was pause cafe. we walked there in the rain and had a super delicious dinner outside on the patio. it was très romantique.

for dessert, we spent two of our nights after dinner on rue cler near the eiffel tower. we really loved both l’eclair and le petit cler. talk about ambience! and of course we couldn’t leave paris without visiting the famed laduree on avenue des champs-élysées. we were very cliche and sat at the bar sipping cappuccinos and sharing macarons.

 

okay i am officially done with our recaps and i promise i’ll stop with the ridiculous amount of photos and novels. until next time, europe! you’re always a favorite.

TRAVEL DIARIES | CHANTILLY, FRANCE

CHANTILLY9_R3A2115CHANTILLY, FRANCE | JAYADORES CHANTILLY, FRANCE | JAYADORESCHANTILLY, FRANCE | JAYADORESCHANTILLY, FRANCE | JAYADORESCHANTILLY, FRANCE | JAYADORES CHANTILLY, FRANCE | JAYADORESCHANTILLY, FRANCE | JAYADORESafter our time on the amalfi coast, we flew back to france for the final leg of our trip in paris. we rented a car (p.s. word to the wise: don’t book through auto europe, they added on so many taxes and fees and it cost us way too much to rent a car for 24 hours) and drove out to the chantilly forest to spend the night at the beautiful tiara chateau hotel mont royal. it poppped up on trip advisor when were planning our hotels and we thought staying in a chateau could be kind of cool. the property was stunning and the service was excellent. one night there was just what we needed. we lounged, went on some walks through the forest, relaxed in the spa, ate lots of baguettes & cheese, and ended the day with some nightcaps in their exquisite bar, le stradivarius. it was the perfect place to recharge for our final days exploring paris!

TRAVEL DIARIES | CAPRI, ITALY

CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESCAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORES CAPRI, ITALY | JAYADORESa day trip to the isle of capri is such a tease. 8 hours on that beautiful island are just not enough. you can only get there by boat which adds to its mystique. capri is kind of similar to positano in that it’s a major tourist destination during the day and then after the last boat (or bus from positano) leaves at 6:00, it turns into a much more relaxed and mellow scene. we loved nights in positano because there were far less people and we wish we had gotten to experience capri at night for the same reason. we are still glad we went and loved the little taste we got during our visit!

what we did

we took the bus to the town of anacapri and ate pizza at an adorable little sidewalk cafe. then we got super touristy and took the chairlifts up to mount salaro for breathtaking views of the entire island. then we took the bus down to capri town and got gelato and espresso in the piazetta before wandering through the whitewashed walls and narrow alleys filled with cute little boutiques. by then it was 6:00 and we had to catch the last boat back to positano! such a short visit but worth it! next time we would love to stay about 3 days on the island for a more authentic experience and relaxed visit.

italy, we love you and will be back!

next stop: chantilly, france (i promise i’m almost done)

TRAVEL DIARIES | THE AMALFI COAST

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after biarritz, we flew into barcelona and spent one night before making our way to italy the next morning. our time in barcelona was short but it seemed like such a fun + interesting city (plus their soccer team had just won a game that evening and the locals were going CRAZY until the wee hours of the morning).

anyways, get ready for a million photos ahead…i just couldn’t help myself. the amalfi coast is ridiculously beautiful and incredible and amazing and photos don’t even do it justice! the last time we were in italy was on our honeymoon 2.5 years ago and ever since then, i’ve been wanting to come back to this beautiful country. specifically the amalfi coast. the natural beauty is absolutely stunning and the colors and textures of this town are perfectly picturesque. we were there in the middle of may so it wasn’t overly crowded yet and the weather was still nice enough to lay out in the afternoons.

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where we stayed

hotel savoia

we stayed right in the center of positano at this mediterranean style hotel and we would stay here again in a heartbeat. we loved this place and our room had a beautiful panoramic view of the piazzetta dei mulini. it was a 5 minute walk to spiaggia grande (the main beach) and all the restaurants and shops were super close. they also had a delicious free breakfast every morning, including espresso drinks!

things we did

boat ride | hands down, one of the most memorable experiences of my entire life! we rented a little zodiac boat (sans driver) and rode up and down the coast for a few hours and it was MAGICAL. we drove along the majestic sea cliffs, through rock tunnels and into the fiordo di furore. if we had one more day here, we would have spent it camped out on this gem of a beach. we were like little kids in a candy shop. the whole ride felt so surreal!

shop | i had no idea positano was known for their linen. there were so many boutiques that had beautiful linen pieces, but my favorite was la bottega di brunella. i got a tunic for myself and the cutest mini tunic for one of our nieces. also, marvis toothpaste is made in italy and we noticed it was sold at all the local drugstores. it was 1/2 the cost it is on amazon here in the u.s. so we stocked up.

day trip to capri | we debated taking the ferry to the isle of capri one day and we are so glad we did! more photos (i know, i know, i took too many pics) to come.

car service | getting to the amalfi coast is a bit off the beaten path and taking a bus on those crazy windy roads could take forever. we were trying to condense our travel time as much as possible, so we booked a private car service in advance (which supposedly is cheaper than hailing a taxi at the airport). we flew into naples and used amalfi car service and they were super kind and accommodating.

where we ate

i don’t really think you can go wrong in italy food-wise. every restaurant basically serves the same ingredients (tomatos, basil, olive oil, bread, and cheese) in multiple forms aka deliciousness and you end every meal with a shot of espresso or a cappuccino. we did have some favorites though!

bruno | up the hill a little ways from our hotel, this place was the most romantic restaurant and the food was so delicious. they have tables located on the sidewalk overlooking the town & the ocean and it makes for an incredible dining experience.

le tre sorrelle & covo dei saraceni | two other romantic dinner spots right on the water with amazing pasta and service. the mariara pizza at covo dei saraceni was our favorite!

 

next stop: a day trip to the isle of capri 

TRAVEL DIARIES | SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN

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one of my best friends/roommate from college, lauren, and her boyfriend david were on a 2 month roadtrip through europe and just so happened to be staying in san sebastián while we were going to be in biarritz. the two towns are only 40 minutes apart so we knew we had to meet up at some point. they told us a cafe to meet them at and while driving there was a success (only because of our trusty gps), finding them after we parked in a city garage took 45 minutes. our phones didn’t work so we couldn’t just call them or google map it and the basque language is so crazy and full of x’s and words we couldn’t pronounce. i honestly don’t understand how we got anywhere pre-smartphone. i know i depend on it a lot here at home, but you really realize how much you use it when you don’t have it! anyways, it was a small victory once we found them. the coffee shop, gogoko goxuak, was also super cute and had good coffee and treats. they had been there a few days so they showed us all around the cute town and we spent the day eating pintxos (the basque country version of tapas), walking, talking, and shopping. oh and lots of laughing because those guys are hilarious. san sebastián is a beautiful, beautiful city and we wish we had had more time to stay a few days! it felt a little like a coastal version of paris but with spanish influences. guess we will have to go back!

 

next stop: the amalfi coast!

TRAVEL DIARIES | BIARRITZ, FRANCE

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biarritz is a quaint seaside surf town on the southwestern coast of france. reis wanted to surf while we were on our trip so that’s why we chose this place as one of our destinations. buuut he didn’t even end up surfing because the waves weren’t that good. we’re still glad we went though!

where we stayed

hotel eduardo vii

we posted up at this charming little boutique hotel in the town center a short walk from the beach. it’s actually a house from the 19th century and has so much character! our room was spacious and we had two little balconies overlooking the street.

things we did

day trip | we drove down to san sebastián one day to meet up with our good friends. we really loved it and wish we could have spent more time there. photos to come!

walk | besides surfing and eating and beaching, there’s not too much exploring to be done in biarritz. the overcast weather was perfect for going on walks and there was the coolest path that went all around the coast. we discovered the path at 1 in the morning one night after dinner and it is one of my favorite memories from the trip!

where we ate

tapas and wine bars are the popular spots in this little surf town. our favorite eatery was puig et daro where we ate 3 times because the tapas were so good. european dining is so interesting! here in the states, waiters are so eager to turn tables and over there, you can take your sweeeeet precious time and they don’t even care! so many times we were ready for our check for practically an hour before they brought it or we decided to finally ask for it. we also tried pâtisserie miremont a couple of times for breakfast and snacks. it’s overpriced, but pretty tasty. i could eat macarons and pain au chocolats all the live long day.

 

up next: san sebastián, spain!