yup i'm still in france

Hiii everyone!

I’m back! I hope to post at least weekly but maybe more depending on how much there is to update.

Grace left on the 18th, and I have been doing a few things to busy myself. I downloaded an app, “Going Solo,” for solo travelers wanting to meet other solo travelers. It sorts by city, so I joined a Paris group chat and met two Australian girls for dinner one night! They were very nice and were interested in the same things as me, but they left Paris a few days later so it was a short-lived friendship.

We went to an Italian restaurant (I ordered pink sauce gnocchi) where a very funny man named Vincente works. The entire time we were there, he was cracking jokes left and right with me which I appreciated from a stranger. He was very generous in giving us handfuls of bread and refilling our table’s water…. ten or more times. We ended up staying to close by accident, but it was fine as Vincente cleaned up the restaurant by placing smiley faces on each table with his spray bottle. Had me almost in tears how precious it was. I was so amused by him that I asked his name and his birthday. I made a bet with the girls that he was a Cancer, and I was right. June 28th! Everyone say happy birthday, King!

After dinner, the girls and I went to drinks a few doors down in a very interesting bar. Not fancy by any means but you could tell just by looking at it that it was the spot for all of the cool kids. An older man with a funny shirt ran the place. By the time I went up for another drink, the bar was closed but he was kind enough to give me a free shot! I asked him if he knew Vincente next door, and he excitedly told me that they were friends. He also invited me to a promotional party for a new drink company “Emblem.”

I did go to the party. It was in a park at an event center next to the Lac Daumesnil. Conveniently, it was the hottest day Paris has seen yet so I went in the evening to avoid the blistering heat. Outside the venue were three girls that spoke English, so I asked them if I could walk in with them. Very nice people, but I got swept into the party and lost them! It was nothing crazy, but I liked the live music, and the drinks were nicely made! I left in time to watch the sunset and eat under the Arc de Triomphe.

Another way I found to busy myself was by exploring the culturally rich and famous vintage shops and flea markets found on almost every street. I went to the most well-known vintage stores one afternoon having bought two things… that were the exact same. Oops! A few days later was when most of the flea markets took place. I traveled by metro and hit six, I think. On the same day, I had some of the best Onigiri ever for only 2 euro!

As for what is happening in the future, I leave France in a week and a half. My next stop is for a week in Seville, Spain! Beyond that, I am unsure. I think Scotland may be after Spain along with London and whatever else I can fit in from the British Isles.

Thanks for reading and ciaooooo

Liv :)