MissViaggio in Paris
29 May 2022
After taking a business trip to Paris four years ago, but not having much time to spend with the city, its people or the food scene, I always wanted to come back. The reason: As a celiac, you have a lot of great options waiting for you.
Yummie and Guiltfree
One place you should definitely add to your Paris itinerary is Yummie and Guiltfree, not far from Notre Dame. They offer waffles with sweet and savory toppings, all beautifully decorated and very tasty. We couldn't decide if we wanted to try just the sweet waffles or the savory ones too, so we opted for both. We topped one with chocolate and one with vegetables and quinoa.
What to Do in Paris?
Start the day with a free walking tour of Montmatre (starting point is close to the famous Moulin Rouge) and learn about the famous people who once lived here.
Visit La Basilica the Sacré Coeur in Montmatre and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere inside and the beautiful view over the city outside.
Take a walk along the Seine, starting at Notre Dame, and enjoy the beautiful riverside scenery to the Eiffel Tower, where you can rest, listen to street singers or have a picnic.
If you have the opportunity, you should watch a tennis match at Roland Garros. It is an incredible experience.
Restaurant Tasca
Just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower is the Italian restaurant Tasca. It's 100 percent gluten-free, which means you'll find everything from gluten-free pizza, to pasta and desserts. Having been up since early morning exploring the city, we are very hungry when we arrive at Tasca and decide to try more than two different dishes. We quickly decide on pizza, lasagna and homemade ravioli. Even though it's hard to decide because just everything was super tasty, my favorite was the lasagna.
One Day in Versailles
Most visitors to Paris also squeeze in a day trip to Versailles. And for good reason. The palace is a jewel of French Baroque architecture and the beauty of the estate is simply breathtaking. The only downside to the famous palace is the crowds that begin to gather early in the morning.
What is There to do in Versailles?
The grounds of the palace are huge, so it's better to come with a plan of what you want to see.
For me, the palace is a must-see because it gives you an idea of what life was like during the reign of King Louis XIV. Probably the most famous room of the palace is the Hall of Mirrors. It houses 357 mirrors covering the arches on the opposite side of the windows, impressive chandeliers and 30 paintings on the vaulted ceiling showing the success of France at that time. The tour ends with the Gallery of the Great Battles which features more than 30 paintings depicting French victories over a period of 1300 years.
The gardens that surround the palace from three sides are also beautiful. You should not miss strolling from one fountain to the next (there are 50 in total), passing statues, colonnades or grottos. Among the most beautiful are the Fountain of Neptune (in the north of the park), the Fountain of Apollo and the Fountain of Latona (part of the great perspective). If you have some time, you can also rent a rowboat and explore the Grand Canal.
Best Time to Visit
A visit at the end of May is definitely recommended, as at this time the garden shows are already taking place, but the palace grounds are less crowded than in the high season. During this time, the gardens are not free to visit, but the (singing) fountains are in operation, which is worth the extra charge. To avoid the queues, you can buy tickets for the palace and gardens in advance. This will save you a lot of time.
There are also night shows in the summer.
Café des Deux Moulins
In the footsteps of Amelie Poulain (from the movie Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain), we decided to try crème brûlée in the Parisian Café des Deux Moulins. In the film, Amelie works in this very café and delights in such simple things as cracking crème brûlée with a spoon. We can easily agree that it is fun and super delicious as well.
La Petite Bouclerie
Crêpes - sweet and savory - are among my favorite dishes, but in most countries it's hard to find gluten-free crêpes. The one exception is France, which is always a nice surprise. La Petite Bouclerie, for example, offers buckwheat crêpes, just a few blocks from Notre Dame. The classic crêpes come with ham, egg or cheese. The sweet ones with butter and sugar or chestnut cream. I took one to go and had to come back to try another because I liked them so much.