Being vegan in Paris is, well, a challenge per se. I tried really hard, but all I could manage was being vegetarian and make peace with the milk products. Fortunatelly, I seem to have succeeded in controlling my milk intolerance and had only one minor reaction that I quickly killed with medicine. Despite the croissants, cheese and even a sip of a Starbucks coffee latte, I managed quite well.
Another thing, I tried a sip of milk after almost 2 years of not consuming it, and let me tell you - boy, it is absolutely yuk! I mean, the taste was simply a disaster! My taste buds really forgot how does milk taste and well, now I know what I am not missing.
The hotel breakfasts were said to be "continental" which in french means: baguette, butter & marmelade, croissant, coffee and juice. Every. Single. Day. Not a hint of fruit or cereals and for a cost of 6 EUR. Had we known beforehand we would have skipped it and headed to a cafe' instead where for the same price we could have get a breakfast feast.
When choosing a lunch destination we hit a wall. Every menu consisted of cheese and/or meat. The french definition of "vegetarian" is pasta al pomodoro with bacon shreds. Really.
After vegetarian pizzas and pasta napolitana I managed to find a vegetarian franchise called Maoz Vegetarian where I got me a Maoz Falafel which I consumed on the bank of Seine.
Left is the man's pita gyros, right my falafel which I tried for the first time ever and absolutely fell in love with it. It was yummi!
Our last day in Paris we stumbled across a Moroccan restaurant that won us over. My vegetarian tajine was a dream!
I am happy I succeeded in staying vegetarian in Paris, although sometimes it was really hard, especially when starving after a whole-day of sightseeing, when chicken and burgers just smelled delicious. I must thank my partner, for it was he who many times insisted I stick to my decision and wandered with me from one restaurant to the other until we found some decent vegetarian choice.
Now I'm back in my kitchen and boy, did I miss it! Fridge stocked and stove ready. Into the pot with it!
Good to have you back!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou have my admiration for staying even vegetarian in Paris, really!! The feeling of the great French cousine just makes you wanna try any specialty!!
Oh yeah, had you asked me, I would have told you about those breakfasts :-)) It was the same with us :-)) In Ireland, breakfast = sandwich with jam. Every. Single. Day. :-)) But I looooooooove Ireland.
And I loooooooooooooooove Paris!! I've been there 2x (I think maybe you were still reading my blog when I was there the 2nd time? :-) and I'd love to go there again. There's so much to see. I remember thinking you could be there a whole month and still not have seen everything that's worth seeing.
Eating on the bank of Seine... oooh, nice picture :)
Did you go for a night boat ride on Seine? Do you have some pictures to share?? :-)
The worst part was when starving, it's really difficult not to give in and get whatever is on the menu, right then.
ReplyDeleteBreakfasts: good thing I was able to eat the croissants. Those were delicious and with great coffee I forgave the French for their lack of immagination :) And, I had been warned by our lonely planet guidebook, so I knew not to expect too much :)
We did not take the boat ride cause we hate boat rides if it's not venice or amsterdam. Actually, Amsterdam was so far the only city where I actually enjoyed the boat ride. We prefer to walk. And boy, did we walk! We walked the city west-east and north-south. Seen just about everything :)
I'll share the pics on my Facebook account. Shouldn't take long now, I have them selected, just some editing to do.
I too loved Paris and was rather sad when having to leave. But I think New York is still my fave so far.