Author: Ashley Fleckenstein

The stunning Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg

Last summer, an opportunity to visit Russia came out of the blue.

I was in Tbilisi, Georgia, when my friend Nicole told me she had an extra FAN ID for the World Cup. Having a FAN ID bypasses the normal visa process, so she suggested I apply. “It’s a long-shot that your application will be approved in time,” she warned.

Shockingly, it was approved six hours later. I booked a flight to Moscow later that day.

Although I didn’t make it in time for the World Cup match, I still got to spend four days in Moscow and St. Petersburg with some of my good friends. I’ve wanted to visit Russia since I was a child, so getting the chance to travel there was a dream.

Here’s why visiting Russia was just as magical as I imagined.

9 reasons to visit Russia immediately:

1. The old-world glamour

Due to watching Anastasia as a kid, I imagined Russia as an elegant, snowy place filled with ballrooms and girls in velvet dresses. What I found wasn’t too far off.

As I explored Moscow and St. Petersburg, I stumbled upon elegant architecture, baroque buildings, and horse-drawn carriages. Though I’ve never visited Vienna, I imagine it has a similar ambiance.

Just look at this café in Moscow.

Café Pushkin in Moscow

2. The fascinating history

Russian history has to be some of the most interesting in the world. It encapsulates the Romanovs, revolutions, dictators, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union… and that’s just the 20th century.

Reading Lenin’s Tomb, a fascinating book about the last days of the Soviet Union, made the experience even richer.

3. Seeing the Red Square in Moscow

You know those travel moments you’ve always dreamed about, like seeing the Taj Majal or Eiffel tower for the first time?

That’s how I felt standing in the Red Square. Walking around the enormous, overpowering square, which is flanked by the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral, was an awe-inspiring experience. I especially loved St. Basil’s Cathedral, with its fantastically colorful onion domes.

The Red Square lived up to everything I’d imagined and more.

Tips for visiting the Red Square: Visit the Kremlin, which is the former Russian citadel that dates back to the Middle Ages. Check here to book a private English-language tour in advance. I also recommend visiting Lenin’s Mausoleum.

My friend Mike in front of the Russian State Historical Museum

The truly splendid onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral

4. Riding the beautiful Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro must be the most beautiful subway system in the world. Lined with white marble and dotted with crystal chandeliers, these underground palaces more closely resemble ballrooms than subway stations.

Apparently, this was thanks to Stalin, who envisioned metro stations that would be “palaces of the people.”

Tip – If you want to see the Moscow metro’s most beautiful stations under the guidance of a tour leader, you can book a Moscow metro station tour here.

A train station in Moscow

5. The unspoiled beauty of St. Petersburg

After spending the day in Moscow, we took the train to St. Petersburg.

Often called the “Venice of the North”, St. Petersburg is a beautiful city with elegant promenades, canals, and sea air. It had a Scandinavian vibe, reminding me of Stockholm or Copenhagen.

If you’re an architecture-lover, you’ll enjoy St. Petersburg. The city is very intact, and somehow escaped the Soviet treatment of destroying beautiful historical buildings and replacing them with cement blocks.

Tip – If you have time , take a day trip to the Catherine Palace. The 18th-century palace contains a reconstruction of the legendary Amber Room, which was stolen by the Nazis during WII and never found. The room was then painstakingly recreated between 1979 and 2003. You can book a private tour of Catherine Palace here.

6. The enormous Hermitage Museum

If you do one thing in St. Petersburg, make it the State Hermitage Museum.

The second-largest art museum in the world (next to the Louvre), the Hermitage has more than three million works of art including works by Rembrandt, Rafael, Picasso, and Van Gogh. You could spend a week there and only see a fraction.

The Hermitage occupies six buildings. One of the joys of visiting the museum was exploring the extravagant Winter Palace, which was once the Romanov’s favorite residence.

Ticket lines at the Hermitage can be super long. I recommend buying your tickets in advance directly from the Hermitage Museum website here. If you are interested in a tour of the museum, you can book a small-group tour here.

The former Winter Palace

7. The Fabergé Museum, which has NINE priceless Fabergé eggs

If you’re spending a few days in St. Petersburg, stop by the Fabergé Museum, which boasts the second largest collection of Fabergé eggs in the world.

When the Romanovs were forced out of St. Petersburg, they left behind 50 Fabergé eggs (43 of which are still known to exist).

Impressively, the museum has nine imperial Easter eggs. It was incredible seeing the eggs up-close, as they are insanely intricate. Did you know each egg took a year or two for a team of craftsmen to create?

Many of them also have surprises inside. I loved seeing the famous “Hen egg” which is a chicken egg that contains a golden hen.

Tips for visiting the museum: The Fabergé Museum is much less popular than the Hermitage Museum, so you can buy your tickets at the door. Like the Hermitage, it’s housed in a former palace.

8. The restaurants, bars, and nightlife

Russia isn’t all history and museums. St. Petersburg and Moscow are both modern cosmopolitan cities, with great restaurants, bars, and nightlife.

Clubbing in Russia was especially fun during the World Cup, as we met tons of fans from all over the world. Surrounded by Spanish speakers, I almost felt like I was Medellin, not Moscow.

One bonus of clubbing in Russia – if you visit in summer, the sky never gets dark.

At a rooftop bar in St Petersburg.

9. The… Russianness

As a bit of a Russophile, spending time in Mother Russia was so much fun. I loved seeing Cyrillic script on the shopfronts, hearing Russian all around me, and passing by things you would only see in Russia, like shop-windows full of fur hats.

We even spotted a babushka-themed thermos at Starbucks.

It was all just so… Russian.

In Russia, even your Starbucks thermos can be a Matryoshka doll

A gold spray-painted AK-47 door handle. Why not.

All in all, I loved my trip to Russia. The fact that it was spontaneous made it even better — because I hadn’t planned anything, the whole trip was a surprise.

Have you ever visited Russia? What did you think?

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Welcome back to Living Abroad, a series that shows you what it’s like to live as an expat in cities around the world. Today, we’re chatting with Rika, a Canadian English teacher who just spent three years living in Japan.

Here, Rika discusses the pros and cons of living in Japan, from the delicious food to the stigma of living as a foreigner in Japan. I’ve followed Rika for years (way back when she lived in Honduras!) so I’m very excited to share this interview today.

Quick facts about living in Japan:

• Language: Japanese
• Currency: ¥ Japanese Yen (JPY)
• Level of crime in Japan: Very Low
  Cost of living in Japan: Moderate
  Quality of life in Japan: Very High

The pros and cons of living in Japan:

• Pros: extremely safe, delicious cheap food, great public transportation
• Cons: a very high language barrier, technology is still in 1995, lack of AC in summer

The expat community in Japan:

• Size of the expat community in Japan: 2.6 million foreign residents in 2018 (source)
• Most common expat nationalities: Chinese, Vietnamese, and South Korean. Eight out of the top 10 home countries of foreign residents are other Asian countries! Brazil is #5 and the USA is #8. (source)

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Rika’s background:

Hi! I’m Rika and I’m originally from Canada. I work as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Japan, and I’ve lived here since August 2016. My town is called Naruto (yes, like the anime) and is on the island of Shikoku, the smallest of the four main islands that make up Japan.

I came to Japan on the JET Programme, which is a program that brings native English speakers from around the world to Japan. Our job is to assist Japanese teachers with their English lessons in the public school system. That’s a bit of a fancy way to say that I’m mostly a human tape recorder and a dancing English monkey for most of my workday.

On the weather in Japan: Japan is a country that runs almost north to south, from the northernmost tip being up by Russia and the southernmost tip being down near Taiwan. This means the country experiences a wide variety of weather. In my area – I’m in south-central(ish) Japan – we do get the extreme Japanese summer, with temperatures of 40°C (104°F) for months on end with 90-100% humidity. But our spring, fall, and winters are all very mild. It rarely snows for more than a day each year where I live, and as a Canadian I’m very, very happy about that.

On Japan’s famous seasons: The seasons here are distinct and lovely. Spring brings cherry blossoms, fall brings brilliant red leaves, summer brings hydrangeas and lush greenery, and winter is a time to rest and reset. Japanese people will proudly tell you that “Japan has four seasons” like no other country in the world has that. (It’s so prevalent that it often makes its way into Japan memes.) I now understand what they mean… they have four seasons AND each season is celebrated to the max, with special foods, festivals, and rituals for each season. Nobody enjoys a season the way Japanese people do!

On learning Japanese: Japanese is an easy language to learn the bare-bones basics of. But after that, you quickly realize there is a steep learning curve.

I feel quite comfortable with spoken Japanese – I can get my point across and I understand what people are saying to me. But written Japanese is difficult. They use three different writing systems (all mixed into the same sentence) and one of them is Chinese characters, of which there are literally thousands and many look alike.

Japanese people are generally very shy about speaking English, so if you try to speak Japanese to them they will often be relieved and jump right into it with you. However, many of them have had limited interaction in Japanese with non-native speakers, so they are not used to slowing down or enunciating their speech. Learning how to say “slowly, please” was a great first step for me! (“Yukkuri de, onegashimasu!”)

On the level of English in Japan: Overall, I’d say about 98% of people where I live do not speak English beyond “Hello” and “What’s your name?”. I live in what’s considered to be a very “countryside” prefecture, in a small town (by Japanese standards – there are 60,000 people here). There is very little interest or motivation for people here to learn English.

There’s also little to no tourism from English-speaking countries, and people here generally do not need it for work or to go about their day to day lives. For example, there’s no English at the local bank for forms and apparently no one there can (or wants to) speak English. The ATM is all in Japanese. So is the online banking.

Yakibuta tamago meshi (fried pork belly and an egg on rice) in Imabari, Ehime

On the food in Japan: Each place in Japan boasts its own local specialty. The best one I’ve had so far has been yakibuta tamago meshi (fried pork belly and an egg on rice) in Imabari, Ehime. It doesn’t look like much, but it tasted spectacular!

My favorite Japanese food is ramen, and I was on a quest to try one from every prefecture! Sadly I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease a couple of years ago here, and have had to transition to a gluten-free diet, so ramen is off the table.

I also love sushi and I end up going out for sushi at least once a week. I live within a 20-minute drive of three conveyor belt sushi places, and the great thing about those here is they’re $1/plate. 

Butter corn ramen in Hokkaido

On adjusting to Japanese culture: The shoganai is what I most loathe about Japanese society. Shoganai means “it can’t be helped” and it took me a very long time to get used to people throwing that out as a final answer for THINGS THAT COULD DEFINITELY BE HELPED. When I asked for a change, I was often met with this answer.

Living in Japan means you need to be able to “read the air”, meaning you need to pick up on subtleties and unspoken rules to keep the group harmony. It’s kind of a combination of “don’t stir the pot” and “read the room”.

On safety in Japan: This is absolutely, without a doubt, the safest place I have ever lived or visited. I don’t need to lock my doors, I can leave my iPhone on the table at Starbucks to save my seat. If I drop my wallet, I’ll likely find it at the closest police station with everything in it.

That being said, my prefecture has some of the worst drivers in the country and I do not feel safe driving here. People often watch TV on their in-car entertainment system and a lot of the rules of the road are not followed. Streets are extremely narrow and not well-lit. This also makes me nervous when walking on the sides of roads.

Nara Park in Nara, Japan

On getting around Japan: Most of Japan is well-connected with all kinds of transit. The trains are extremely punctual. One thing to keep in mind is even in metro areas, trains stop running between midnight and 1 am and don’t start again until around 5 am. Don’t miss the last train!

On traveling solo in Japan as a woman: As a solo female traveller, I couldn’t ask for a safer, more comfortable place to travel alone. From road trips to plane rides to never-ending trains to catching local buses, traveling here is a dream. Speaking Japanese does help, but overall people are very kind and eager to learn about you and what you’re doing.

On making friends: I initially made friends through my job, as I met many English teachers in my town and surrounding area. I also made friends with a lot of the ALTs who came out of the same consulate as me in Canada (we all did training together and flew to Japan together). I have a lot of teacher friends!

My best circle of friends here came from joining a local traditional dance team. My prefecture, Tokushima, is famous for Awa Odori which is the largest dance festival in Japan. I just finished my second year dancing at the festival, and the people on my dance team have become my Japanese family. They are lovely people and some of the best friends I have made here. Here’s a video of the dance.

RELATED: How to Make Friends When You Move to a New City

On the cost of living in Japan: The cost of living is fairly normal for a first-world country; I pay about the same as in small Canadian towns. Rent is a bit cheaper in my town, but that’s because where I live is considered the middle of nowhere in Japan. My rent is subsidized, but for a similar style of apartment (ie. a one-bedroom style) you could expect to pay $400-600 USD a month, excluding utilities, for a new-ish apartment. One thing to note here is that appliances are generally not included in apartment rentals – you have to buy your own.

On Japanese healthcare: Japan operates a National Health System (NHS). Residents pay into it every month in the form of a deduction on each paycheck. Then, when you use the system, you are responsible for 30% of the total cost. The NHS covers both medical and dental care.

One thing I like about the NHS is there’s no referral system. If I want to see a specialist, I call them and make an appointment myself (unlike in Canada). There’s no waiting four months to get an appointment here. Also, I can choose my doctors.

The only downside is having to pay for the NHS twice – once through a deduction on my paycheck, then also having to still pay 30% every time I use the system. That being said, paying 30% of the appointment cost is not a huge amount. For example, I see an endocrinologist every six months where I get a blood test, consultation with the doctor, and an ultrasound. This sets me back a whopping $40. A teeth cleaning costs around $15.

Overall, the health care here is like any first world country and there is a high level of care. However, many expats express frustration with the system here, especially if you are a woman. Symptoms can often be brushed off by (old male) doctors who will tell you to “just relax” or “don’t be so stressed”. You definitely have to be able to advocate for yourself here. Mental illness is still highly stigmatized and often just swept under the rug.

Fushimi Inari Shrine in Sapporo, Japan

On the technology: Everyone thinks Japan is this futuristic robot high-tech place but let me tell you, that’s one neighborhood in Tokyo and that’s about it. People are still using fax machines for everything here. The office administrator at my school doesn’t know how to attach files to emails. The IT guy at my board of education doesn’t know how an internet router works. There’s no internet on any of the smartboards in my classroom. The only restaurants with wifi are McDonald’s and Starbucks. Don’t even get me started on the ATMs that CLOSE AT NIGHT AND ON WEEKENDS and the “online banking” that deserves those quotation marks.

On holidays in Japan: Christmas is a pretty funny holiday in Japan. It’s a day for going on a date, or eating KFC with your family. Yes, KFC. They sell specific Christmas buckets and you have to order months in advance, and they usually sell out!

But as for a truly Japanese holiday, Setsubun is a quirky one. It’s held every February 3rd, and is a festival celebrating the beginning of spring in Japan (for most of the country, spring is from around mid-February through the end of April). It used to be sort of a New Year’s festival back when Japan was still following the lunar calendar.
Locals celebrate Setsubun by having the oldest male or head of household wear an oni (ogre) mask and the rest of the family members throw roasted soybeans at the oni and yell “demons out, luck in!” and chase the oni out of the house and slam the door. Some people still do this at home (especially if they have kids, as kids love chasing the oni) but these days most people go to a temple or shrine to celebrate.

Girl’s Day decorations in Tokushima

On what she misses from home: Sometimes I miss just the ease of going into a restaurant and being able to read the entire menu easily or ask questions. Restaurants here are not really down with substitutions and as someone with a lot of food restrictions, that gets frustrating sometimes.

I also miss the variety of food. I love Japanese food and honestly am happy eating it every day, but I don’t have much choice outside of it. If I want Vietnamese, Ethiopian, or Greek food I’m out of luck. My town has one Indian restaurant and some Japanese-style western restaurants, and that’s it for non-Japanese stuff. 

On what she wishes she had brought from home: PANTS. PANTS ALL DAY LONG.

I am 5’8” and usually wear a size 12 or 14 pant in North America. That’s a 5XL (!!!) in Japanese pant sizes, and sizes above XL (around a 6-8 US) are often only sold in specialty stores in larger urban centers or online. I am also much taller than most Japanese women, so even finding the right size of pants were way too short on me. Also, the Asian body type for most women here does not include curves or any junk in the trunk, so pants here really don’t accommodate that at all. Pants here are my enemy. I should have brought more. Now I order American brands off Amazon!

On living in Japan long-term: I wouldn’t consider living in Japan long-term. While I love this country and I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to live here for a few years, the unwillingness to integrate foreigners into their society is a red flag for me. You could live here for 50 years, speak fluent Japanese, do everything right culturally and still get the “OMG A FOREIGNER” yells and pointing while you do your grocery shopping, and people will still ask you if you know how to use chopsticks and when you’re going back to your own country. I can’t get down with that. But it’s a great place to spend a few years and get to know the country on a deeper level than just being a tourist.

Thanks so much, Rika!

P.S. What Living as an Expat in Shanghai is Really Like and What Living as an Expat in Singapore is Really Like.

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As most of my readers know, I’m both an avid reader and francophile. So I suppose it’s only natural that I’ve read a truckload of books about France.

So here it is: the best books about France I’ve ever read, including fiction, non-fiction, and memoirs.

Note- all of these books take place in France. While some are set in Paris, I wanted to focus more on the entire country, not the capital.

Related post: 13 Must-Read Books About Paris to Read Before Your Trip

The best fiction books set in France

The Dream – Émile Zola

If you’re looking for a classic novel set in France, look no further than The Dream. Written by 19th-century French novelist Émile Zola, The Dream is about Angélique, a sheltered orphan who falls in love with a much-older painter.

Written like a fairytale, this novel is a departure from Zola’s other books, which are more serious and sociological in nature.

Émile Zola’s novel The Belly of Paris is also excellent.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr

Moving onto contemporary novels set in France. Published in 2015, All the Light We Cannot See centers around the relationship between two unlikely friends: a blind French girl and a brilliant German soldier.

If you like historical fiction about WWII, I think you’ll love this book. It won a Pulitzer prize after all!

Buy the book on Amazon here.

The best non-fiction books about France

French Women Don’t Get Fat – Mireille Guiliano

French Women Don’t Get Fat is equally an explanation as to how French women stay trim as well as a guidebook on how to live a healthier, happier life.

This book demystifies “the French paradox”, or how the French eat butter, chocolate, and bread every day and still stay thin. Guiliano gives no-nonsense, applicable advice on how to live and eat better. She advises you throw out the diet book and instead eat reasonable portions of delicious, seasonal food, something I wholeheartedly stand behind.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

Edible French – Clotilde Dusoulier and Melina Josserand

Edible French is a charming book that explores the meaning of 50 food-related French expressions. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Tomber dans les pommes (falling into the apples) = to faint
• Être comme un coq dans pâte (being like a rooster in dough) = feeling cozy and pampered
• Avoir un cœur d’artichaut (having the heart of an artichoke) = to fall in love easily

The book is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. If you have a francophile in your life, it would make an excellent gift.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

The New Paris – Lindsay Tramuta

The New Paris explores the Paris of today, not yesterday. A city often mired in the past, American journalist and blogger Lindsay Tramuta seeks to highlight the modern creatives and entrepreneurs who are changing Paris today.

This would be an excellent coffee table book for any francophile – the photos alone justify the cost of the book.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

60 Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong – Jean-Benoit and Julie Barlow

60 Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong is a deep-dive into the economy, politics, and history of France.

The book is divided into three sections: French history, the French lifestyle, and predictions for the future. While I’ve spent a lot of time in France, this book taught me a lot about the country that I didn’t know.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

The Best Memoirs about France

Bringing Up Bébé – Pamela Druckerman

This is one of my favorite books about French culture, full of hilarious observations about France. Here’s the story: Pamela Druckerman, an American journalist, moves to Paris with her English husband. After having a baby, she soon finds out parenthood in France is like worlds away from anything she’s experienced before.

Even if you don’t have kids, this book is a fantastic read.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

Almost French – Sarah Turnbull

Almost French is the true-life story of an Australian woman who plans on visiting Paris for a week and, spoiler alert — ends up falling in love with a Frenchman and staying much longer.

One negative point – I wish we had learned more about her French boyfriend and their relationship. For some reason, he’s barely in the book.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen – Jacques Pépin

The Apprentice follows famed French chef and TV personality Jacques Pépin through his childhood in rural France to the beginnings of his culinary career in the US and his eventual fame and fortune.

Though Pépin may have a sunny personality on TV, his memoir made it clear that he did not have it easy; from growing up on WWII rations to training in an militaristic, Escoffier-style kitchen, he has overcome many struggles throughout his life.

This book made me love Pépin — he seems like the most adorable person in the world. I wish he was my grandfather and would cook French meals for me. I honestly LOVED this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves food or France.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

My Life in France – Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme

My Life in France is about Julia Child’s expat life in France, as well as her journey to becoming a TV personality and cookbook author.

What I respect most about Julia Child is over-the-top food nerdery. I especially enjoyed reading about how she MacGyver’d the perfect baguette baking conditions by dropping a hot brick in a pan of water in the oven.

If you’re curious about Julia Child’s life in France, I highly recommend this book.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

Blood, Bones & Butter – Gabrielle Hamilton

Blood, Bones & Butter is Gabrielle Hamilton’s memoir about growing up in Pennsylvania with a French mother, and later becoming a world-famous chef. In the book, she travels to France to rediscovers her French roots.

Hamilton is a great writer; I especially loved her candor when describing career uncertainties and marriage troubles. There’s a reason that Anthony Bourdain described this book as “simply the best memoir by a chef ever.”

Buy the book on Amazon here.

A Year in Provence – Peter Mayle

Tired of his life in England, Peter Mayle decides to uproot his life and move to Provence. This book details his triumphs and struggles to become integrated into a tiny French town, complete with nosy neighbors and a 200-year old farmhouse in constant need of repair.

Originally published in 1989, this book is still a joy to read.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

P.S. Peter Mayle’s other books about Provence, Toujours Provence and My Twenty-Five Years in Provence, are also excellent!

32 Yolks – Eric Ripert

You may know Eric Ripert from TV show Parts Unknown. Formerly a close friend of Anthony Bourdain, Ripert is the famed French chef behind three-star Michelin restaurant Le Bernardin.

This autobiography is the story of Ripert’s upbringing in France. Ripert grew up in the south of France, the lonely child of divorced parents. He rose to fame through the rigorous kitchens of Paris’ elite restaurants, eventually moving to the United States.

I loved reading about Ripert’s story; he seems like the most elegant, self-effacing person who truly deserves his success.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

The Best French Cookbooks

A Kitchen in France – Mimi Thorisson

Mimi Thorisson is the blogger behind Manger, a food blog that features dreamy food photography in France and beyond. Her cookbook, A Kitchen in France, focuses on seasonal French recipes and is similarly full of stunning photography.

If you’re a francophile in need of a new cookbook, I highly recommend this one.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

My Paris Kitchen – David Lebovitz

My Paris Kitchen is one of my favorite French cookbooks, featuring some of David Lebovitz’s best sweet and savory recipes.

One thing to note the recipes aren’t just French, but also Moroccan, Indian and even American to reflect Paris’ rich ethnic landscape. As per usual, the book contains lots of Lebovitz’ wry remarks on French culture.

Buy the cookbook on Amazon here.

What books about France am I forgetting? Have you read any of these ones?

P.S. 13 Must-Read Books About Paris to Read Before Your Trip and What Living as an Expat in France is Really Like.

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Last year, I fell head-over-heels in love with Tbilisi, Georgia. Though I would’ve had trouble pointing it out on a map, I immediately felt drawn to Tbilisi’s vibe: bohemian, colorful, and wine-obsessed.

Some media outlets are saying that Tbilisi is one of the most exciting cities in the world. All I know is if you like wine, art, history, and natural beauty, traveling to Tbilisi should be at the top of your list.

Because I think everyone should visit Georgia (ask my friends – I won’t shut up about it), I wanted to write a post on some of my favorite unique things to do in Tbilisi.

Tip – You can also scroll down to the bottom of the post for a free map of all the best things to do in Tbilisi, which you can download and use offline with an app like Google Maps.

Where is Tbilisi?

Tbilisi is the capital of the Republic of Georgia. Georgia is located in the Caucasus region, which also comprises Azerbaijan and Armenia. Size-wise, it’s about the same size as Ireland.

5 reasons to travel to Tbilisi, Georgia:

Tbilisi is unique. Tbilisi is a very unusual city; it’s located in Central Asia, yet squashed between Russia and the Middle East. It feels European but is filled with Zoroastrian temples, Armenian churches, and Soviet buildings. I love that it sits at the confluence of so many different cultures, yet has a Georgian flair all its own.

It’s relatively undiscovered. For now, Tbilisi is far enough of the beaten path that it’s not yet mobbed with tourists (though I suspect this will change in the next few years). While Tbilisi tourism is growing, it still pales in comparison to most cities in Europe.

It’s affordable. If you’re wondering, “Is Tbilisi cheap?” The answer is yes, very. A meal in a restaurant will set you back a measly $5, and a room in a mid-range hotel will cost you $25.

It’s progressive. In 2018, Marijuana was decriminalized. In addition to that, Tbilisi also has a growing LGBTQ scene. Though around 80% of Georgia is Orthodox Christian, many travelers say it’s the most modern and liberal capital in the region.

It’s a great entry point for exploring the Caucusus region. Of all the countries in the Caucasus, Georgia is said to be the easiest to visit with some of the friendliest people and the most developed tourist infrastructure.

Important Georgia travel tips:

Getting a visa for the Republic of Georgia

Passport holders of most western countries don’t need a visit to enter Georgia. Citizens of 94 countries (including the US) get a free 365-day visa upon arrival. Read more about Georgian visa information here.

Transportation in Tbilisi

Getting around Tbilisi is easy, as the city’s fairly small. You can visit most places on foot, and Tbilisi also has a subway that is inexpensive and safe. But if you’re staying in Tbilisi for a while, download Yandex. Yandex is a ride-sharing app popular that is basically the Uber of Georgia.

Saftey in Tbilisi

Crime in Tbilisi is very low. As a solo female traveler, I felt safe walking the streets alone, though I avoided walking alone at night. I experienced much less cat-calling than in Azerbaijan, for example.

What to do in Tbilisi: 13 unique ideas

Now that we’ve covered the basics, here are some of my ideas on things to see in Tbilisi. This list contains several unusual things to do in Tbilisi that you won’t find in every guide on the internet, and of course, includes lots of food and wine.

Stay in an old Soviet factory

Can we please take a moment to appreciate Fabrika’s gorgeous lobby?

One of the best decisions of my trip was staying at Fabrika, an abandoned Soviet sewing factory turned hostel.

Fabrika’s one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed at. The sparkling-clean dorms have air-conditioning (crucial), and each bunk has a reading light and outlets.

But Fabrika is so much more than a hostel; it’s also a coworking-space and cultural hub. Out back, it has a courtyard with restaurants, bars, a record store, and an art gallery where tourists and locals hang out.

Fabrika offers lots of events, many of which are free. You can read about upcoming events on their website.

You can check current prices for Fabrika on Booking.com.

Explore Tbilisi’s Old Town

St. George’s Armenian Cathedral

The beautiful architecture in the Old Town

Kick off your Tbilisi sightseeing in Tbilisi’s Old Town, a neighborhood that is brimming with quirky shops, churches, and art galleries.

Tbilisi’s labyrinthine Old Town has a decidedly European feel, from the cobblestone streets to the latticed balconies.

It’s the perfect place to get lost with your camera in tow, or while a few hours drinking Svaneti in a sidewalk café.

Highlights in the Old Town:

• The Marionette Theater & Leaning Clock Tower — The leaning clock tower is so adorable it looks like Walt Disney dreamed it up. There’s also a puppet show here.
• Tbilisi Botanical Gardens —Formerly the city’s royal gardens, Tbilisi’s botanical gardens are lush and centrally located. The gardens are quite large, so bring comfortable shoes and a bottle of water. And don’t miss the sulfur waterfall — you can even bring your suit and go swimming there.
• Gallery 27 – Located on the second story of a traditional Georgian home, Gallery 27 is an art gallery with handmade items made by local artists. You can find a wide array of crafts here, such as silk art, cloisonné enamel bowls, ceramics, and toys. Don’t forget to take a picture of the stained glass staircase on your way out!

You can also explore the Old Town with a professional guide – check out the Tbilisi Old Town walking tour here.

The gorgeous stained glass staircase at Gallery 27.

Stroll down beautiful Davit Aghmashenbeli Avenue

Davit Aghmashenbeli Avenue is a pedestrian-only avenue that is perfect for an afternoon stroll. It’s packed with cafés and restaurants and is a great place to drink wine, eat khachapuri, and smoke hookah (there’s a lot of hookah here for some reason). I especially loved the string lights hung over the street.

Though the avenue is a little touristy, it’s definitely worth stopping by.

Get scrubbed down at the sulfur baths

If you’re a spa lover, don’t miss the Tbilisi sulfur baths. The sulfuric water is said to cure everything from muscle aches to acne.

If you don’t want to get naked with strangers (fair), you can also rent a private bathhouse that comes with a massage. But if you want a truly local experience, go for the communal bathhouse. It’s cheaper, and let’s be honest — a much better dinner party story.

There are around 10 sulfur baths in Tbilisi, but the ones in Abanotubani are highly regarded.

Take the cable car to Narikala Fortress

Built in the 4th century, Narikala Fortress is a former Persian citadel that dominates the Tbilisi skyline. Though it’s now a ruin, it has survived an impressive amount of invaders: the Umayyads, the Mongols, and most recently, the demolition-happy Soviets.

Before you head up to the fortress, pay a visit to the Mother of Georgia (Kartis Deda), a statue that was constructed in 1958 to stand guard over Tbilisi. Curiously, she seems to be facing the wrong way.

The easiest way to get to Narikala Fortress is by cable car, which starts in the Old Town and crosses the river. I recommend riding the cable car at sunset to get the best views of the city. It costs 2.50 GEL ($0.80 USD) to ride the cable car one-way.

Visit Metheki Church, one of Tbilisi’s Orthodox churches

While you’re in the neighborhood, stop by Metheki Church, a Georgian Orthodox church that dates back to the Middle Ages. It’s free to entre the church, like most churches in Tbilisi.

Like Narikala Fortress, Metheki Church has endured a lot of abuse. During Russian occupation in the 19th-century, it was used as a military barracks. In the thirties, the Bolsheviks tried to demolish the church entirely. Thankfully, they were met with opposition from Georgian intellectuals and the church still stands.

Note to female travelers – you will need to cover up in the church – no bare shoulders or above-the-knee skirts/shorts are allowed. And bring a scarf so you can cover your head.

Sample Georgian wines

Full disclosure – I uniformly found Georgian wine to be pretty terrible. But in any case, drinking wine in Georgia is an important experience as it’s such a beloved national pastime.

Across Tbilisi, you will find many traditional wine cellars, where you can spend the afternoon tasting Georgian wines. Fun fact – Georgia has been producing wine for 8,000 years, longer than anywhere else in the world.

If you want to do a Georgian wine tasting, I recommend going to the Wine Gallery. The staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgable, and the venue is beautiful. Try the Svaneti!

You can also do a guided day tour to Kakheti, a nearby wine region – this is a good one.

Experience Tbilisi’s nightlife at Fabrika

Even if you don’t stay at Fabrika, I highly recommend heading there for dinner and drinks.

Fabrika’s courtyard has breweries, bars, and restaurants, and is populated by both travelers and locals. At night it comes alive and the atmosphere is wonderful – you can sit on pallets while sipping craft cocktails, and check out the shops in the courtyard and many different restaurants.

Shop for Soviet relics at the Dry Bridge Market

Have you ever wanted to buy a Soviet film camera? A KGB identification card? How about a framed picture of Stalin?

Well at the Dry Bridge Market, you can get all of that and more. You’ll have to sift through a lot of junk, but there are many treasures to be found. For $12, I took home a beautiful antique jewelry box from Iran.

Tips for visiting the Dry Bridge Market:

• The market is open every day from 10:00 – 17:00, though it may not be open if there’s bad weather.
• There are more sellers at the markets on Saturday and Sunday.
• Be prepared to barter! The sellers are tough.

Buy a Caucasian rug at the Caucasian Carpet Gallery

Caucasian Carpet Gallery, the best place to buy carpets in Georgia.

Did you know the Caucasus region is famous for its carpets? Caucasian rugs are famous for their bold geometric patterns and tribal designs, which are unique to the region in which they were produced.

If you want to buy a carpet in Tbilisi, head to the Caucasian Carpet Gallery. The gallery has rugs from all over the region: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Central Asia.

The best part about the Caucasian Carpet Gallery is the staff; they were extremely knowledgable and more than happy to pull out dozens of rugs and lay them in the street so I could see them in natural lighting.

In the end, I bought an 85-year old Sumakh rug. It cost $550 (so much cheaper than it would cost in the US), and it’s one of my favorite souvenirs from my travels.

Tip – Bring cash! If you pay in cash, the owner may give you a discount (he quoted me $50 cheaper for paying in cash). If you buy a rug, they will ship it to your home so you won’t have to worry about transporting it.

The beautiful, 85-year old Caucasian rug I bought!

Try traditional Georgian food

The food in Georgia is wonderful. It revolves around bread, cheese, and walnuts, and is hearty and delicious, though not remotely low-calorie. Definitely don’t come here on the keto diet.

Here are several dishes I recommend trying:

Khinkali, Georgian soup dumplings

Khinkali are Georgian soup dumplings. They are traditionally stuffed with meat, though I did find mushroom and cheese khinkali as well.

Aren’t they cute? They remind me of a French chef’s hat.

Khachapuri, Georgian cheese bread

You can’t visit Georgia without trying Khachapuri, which is a cheese-filled bread dish native to Georgia.

Georgia has many regional variations of Khachapuri, but the most popular is Khachapuri Adjaruli, the canoe-shaped, cheese-stuffed dough ball above. It usually comes topped with a raw egg and a pat of butter, which you mix vigorously into the cheese before eating. It’s outrageously good.

Churchkhela, Georgian candy

When I was crossing the border via bus from Azerbaijan to Georgia, a Georgian guy kindly bought me something on the side of the road. I said thanks but had no idea what it was. Was it a sausage? Candy? A candle?

It turns out it was churchkhela, Georgian walnut candy, which is made with nuts and dried fruit.

Blogger Lost With Purpose describes churchkhela as “looking and tasting like a shriveled penis”, which I mean, I can’t disagree. But it’s something you kind of have to try while in Georgia.

Have a magical dinner at Shavi Lomi

Opened in 2011, Shavi Lomi is one of the best new-ish restaurants in Tbilisi — it’s even been profiled by the New York Times.

Shavi Lomi serves up Georgian home-cooking with a modern twist. You’ll find many lighter vegetable dishes on the menu, which can be a welcome break from traditional Georgian fare. I particularly recommend trying the adjapsandali, a Georgian eggplant stew. Though it may look like a typo, I can assure you that it’s delicious.

The atmosphere at Shavi Lomi may be even more wonderful than the food; the restaurant occupies an old Georgian mansion with tons of character. I loved dining outside in the courtyard, where greenery and lanterns abound.

Shavi Lomi is popular, so definitely book in advance.

Photograph Tbilisi’s colorful street art

Tbilisi is smattered with beautiful street art; there are gorgeous murals all over town.

To see some of Tbilisi’s best street art, head to Marjanishvilil, one of Tbilisi’s up-and-coming neighborhoods. What was once an industrial zone in Soviet times has been reborn as Tbilisi’s hipster neighborhood, with excellent bars, restaurants, and cafés.

One of the best free things to do in Tbilisi is Fabrika’s walking tour of Tbilisi, which features lots of local street art.

A map of the best things to do in Tbilisi, Georgia:

Other places to visit in Tbilisi:

The Bridge of Peace

The Bridge of Peace — Built in 2010, the Bridge of Peace is a controversial bridge that some call a marvel contemporary architecture, and others call a pantyliner. I recommend walking through the bridge; it looks cooler from the interior than the outside.

Holy Trinity Cathedral — Also known as the Sameba, the Holy Trinity Cathedral is an enormous, gold-domed church built it 1989, although it looks much older.

Rustaveli Avenue — Rustaveli Avenue is the central avenue in Tbilisi. Noisy, crowded, and full of global brands, it reminded me of Las Ramblas in Barcelona or the Champs-Élysées in Paris. I didn’t love it, but you might.

Georgian National Museum — The National Museum details the extremely long history of Georgia; from architecture from 5,000 BC to modern times.

Georgia Travel Blog FAQ

Is Georgia in Europe?

Kind of. Though geographically Georgia’s in Central Asia, culturally it’s more European. I spoke with several locals and they said they think of themselves as European. Like Armenia, Georgia is a predominantly Christian country.

When is the best time to visit Tbilisi?

Most Georgia travel guides will tell you to visit in spring or fall. I visited in early June, and the weather was lovely, though sometimes a bit hot and humid.

Can you drink the tap water in Tbilisi?

Yes! the water is safe to drink in Tbilisi though I can’t speak to the rest of Georgia. I recommend bringing a reusable water bottle and filling up from the tap.

What kind of adapter do you need?

Georgia uses the same sockets and electricity as in Europe (220V).

You can buy a European adapter on Amazon here.

What is the best place to stay in Tbilisi?

It depends on your budget. As I mentioned, I stayed at Fabrika Hostel, which I loved.

Here are some highly-rated accommodation options for every budget:

• Hostels in Tbilisi: Fabrika and Nomad Hostel are both highly-rated (Nomad has 9.8/10 stars!)
• Mid-range hotel in Tbilisi: Old Key Hotel — Old Key Hotel is a wonderfully restored quirky hotel. It’s well-located on Agmashenebeli Street, which is near central Tbilisi, and all rooms are air-conditioned. Check current prices here.
• Luxury hotel in Tbilisi: Rooms Hotel — Run by the Rooms boutique hotel group, Rooms Hotel is a chic, eclectic boutique hotel located in a former publishing house. It provides excellent value for the price. Check current prices here.
• Airbnb in Tbilisi: Airbnb is a great option in Tbilisi. I recommend renting an Airbnb near the Old Town, which will be closest to most Tbilisi attractions.

If you’re new to Airbnb, use this coupon code to get $40 off your first stay.

What are some popular day trips from Tbilisi?

My trip to Georgia was unfortunately cut short, so I didn’t have time to do any day trips. That being said, here are some highly-rated day trips:

• Day trip to Mtskheta — Mtskheta is Georgia’s oldest city and its former capital.
• Day trip Armenia — A great option if you’d like to see Armenia but don’t have a ton of time.
• Day trip to Kakheti wine region — Spend a day tasting local wines and visiting beautiful European-looking towns.
• Day trip to Kazbegi, one of Georgia’s most beautiful mountain regions — If you’re short on time, you can take a day tour to Kazbegi.

Should you visit Tbilisi or Baku, Azerbaijan?

I hands-down preferred Tbilisi. Baku was interesting, but Tbilisi was much more my scene, with art galleries, red wine, and a laid-back, bohemian vibe. But to each their own.

I really hope you enjoyed my 3,000-word Tbilisi travel guide!

P.S. I recently found 100 lari in my drawer, so clearly I need to go back to Georgia. Anyone up for it?

Have you ever been to Tbilisi, Georgia? Is it on your list?

P.s. 20 Photos That Will Inspire You to Visit Tbilisi, Georgia and 11 Super Unique Things to do in Baku, Azerbaijan

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Updated: October 15, 2019

Hey guys! I’ve decided to bring back my monthly recaps. Blogging these days feels so… strategic, so I wanted to have a place where I could casuaully share my travel plans, book recommendations, and life updates. I’m also going to start sharing traffic and income reports. Thanks for reading!

Hey everyone! How’s your fall going?

Honestly, I was a little afraid to post this. When writing this recap, I couldn’t help but wonder, Is anyone still reading? Did grad school completely kill my blog?

As you may have noticed (or not), since starting grad school last September, I’ve barely blogged. Free time has been very limited, so at times, blogging has felt like an impossibility.

That being said, I miss blogging. A lot. This blog is as much my passion project as it is my part-time job, so I’m not ready to give it up.

So, I’m writing this to say that I’m still here. And if you’re still reading, that’s amazing. Thank you.

Where I’ve been:

Ann Arbor (30 days)

I spent September at home in Ann Arbor. Classes started in early September, and it’s already pretty full-on.

(Side note – is it just me, or is grad school insanely hard? I basically always feel like I’m drowning.)

September Highs:

Moving into my new apartment. Last year, I lived in a brand-new high-rise apartment. While that may sound glamorous, it really wasn’t for me; it was over-priced, cheaply built, and the windows didn’t open. (For some reason, that really drove me crazy.)

Though my new apartment is tiny and I have two roommates (with one bathroom), I absolutely love it. I think I was meant to live in a creaky old Victorian house. The character! The details!

I’m especially obsessed with my black-and-white kitchen floor.

Exploring Detroit. I’ve spent as much time in Detroit as possible recently, which by the way, is so cool these days. The downtown is full of locally owned businesses, and there are new bars, restaurants, and hotels opening all the time.

I always forget how much of a city person I am until I step foot in one, and immediately feel energized, calm, and almost giddily happy.

Candy Bar, a super chic new bar in downtown Detroit. I’ve been twice in the last month.

Downtown Detroit in September.

Ashley Abroad turned 7! Well technically my blog turned 7 in August, but whatever. I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for seven years. That’s longer than I’ve dated anyone, lived in a single city, or done basically anything else in my adult life.

Getting back into photography. After buying my “dream” camera a few years ago (an absurdly heavy full-frame Canon dSLR), I quickly realized I hated lugging it around.

So before my trip to Japan in May, I bought a mirrorless Fujifilm camera. And it’s made such a difference – photography is actually fun again. It may sound silly, but buying a smaller camera has totally reinvigorated my passion for photography.

September Lows:

Medical bills. I haven’t mentioned this yet on the blog, but I got really sick in 2018 and was hospitalized three times. On one of those occasions, I was hospitalized for five days.

Though this happened last year, I’m still getting medical bills. It turns out that in America the worst part about getting sick isn’t being ill — it’s dealing with medical bills. Figuring out how to pay those bills has not only blown through my savings, it’s also taken up hours of my time and caused an immeasurable amount of stress.

I now know a depressing amount of health insurance-related acryonyms and have spent more time in the healthcare subReddit than I care to admit. TLDR; Can we all move to Canada yet?

Programming. I’m taking two programming classes this semester and coding is just not. my. jam. But it’s a required part of my degree so I’ve got to get through it. Wish me luck.

Blogging Stuff

Housekeeping

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, a few housekeeping notes:

A new focus on Ashley Abroad. Moving forward, my goal on Ashley Abroad will be to create useful content to help other travelers plan their trips. I will of course still post personal essays and musings, but I want my content to actually be, you know, useful for other people.

I’m hiring! After seven years of creating all my own content, I’m now hiring writers! Get in touch if you’re interested in writing about travel, culture, and expat life. All opportunities are paid.

Changing the name of my expat interview series. I’m changing the name of my expat series from American Expats to Living Abroad. The new name reflects my desire to feature expats of more nationalities, which is something I’ve already starting doing.

A new theme and brand! Notice anything different? My site has a new theme. while it’s not completely finished, it feels fantastic to no longer be using my clunky old theme. I’ve also re-branded a bit – what do you think?

Popular posts

Most popular post: 10 Ways Living Abroad Permanently Changed Me – Because who doesn’t love a listicle? I had a lot of fun writing this post, and it seems like a lot of people could relate to it.

Other posts published in September:

Blogging traffic & income (September 2019):

I’m going to start recapping my blog traffic and income, as I personally enjoy reading other bloggers’.

September traffic: 70,827 page views. My highest month of traffic yet!

September blogging income – $2,112.61

• Advertising – $1,083.51 – the first time I’ve hit more than $1,000 in advertising income!
• Affiliate income (Amazon) – $1,002.94 – This is the first time I’ve made more than $1,000 in Amazon income, too.
• Affiliate income (not Amazon): $15.98 – This is kind of dismal. I probably need to work on this category.
• Other (products, ebooks, etc.): $8.85 – I sold one ebook, ha.

Note that this is my blogging income before deductions or expenses.

Favorite read of the month

Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman

I didn’t know if I’d like this book because I’m not a mom, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s witty, well-researched, and has lots of funny personal anecdotes about living in Paris. Highly recommended.

I’m now reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett and so far, it’s delightful. I’ll report back next month.

As always, I would LOVE to hear what you’re reading! Feel free to leave your book recommendations in the comments.

Up next:

October is going to be a quiet month because I have mid-terms. But I have a lot of travel coming up in November.

Antigua & Barbuda – In November, I’m heading to Antigua for my cousins’ wedding. I’m super excited because I love weddings and adore my cousin and his fiancée (she owns a video production company and is basically the Dos Equis man).

Cuba – One of my best friends convinced me to spend a long weekend in Cuba in November and I’m not mad about it. So I guess I’ll be in the Carribean a lot next month, which I’m also not mad about.

How was your September? I’d love to hear about what you’re doing, and am all ears for any book recommendations/Cuba travel tips you may have.

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In Paris, a rainy day is nothing unusual, especially in fall or winter. Yes, a rainy day can be a bummer if you have a picnic planned. But honestly, Paris can be lovely in the rain. Take it from me – I lived in Paris for a year, so I know very well what to do in Paris when it rains.

Luckily, a little rain won’t ruin your vacation. If you plan correctly, there are tons of fun things to do on a rainy day in Paris. Honestly, I think the rain just adds to the romantic atmosphere.

A few tips on how to enjoy Paris in the rain:

1. Stay inside. Paris has incredible museums, churches, and shopping — there’s no need to wander outside.
2. Dress for the weather. Pack rain gear for your trip: a rain jacket, scarf, and rain boots.
3. Embrace it. Embrace the weather by moving slower and enjoying the many rainy-weather activities Paris has to offer.

Keeping these tips in mind, here are my suggestions for things to do in Paris in the rain:

1. Explore Paris’ covered passageways

One of the best things to do on a rainy day is to explore the covered passageways, which are covered shopping areas that date back to the 19th century and are filled with bookstores, shops, and restaurants.

Two of my favorites are Passage Jouffroy and Passage des Panoramas. P.S. Did you know you can stay in a covered passageway? Hotel Chopin is a highly-rated hotel located in the middle of Passage Jouffroy. (Read reviews | Book here)

2. Warm up with hot chocolate

To beat the rain, head inside for a mug of super thick French hot chocolate. You can try it at Café Angelique, a fancy café near the Louvre, or Paul, a French bakery chain (it’s actually really good!).

3. Visit Sainte-Chapelle, a tiny and beautiful Gothic chapel

In my opinion, Sainte-Chapelle is Paris’ most under-rated attraction. Once the royal chapel within Paris’ medieval palace, Sainte-Chapelle is one of Paris’ most important churches. Though it may be tiny, it houses more than 1,000 stained glass windows. It’s breathtaking. You can purchase your Sainte-Chapelle tickets here in advance.

4. Visit Shakespeare and Company, the world-famous bookstore

Shakespeare and Company is a famous Parisian bookstore that sells English-language books. Located across from the Notre Dame, it occupies one of Paris’ prime pieces of real estate and is very popular with tourists.

5. Learn how to make macarons

Making macarons is hard (I’ve tried twice and failed!) so it’s probably best to learn from a professional. If you’re not a baker, you can also buy macarons at Ladurée or Pierre Hermé (Pierre Hermé is my preference). But if you book this class you’ll soon be making your own.

6. Have the best French onion soup of your life at Café Saint-Régis

Try authentic French onion soup Café Saint-Régis, a classic French café located on the Île Saint-Louis. It’s the best French onion soup I’ve found in France. And possibly the world?

7. Spend the afternoon in one of Paris’ smaller art museums

On a rainy day, avoid big art museums like the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay and Pompidou, as they will probably be crowded. Instead, visit one of Paris’ smaller art museums, which you may have all to yourself. Here are some of my favorites:

8. Have tea at Mariage Frères

Mariage Frères is a French gourmet tea shop that has locations all over Paris. In the main tea room, you can either have brunch or tea. If you want to pick up a souvenir, you can buy loose-leaf tea at the tea counter.

9. Taste French wines at Le Baron Rouge

Le Baron Rouge is my favorite wine bar in Paris. Frequented mostly by old French men, it’s the most unpretentious wine bar around. They have a great selection of French wines; most cost €4 or less per glass.

10. Hang out in a hipster café

Paris has tons of hipster cafés that are perfect for people-watching. Here are some of my favorites:

• Boot Café: An adorable coffee shop in Le Marais housed in a former shoe store.
• Loustic: A quaint, cozy coffee shop in the Marais with gorgeous decor.
• KB Coffee Roasters: Formerly called Kooka Boora, KB is an Aussie-inspired coffee shop in Pigalle.

11. Go shopping at an iconic Parisian department store

Escape the rain in Paris’ most famous department stores: Galeries Lafayette. Galeries Lafayette was founded in 1912 and is still selling upscale clothing, lingerie, and other goods. If you visit the Boulevard Haussmann location, you can also visit Printemps, another famous department store down the street.

12. Tour the Conciergerie, the former prison that held Marie Antoinette

The Conciergerie is a former prison that stands in the spot where the Celts erected their first fort in the 1st century. It’s also where Marie Antoinette lived out her last days. You can purchase your Conciergerie tickets here in advance.

13. Head underground to the Catacombs

The Catacombs are the creepiest place to spend a rainy afternoon in Paris. Located deep beneath Paris, the Catacombs are a series of passages and tunnels where more than 6 million Parisians were buried during the 1700s.

The Catacombs are a popular attraction so you may have to wait three or four hours. You can purchase your Catacomb tickets here in advance (which includes an audio guide).

14. Have crêpes at a cozy crêperie

Where better to escape the rain than at a cozy crêperie? My favorite crêperie is Breizh Café, a super chic spot in Le Marais that serves savory and dessert crêpes. Don’t leave without trying their salted butter caramel crêpe – it’s insanely delicious.

15. Have tea at the Grand Mosque’s tea room

One off-the-beaten-path way to spend a rainy afternoon is at the Grand Mosque’s tea room. There, you can drink mint tea and eat baklava while staying warm and dry. The Grand Mosque also houses a hammam spa (Turkish steam baths).

16. Go antique shopping at Saint-Ouen Market

Saint-Ouen is an enormous antique market just outside the northern edge of Paris. It houses a vast amount of paintings, rugs, wine glasses, and more. The majority of it is indoors, so you can visit on a rainy day. There are expensive and cheaper sections, so it’s a fun place to shop no matter your budget.

17. Escape the city

The beautiful Vaux-le-Vicomte Château

Not interested in any of these ideas of things to do in Paris when it’s raining? You can also leave Paris altogether and take a day trip. Here are some day trips you can take from Paris on a rainy day:

What to wear in Paris when it rains

Paris is a very fashionable city so it’s advisable to dress your best, no matter the weather. Here’s what I recommend packing in case of rain:

More:

5 French Expressions That Will Help You Survive Paris

10 Books to Read Before Visiting Paris

The 10 Most Crazy Delicious Foods You Must Eat in Paris

The 7 Best Picnic Spots in Paris

What do you think of my list of things to do on a rainy day in Paris? Did I miss anything?

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In the past ten years, I’ve lived abroad in three countries: Argentina, France, and most, recently, Uganda.

As a result, I’ve learned that moving to another country will change you, in ways big and small. From what you to eat to how you see the world… and possibly even your accent.

Here’s how living abroad has permanently changed me.

1. I’m grateful for the little things…

Drinking from the tap. Having air conditioning. Not needing a VPN to watch TV. Using a dishwasher. After living in Uganda, I will never take these luxuries for granted again.

2. …But I’m kind of a snob.

I blame this on living in France. Call me a snob, but I still hate seeing runny cheese served cold. And don’t even get me started on the quality of bread in America.

3. Apparently, I have had a weird accent.

Thankfully, this problem has long since gone away. But when I was 24, after two years of living and traveling abroad, I’m pretty sure I had a weird accent.

After one trip, I was staying with a friend of a friend. After FOUR DAYS of staying with her, I mentioned I was from Michigan. She replied, “Oh, I thought you were Australian!”

Needless to say, I was mortified. Had I really turned into one of those pretentious Americans who sounded vaguely transatlantic?

Guys, it’s a Michigan accent, I swear to god. I’ve never even been to Australia.

4. I still think everything’s expensive.

Do you know how much a ten-minute Uber costs in Uganda? $0.80.

5. I’m a whiz at converting currencies.

I was terrible at math in high school, but after living abroad three times, I’m now a pro at converting currencies on the fly.

6. I know how to make a proper cup of tea. Kind of.

When I was younger, my family didn’t have a kettle. So when I made tea, I used to “boil” the water in the microwave and then add the tea bag.

After living amongst many Brits over the years, I have since reformed my ways. At the very least, I now put the tea bag in the cup before I pour in the water. Which is… something?

Definitely still a coffee drinker though.

7. I bake using the metric system.

First of all, let me say that I love the metric system. Efficient, universal, easy to compute… what’s not to love?

But I especially love using the metric system for baking. Instead of fiddling around with measuring cups, you simply weigh the ingredients in one bowl using a food scale. The result? Almost no dishes to wash.

8. I try to talk to everyone in foreign languages.

If I find out you speak Spanish or French, I will probably approach you with a lame line and try to talk to you.

And if I’m drunk and you’re Brazilian, I apologize in advance for my broken Portuguese.

9. I miss a lot of places, all of the time.

This is definitely a first-class problem to have. But having lived and traveled a lot of places, I’m nostalgic for a lot of places at once.

In the course of a week, I’ll miss eating noodles while sitting on six-inch plastic stools in Southeast Asia, riding on the back of a motorcycle taxi in Uganda, walking home from the bakery with a still-warm baguette.

While missing lots of places (and for that matter, people) can make me feel melancholy at times, it also reminds me of how lucky I am.

10. I don’t know if I’ll ever be happy in one place.

I’ve moved a lot in my twenties. The longest I’ve lived anywhere, Colorado, was two years. Now that I’m nearing thirty, I wonder if I’ll ever feeling content in one place. I’m honestly not sure yet.

Have you lived abroad? How did it permanently change you?

P.S. 10 Ways That Travel Permanently Changed Me and The Truth About Dating as an Expat.

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