It's hard to imagine anyone wanting to break away the beautiful city of Paris.
However, it is not uncommon for the French to mosey their way over to the French countryside to escape the bustle every once in a while.
Just a short skip and hop away are the cities of Deauville and Trouville, familiar weekend getaways for les Parisiennes.
The two hour train ride is a small price to pay for a new breathe of fresh air.
The train cars are also quite comfortable, might I add!
Just to give a visual overview, the cities are situated in the shape of a horseshoe, with Trouville on one side, Deauville on the other, and the train station placed at the bottom curve which connects them.
Trouville is stocked with wonderful restaurants and rather quaint, vintage shops while Deauville, on the other hand, is more so for those who want to enjoy the more expensive side of life with the luxuries of designer stores such as Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, and French-French brands like Sandro.
Just to give a visual overview, the cities are situated in the shape of a horseshoe, with Trouville on one side, Deauville on the other, and the train station placed at the bottom curve which connects them.
Trouville is stocked with wonderful restaurants and rather quaint, vintage shops while Deauville, on the other hand, is more so for those who want to enjoy the more expensive side of life with the luxuries of designer stores such as Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, and French-French brands like Sandro.
The picture above was taken along the shores of Deauville. This temptress of a boardwalk is lined with restaurants and small shops, throwing their aromas of freshly made waffles and strawberry jammed crepes at you from afar!
But the principle purpose of such a visit is to indulge, no? ---It is indeed!
It was even more delicious than it looks, ladies and gentlemen.
It was even more delicious than it looks, ladies and gentlemen.
The breathtaking views weren't the only glorious parts of these two charming cities.
Being situated along the beach, both Deauville and Trouville prove to be true vacation spots with air as light, refreshing, and crisp as it is in the autumn.
I don't believe that anyone could ask for a better getaway.
It was full of great company,
It was full of great company,
surprising encounters,
a spontaneous decision to charge into the cold, English Channel,
a spontaneous decision to charge into the cold, English Channel,
and a satisfying meal of Deauville/Trouville's infamous "moules frites" (mussels + french fries)!
There are various options for this dish but I decided to have mine covered with a creamy, alfredo-like sauce!
There is no doubt that Paris is a lovely city but it can never hurt to experience French culture beyond it's urban borders and into the countryside.
There is no doubt that Paris is a lovely city but it can never hurt to experience French culture beyond it's urban borders and into the countryside.
Plus, you can treat yourself to a mouthwatering Mille Feuille for the train ride home!
A pastry of French origin, this ace of a dessert is layered with 3 slices of vanilla puff pastry separated by custard and in this case, strawberries!!
The beauty of having such a positive experience in cities such as this is that it leaves you wanting more.
With such a perfect ending to a memorable weekend, I'm left only with the anticipation of branching out further to see what else is waiting for me beyond the urban France I love.
I'm most certain that there are experiences like this waiting around the bend if only one actively searches for them.
Monica Park is the Fall 2013 MOJO in Paris, France. She is currently a senior at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.