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Les Bannetons de Charonne
When I researched the available breakfast options near our Airbnb, the closest was Les Bannetons de Charonne (literally across the street). This place received mixed, and somewhat negative reviews, but I still wanted to try it due to its sheer convenience.
There seemed to be a light, but steady stream of customers, which I took as a good sign. The smell of freshly baked goods wafted into the street corner.
I attempted to use a couple of French phrases while ordering, and the older woman behind the counter smiled and said “good”!
I brought back plain, chocolate and raspberry croissants to eat for breakfast. They were so light, it did not feel like we were consuming tons of butter-haha. The prices were quite reasonable compared to specialty bakeries around here (e.g. the raspberry croissant was 1.40 euros).
There was a small learning curve, but we successfully navigated the Metro around Paris. Once we bought the Navigo Easy Passes at a station with a live attendant, it was easy to track/refill all of our passes via the app. One tip is that you only have to tap your card when entering a station, not on the way out.
Musee d’Orsay
The Musee d’Orsay was originally a train station (Gare d’Orsay) that opened in 1900. In preparation of our visit, my son read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. We also watched the movie Hugo, which is based on the book. The story is set in Gare d’Orsay, and it was neat to recognize parts of the building.
Gosselin Saint-Germain: A Great Lunch Near Musee D’Orsay
After an art-filled morning, we were ready to fill our stomachs again. I found a boulangerie called Gosselin Saint-Germain that is a quick walk (<5 minutes) from Musee d’Orsay.
We had a little dilemma regarding dessert because everything looked so delicious, but we also had to be careful of the kids’ nut allergies. I had a pocket-sized card explaining their allergies to the woman behind the counter, but the language barrier did not leave me feeling too confident about her suggestions. We settled on eclairs (coffee, vanilla and chocolate), and they ended up being a tasty and thankfully nut-free choice.