Paris, like only the locals know...
The City of Lights, while elegant and charming, can be the kind of place where the tourist trail stares you right in the face; Champs-Elysées, L’Arc De Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower. But to do Paris à la a Parisienne will show you the real heart of the city, and there are plenty of treasures to see (and snap) beyond the typical, cliched haunts.
Sure, travelling is all about the experience...but it's also about getting a good Instagram picture. We mean, did you even go on holiday if you didn't post about it on your 'gram? With that in mind, our Digital Editor, Amy Heffernan captured all the best yet lesser-known Parisian snaps on the new Huawei P30 Pro, which just so happens to be designed to rewrite the rules.
What To Do
SWAP Tourist trodden wine tours
SNAP La Cave De Belleville
Wine tours in Paris can be expensive and overdone. The unpretentious La Cave de Belleville is the latest hangout for the Parisian cool gang. Worth a visit for the cheese and meat platters alone linger in the up-and-coming Belleville neighbourhood; Parc de Belleville offers panoramic views of the city.
Where To Drink
SWAP: Café De Flore
SNAP: The Hood Paris
While Café de Flore may have been drawn literary geniuses, artists and intellectuals such as Picasso to its doors, today the city’s creative minds assemble at The Hood Paris. A coffee shop by day, bistro by night and all-day creative space/good vibes provider, it is what hipsters might describe as ‘très cool’.
Where To Eat
SWAP: Du Pain Et Des Idée
SNAP: Boulangerie Utopie
Du Pain et Des Idée is ideal for that French boulangerie fix, but the queues are long. Utopie in the 3rd Arrondissement is a great alternative, offering boulangerie classics with a twist. Keep an eye out behind the L-shaped counter for the baguette imbued with squid ink too.
What To Wear
SWAP: Mainstream Fashion
SNAP: French Girl Style
Super-luxe department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are constantly packed, but for real French girl style, hit up boutiques such as The Frankie Shop and Gang of Earlybirds in the Marais and seek out some of the newer, sparkier high-street startups like Sézane. Paris’ vintage offering is excellent too, with the carefully curated Chine Machine and En Voiture Simone being two top spots.
What To See
SWAP: The Lourve
SNAP: Palais De Tokyo
Sure, the Louvre is home to one of the world’s most famous artworks, but if impenetrable crowds and selfie sticks don’t sound like your bag, try one of the city’s oft-overlooked museums. The Palais de Tokyo has an ever-changing programme of contemporary and modern art exhibitions.
The P30 Pro is available from €79 on bill pay and is €999 sim free. The P30 is available from free on bill pay and costs €739 sim free. Both phones are available from Vodafone, Three, Eir, Carphone Warehouse, Virgin and Harvey Norman.
Main image by @mary__marty
