5 Under 5€ : Kate Neary

My friend Kate Neary runs the lovely fashion-etc. blog Thrill of the Chaise and has been spending the last month in a dream-state here in Paris. This week we're doing a guest-post exchange! Check out her post below and look for mine on Thrill of the Chaise. 

Paris is a place to escape to and explore. And though it is also a place where spending money can be as easy as walking out the door, this city offers people like you and me (a fully grown fashion student embarking on a complete career change) so much to do, see, eat and buy at pretty reasonable prices if you keep your eyes out for it. So if you're up for a bit of an adventure, I've done some of the groundwork for you. Here are my five things to do under 5 euros in Paris:

Do It Right: The Perfect Picnic

It's finally, officially here: proper picnic season. With the emergence of the sun and glitteringly warm, long days, now is the perfect time to get yourself to a patch of grass with some good eats, good drinks and good friends. But before you grab a sandwich at a boulangerie and head to any old park nearby, take a moment to think about it. Because, like everything else in Paris, there is an art to le pique-nique. Luckily, I have way too much experience and have become an expert in how to achieve the Perfect Picnic.

Cheap Thrill: Paris Plage

(photo via Flickr)

How amazing is this? For all the city dwellers who can't make it out of town to spend their summer on a beach, or for the travelers who got a hot deal on a Paris vacation only to find the town mostly deserted during the month of August, our fair city has created an annual tradition to help beat the heat (should it ever arrive): Paris Plages.

Starting tomorrow through August 19, along the north side of Seine near Hôtel de Ville and at La Villette Basin, the typically paved or cobblestone Paris streets will be taken over by an enormous amount of sand and, in conjuction, fun. Throughout the month there will be tons of free events, such as the FNAC Live music festival, tai chi classes, a massive screen to watch the London Olympics, and, of course, maxin' and relaxin'. The only thing I can't comprehend is from where and how do they get all that sand in?

Paris Plage
FREE
July 20-August 19, every day 8am to midnight

Voie Georges Pompidou (along the Seine near Hôtel de Ville), and La Villette Bassin

Sponsored Post: French Phones Made Easy (With A Giveaway!)

 (illustration via One Day In May)

When you’re coming to Paris, whether you’re a visitor or student, you dream of all the lovely things you’ll be doing in the city: eating croissants, seeing great art, making eyes at the handsome locals. What you never dream of are the little logistics that make life in the city possible, like, using your phone. Should you pay exorbitant roaming fees? Attempt to navigate the local phone companies (which can be tricky and are always completely in French)? So many people just stick to texting because they’re afraid of the crazy fees associated with calling from their regular cell phone. Luckily, the folks at Paris Hospitality (a great resource for short-term Paris rentals) have come up with a solution that takes the guesswork out of using your phone in France.

Free Music - Your Soundtrack to Riding Trains

I love cinematic music - tunes that swell with your heart and make you feel as though you have your own personal soundtrack. Maybe that's why I also love making mix CDs, to create those moments for myself. For a recent trip to the south of France, I made myself this little mix to listen to while riding the train, and it is so swoony I had to share the list with you! It's perfect for road trips, train trips, or any kind of traveling that involves watching the world pass by your very eyes as the landscape changes and telephone poles go whipping past in rhythm to the beat in your ears.

* Note: I'm giving away copies of this collection to anyone who asks! Just email me at parischeapskate (at) gmail! 

1. Zebra - Beach House
2. Excuses - The Morning Benders
3. Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second (Strategy Remix) - Starf**ker
4. True Loves - Hooray For Earth
5. California Sunrise - Dirty Gold
6. Vocal Chords - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
7. Yeah! Oh Yeah! - The Magnetic Fields
8. Cold War - The Morning Benders
9. Om Nashi Me - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
10. Hands - Alpine
11. Random Firl - Late of the Pier
12. Don't Look Away - The Helio Sequence
13. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison
14. In the Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
15. Postcards From Italy - Beirut
16. Mahgeeta - My Morning Jacket
17. Do You Realize? - The Flaming Lips
18. California - Delta Spirit