Saving Money On Food
In The South of France
If you have ever visited France, then you should know by now that eating out, in comparison to other countries like Italy, can be expensive. For example, eating a simple margherita pizza in Torino will set you back around €5, while when I was visiting Paris over the Christmas holidays, the least expensive pizza that I saw was atleast €10.
When I was looking around for cheap eats in Paris, a few people that I spoke with suggested that cheese and a baguette was the way to go. That was a great idea up until around the third day I was all "cheesed and breaded"out, and I said to myself "Melissa your dad's a chef, you love food, you can't just eat cheese and bread in France!" I tried to cook in my hostel's kitchen, however, that proved to be quite the challenge in the cramped space where no one cleaned up after themselves. So I stuck to eating kebabs, and tried to find inexpensive (but still pricey) French cuisine in Paris' Latin Quarter.
When I was looking around for cheap eats in Paris, a few people that I spoke with suggested that cheese and a baguette was the way to go. That was a great idea up until around the third day I was all "cheesed and breaded"out, and I said to myself "Melissa your dad's a chef, you love food, you can't just eat cheese and bread in France!" I tried to cook in my hostel's kitchen, however, that proved to be quite the challenge in the cramped space where no one cleaned up after themselves. So I stuck to eating kebabs, and tried to find inexpensive (but still pricey) French cuisine in Paris' Latin Quarter.
By the time the Easter holidays rolled around, I was on a tighter budget when I was travelling in Nice, France. I knew that I really had to stretch my food budget, while ofcourse, still indulging in French cuisine.
One way that my travel buddy and I were able to save on food, was the day we decided to take a day trip to Monte Carlo from Nice. Before we left for Monte Carlo, we visted Marcher aux Fleures, a flower and food market in Nice's Old Town.
One way that my travel buddy and I were able to save on food, was the day we decided to take a day trip to Monte Carlo from Nice. Before we left for Monte Carlo, we visted Marcher aux Fleures, a flower and food market in Nice's Old Town.
For about €6 a person, we were able to get pizza, a pack of strawberries, mandarines, and a block of cheese. This can be a bargain in France where only a sandwich from a bakery or restaurant can cost this much! We got to enjoy all of this all while looking at the lovely views and the multimillion dollar boats in Monte Carlo!!
Once we came back to Nice in the evening, we decided that we wanted to splurge (just a little) and indulge in some of the fresh seafood that Nice had to offer. Along the same street of the market are many restaurants, all of them who had somebody outside asking you to come to in. We went with the obvious choice, the one that had best deal on a meal and a free glass of wine! Once inside, we chose a four course meal which included muscles, fries, calamari, dessert, and ofcourse a bottle of wine.
I do realize that to most budget travellers this can be considered a splurge. So to save money I could have cut out on the bottle of wine. If you're looking to save as much money as possible while in Nice, but still want to taste the fresh seafood, keep exploring the old town! We found an awesone deal on oysters and a glass of wine for just €10.
What about you? Do you have any tips on saving money while still enjoying the local dish while traveling ?
A Few Days In Bardonecchia
This weekend my host family invited me to their home in the mountains. Their home is in the small town called Bardonechia. I was lucky enough to go by car, however, for other people who don't have that opportunity they can go by train from the Porta Nuova train station. On the first day that we arrived I spent sometime exploring the small town. There are many little clothing and souvenir shops, as well as plenty of places to grab a bite to eat,to relax and have a coffee, or even watch a movie at the cinema. On the second day I spent some time hiking in the Alps. Bardonechia is where many families from this area will come to relax in the summer, or go skiing in the winter. It also served as the site of the Olympic Village where the athletes would reside when Torino hosted the Olympics in 2006. There weren't a lot of people who were visiting the mountains over the 4 day period that I spent there simply because the season had not yet started for them. There were still a few restaurants that were closed and would not yet open until July. It was still a great way to relax and escape the city!
This weekend my host family invited me to their home in the mountains. Their home is in the small town called Bardonechia. I was lucky enough to go by car, however, for other people who don't have that opportunity they can go by train from the Porta Nuova train station. On the first day that we arrived I spent sometime exploring the small town. There are many little clothing and souvenir shops, as well as plenty of places to grab a bite to eat,to relax and have a coffee, or even watch a movie at the cinema. On the second day I spent some time hiking in the Alps. Bardonechia is where many families from this area will come to relax in the summer, or go skiing in the winter. It also served as the site of the Olympic Village where the athletes would reside when Torino hosted the Olympics in 2006. There weren't a lot of people who were visiting the mountains over the 4 day period that I spent there simply because the season had not yet started for them. There were still a few restaurants that were closed and would not yet open until July. It was still a great way to relax and escape the city!
Villa Della Regina
During my time off this week I was looking around for inexpensive things to do and for things that did not require any reservation. Through some research I found the Villa della Regina. It is a palace that is located in Turin. You can usually take a bus from Piazza Vittorio. The entrance is free and no reservations that were required. There was some work that was being done so it looked like I was not able to enter the second floor. There was no guide however as i walked through the rooms there was a brief description about what I was seeing. Something that really caught my eye was the beautiful art on the ceiling. Once I was done with the tour of the palace, there was a beautiful view of Turin.
During my time off this week I was looking around for inexpensive things to do and for things that did not require any reservation. Through some research I found the Villa della Regina. It is a palace that is located in Turin. You can usually take a bus from Piazza Vittorio. The entrance is free and no reservations that were required. There was some work that was being done so it looked like I was not able to enter the second floor. There was no guide however as i walked through the rooms there was a brief description about what I was seeing. Something that really caught my eye was the beautiful art on the ceiling. Once I was done with the tour of the palace, there was a beautiful view of Turin.