Recent trip Paris and Colmar

Nice! Our first trip to Paris we had similar disappointment in food. In subsequent trips we have learned to choose more smartly and although there have been disappointments, not as many.

We chose not to drive in the Alsace (same as you, an apartment in the historic center of Colmar), but I can see there may have been positives in doing so. Train problems caused us to miss a day trip entirely, but we had a wonderful week there and enjoyed going to the small towns. Missed the monkey park, though!

We took the high speed train from Paris to Strasbourg, stayed several days and then rented a car for a week, stayed in a charming wine village. A car is necessary to explore the wine villages. Beautiful area. Glad you enjoyed it!

Could you share the wonderful places you ate? I'm going to be in Paris for the first time end of August. How was visiting Pere Lachaise? That's on my list to visit, but haven't read a lot about individual impressions.

I liken Paris to an adult Disneyland
Each street arrondisment has its own character and restaurants cafes bakeries it’s really fantastic
We explored other arrondisments but not as easy as your home area. It’s not hard to venture out but you probably want ideas where to go. this is my third trip to Paris and first extended trip that allowed for more exploration

We shopped groceries in monoprix and bought wine, cheeses and fruits in specialty stores
French baguette at a local bakery. And eat all the French pastries you can. You won’t regret it.
In the marais we enjoyed
les bougresses 6 rue de jarette very pleasant wonderful cafe
At petit Versailles. Du marais . A bakery that I will never forget.

Florence Kahn a Jewish bakery that has amazing food and baked goods. Very tasty
Las du falafel. Very famous and tasty street food hand held pits stuffed with goodness I enjoyed the shaved lamb with everything on it but no hot sauce. Yummy

Start using google maps around where you are staying and exploring all the bakeries and cafes near where you are staying. It’s always interesting to see the gourmet grocery stores below some department stores we chose monoprix. Other stores have that but you need to research your area.

The cemetery is an old cemetery with lots of famous burial sites and it takes a few hours to wander around morbidly interesting and something different to do.

I went to Burgundy in May 2017 and decided that was too early for the area. It was still cold and the vines had barely started growing. I would have given it another month. The bright side was I felt I had the area to myself (other than Beaune, which was crowded even then).

Last June I was down in Languedoc, Lot and Dordogne Valleys, and Bordeaux. I think June worked well to barely beat the summer tourist traffic. They had a really wet June when I was there. It rained a lot in Languedoc but, for some reason, never on me when I was outside.

My theory is the best day for Versailles is when rain is in the forecast - for the same reason as a rainy day at Disneyland.

In France, just ask for your meat to be cooked the way you like it (use Google Translate). Same as here.

In 2014 my husband and I enjoyed a lovely (anniversary) dinner at Auberge Nicolas Flamel - once the home of the supposed alchemist and said to be the oldest extant house in Paris. A very charming, small place, good food, not exorbitant. It was recommended by our Air BnB host.