Pancakes and Au Revoirs, Paris

Shakespeare & Co Café

Before we knew it, our last day in Paris had crept up on us. But the adventurin' and sightseeing wasn't over just yet. We packed our bags and headed straight to Holybelly for a very un-Parisian, indulgent breakfast.

Owned by a part-French, part-Aussie couple, Holybelly is a Melbourne-style café serving up delicious, rich coffee and seasonal offerings. The food itself is very cosmopolitan - expect to find a dash of every city in one single dish. The team get together and establish the menu for the following four weeks depending on what is locally available and in season at the time. 

And the promised fact of pancakes drenched in maple syrup was a good enough reason to visit.

It all seems pretty quiet and calm from its minimalist facade, but step inside and you'll find just the opposite. Hipster staff flit like bustling bees to and fro to hungry customers, balancing dish upon dish on their arms. Indie music blares out from each corner, while the clatter of eager knives and forks ring in the air.

Located in the 10th arrondissement, Holybelly truly was the place to be on a sunny Thursday morning. Of course, when you're discovering a new city you want to immerse yourself in the rich culture as much as possible, but after seeing this Aussie gem keep cropping up on our screens and reading the rave reviews, we couldn't help but see what all the hype was about.

And boy did it not disappoint!

As the daredevils we are, we all ordered the same dish titled "The Sweet Stack". Three delicious pancakes, drenched (not drizzled) in maple syrup, and topped with seasonal fresh fruits, pecans and a yoghurt cream.

We wanted to finish, but alas our tummies could take no more.

To the streets of Paris to walk it all off!

We made a beeline for the Notre-Dame, popping in to the Shakespeare & Co Café for a quick drink beforehand.

This quintessential Parisian café that overlooks the Cathedral only opened last autumn but it was filled with quiet locals on laptops and a few tourists in search of the perfect book in the shop next door. 

I sipped on a homemade lemonade and took in the surroundings.

We had a nosy in the bookshop before heading on out to explore Ile de la Cité.

I'm wearing: Top - Topshop, bag - Warehouse, skirt - Zara

We roamed around the meandering alleyways before hunting down Pont Des Arts for the lovelock bridges.

By the time the heat had reached a scorching 38'C, we could take no more. A little flustered, insanely parched and entirely worn out, we headed back to Montmartre and devoured a French brasserie snack of Croque Monsieurs.

Then it all went downhill when our Eurostar train was cancelled! We sweated angrily in the no-air-conditioned room, with people collapsing due to the heat and crowds, before finally being given a ticket for a train three hours later.

That said, we did all share a giggle on the train as to how crazy everything suddenly happened.

It was an amazing girls city break in an amazing city. I hope to return to you soon Paris.