It is a sunny Spring morning in Manchester when Jenny and I sit down in a local coffee shop to talk about her Paris edit. Flicking through the photos catapulted us right back to our stay in Bastille a few months ago. The meeting did not only bring back joyful memories of our trip but also made us chat about Jenny’s approach to travel.
While Jenny dedicates a good chunk of time to researching which area to stay, she doesn’t tend to plan her day-to-day abroad in detail. ‘I don’t arrive with any expectations and like to go with the flow’, Jenny explains. To her, a perfect day abroad starts not too dissimilar to a day in Manchester. ‘I actually mirror what I’d do at home. I get up, get out, and grab breakfast on the go’, she adds.
A croissant and cafe au lait in hand Jenny starts exploring the neighbourhood. Full of history and local life Bastille proved to be right to her taste. ‘I like to position myself in a residential area to get a good feeling for the city and its people. People are the essence of the city and the reason why I want to stay local’, Jenny remarks.
Her day would then continue with a flow of exploring the area on foot. Of course, there needs to be loads of pit stops along the way. She might be shopping for supplies in a local shop, visiting a cute boutique, or enjoying a glass of wine blending into the Parisian crowd. ‘It is always about the local life for me and less about the main tourist spots. If you get too obsessed with ticking boxes you miss the essence of it’, Jenny describes. ‘The best experiences come when they’re not planned. Paris kicked out surprises on every corner.’
