Is it expensive to live in France?
It was one of the first questions we had looked at when we decided to start this little adventure. And while we're guests and not exactly living here as a complete picture (housing costs, taxes, all the fun things that make up regular life), But one thing I can tell you is that not only are the rumors that the food here tasting fresher than in the US true, but the cost of food is also less - in some cases, much less.
I used our most expensive grocery run as an example so you can see what that looks like. This did include a 8.5 kg turkey for Christmas for 28 euros and 4 large slices of fresh ham cut by the butcher for 15 euros. Yes, the turkey was pretty expensive, especially when I could get a bird two or three times that size for less.
That said, here is all the food we bought for 222 euros.
Without the turkey, it would have been less than 200 euros.
There is no way I could have picked all that up for that amount. Even with a turkey costing far less, everything else would have been a whole lot more expensive.
For example, the water you see on the counter (which is soo good), is only 3 euros. The bag of carrots only costs 1,75 euros.
On a regular week, we spent 125 to 160 euros to feed all of us, including snacks, toiletries, and pet supplies.
For example, we just went shopping for this week's food and spent 144 euros:
Our Thoughts on the French Food from the Store:
Outside of costs, what do we think of the foods we've eaten?
Overall, it is fresher and fills us up faster, but that doesn't mean it hasn't taken some getting used to. Here's some of the staples we noticed the most:
Sprite. I LOVE Sprite. It's the only pop I drink in the States. But here, I won't touch it. Sprite doesn't taste the same - it almost has no taste at all. I tried twice and haven't since.
But Coke: it tastes the same, but in the States, it bothers my stomach. Here it does not. And we drink it far more than we should because ...
Fiinding something here to drink has been the hardest part of being in France. Juices tastes much different here. Pop tastes much different here. And we don't drink, so I can't tell you anything about the wine or other alcohol.
Sour cream has a much different taste than in the States, and while it's not bad, it has taken us the near 90 days that we've been here to get used to it. I still miss American sour cream, but we've all gotten used to it.
No cottage cheese here. The closest thing to it is fromage blanc - or at least that's what we've been told. It's ... different.
Don't laugh - McDonald's and Burger King tastes waaayyyy better here. My youngest is a very picky eater, so being in another country has been the biggest challenge food-wise. She does fine when I cook in the house, but when we are out and about, well, let's just say we've eaten more burgers in the last three months than we ever have. It's fine. This won't be forever and she still eats what she needs in the house. But all that said, both burgers taste far better in the States and are made fresh to order. Side note: McDonald's is more expensive than back in the States while Burger King is far less.
Pork Roast & Potatoes
I've made a lot of our favorite meals here - fajitas, enchiladas, spaghetti, potato casserole - and they've all been very good. Even our favorite Mac and cheese recipes for the holidays came out sooo good. But our favorite meal here has been a pork roast wrapped in bacon and topped with ham and Swiss cheese. We've only seen it at the butcher, and it is on the expensive side at 30 euros, but it's so amazingly good. And it does feed all four of us for two nights, so it works out not to be quite as bad. If you are ever in France, you have to try it.
Eggs and bacon
Got any questions or curious about one of your favorite foods? Let me know!
One of the things we've always heard about France, and especially Paris, was how much of foodie destination it is. So after we visited the Eiffel Tower, we decided to give it a try and eat at Mokus L'Écureuil. Sadly, it was not our favorite meal.
Location:
116 Av. Kléber; 75116 Paris; France
Atmosphere:
The atmosphere was casual and would have been relaxed but tables were crammed really close together - so much so that it was hard to get in and out of our seats without bumping the other diners around us. Because of this, the restaurant felt very loud and it was hard to talk amongst ourselves. There were some booths that might have been better, but overall, we didn't care for it very much.
Our Meals:
Admittedly, we visited this restaurant within the first week of being in France, and we hadn't quite gotten the hang of French food. While my husband and oldest daughter are not picky eaters, my youngest is extremely picky, and I'm also not overly adventerous when it comes to eating. Also, I feel like we started out dining in Paris by picking "comfort foods" from back home and then comparing them to those plates in the US. It didn't take long to understand that this isn't fair to do as not only is France a different culture but food quality and tastes are quite different in most cases.
Now that we're past that, here's what we ordered and our thoughts:
- My 16-year old:
She ordered the mac and cheese: A bechamel sauce with cheddar, gouda, and parmesan.
When it first arrived to the table, I have to say that it looked pretty good. But once she tasted it, she was very disappointed. She said that it wasn't as cheesy at it first appeared (she said it was actually very dry), and that it was bland as well. She wouldn't order it again
Her rating: 1/10
2. My youngest daughter:
She had a taste for a dinner salad and settled on the Caeser Salad: romaine lettace, crispy chicken, parmesan cheese, caeser salad, and croutons.
Full disclosure - She's never had caeser dressing before, and that could have been the reason for her not liking this salad. She did say the chicken without the dressing was good, but overall, she did not like this meal.
Her rating: 1/10
My husband:
Basilico Meatball pizza: Mozzerella, braised beef, egg, red onion, basil
The pizza didn't look bad when it arrived to the table, but it wasn't what he was expecting (again, very possibly because we're used to American pizza). He said there wasn't any sauce, too much cheese, very little meat, and didn't like the egg on the pizza.
His rating: 1/10
I ordered:
BLT salad: romaine lettace, crispy bacon, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes, cucumber, ranch dressing
I've been feigning for a good salad for a while now, but one thing I've learned here in France (among many others) is that American salad dressing is VERY different from French salad dressing. I've tried the ranch (which I'm honestly not a big fan of in the States with a ffew exceptions), and some vinigerette, but so far, I haven't found one I'm crazy about. This salad wasn't the worst thing in the world, and if there had been a little more chicken, I think I would have rated my order a higher. And since dressing can make or break a salad, I'm afraid, like my daughter, I didn't love my dinner salad though it had potentional to be really good.
Our rating: 4/10
Pricing:
Each dish was 17-18 euros, which was pretty high for the food we ordered. But we were right by the Eiffel Tower in the tourist area, not the best area to be if you're trying to eat on a budget.
Service:
Again, not great. We sat for a very long time waiting for our check, and he forgot to bring my daughter's Fanta.
I think it's fair to say we wouldn't try this restaurant again. And again, this meal may have very well suffered from our own, American expectations which we eventually learned to let go of. Did we suffer from culture shock? I'm not so sure about that because we truly didn't find it too difficult in many ways (although the language barrier is real), but food was one of our biggest struggles. I do wish, though, that we had found a different restaurant to try for our first venture, and our next experience with food was a fair improvement.
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It's our first big holiday in a new country, and what an experience. Not only is Thanksgiving one of my family's favorites, but it's also one that they don't celebrate here, so put a whole different dimension and challenge to what is otherwise our traditions. Though we didn't celebrate with anyone outside our immediate, 4-person family, being 4100 miles away from family, friends, and those neighbors we say every day for the last ten years - that was different too. Not bad. Just ... different. The typical dishes I make, and have made for 20 years, tasted different here. Again, not really bad ... just different. We went out after dinner to get dessert, and unlike the States where nearly everything is shut down, people were going on with their lives and everything was busy. Don't get me wrong, I expected that. But expecting and seeing are often two different things. And that's a huge part of not being in the country you've spent your entire life in. It's even part of the reason we came here - to experience a different culture. And sometimes that means that your own culture is out of place.
Don't get me wrong. I've never really been one to think about culture or traditions in that way. My great-grandfather came from Poland, so that side of the family had traditional Polish meals sometimes, but other than that, my family didn't spend a lot of time focused on things like that.
Does that mean today was horrible?
No, not at all.
Because for all the different, there were things that were very much the same. We had turkey and ham; we ate dinner together; and we are on this amazing adventure and so have so very much to be grateful for. We still are close with those that we were close to before we left; and more importantly, we are making memories that we will remember our entire lives. My kids will forever remember all that we've done and are going to do.
This Thanksgiving, for all that was different, was amazing. Because it's not the little details that matter. Those are bits and pieces that can shift and change, and maybe our traditions will change a little too. But we have one another (even our furbabies), and that's all that counts.
So wherever you are today, whether your doing the same things you've done for years or have changed things up, I hope you had a wonderful day filled with those things that you are most grateful for.
From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
Admittedly, we didn't spend near as much time as I would have liked in Convington. We arrived late (see the post on Mystic Grill), and then had to get back on the road by 11 a.m. the next morning to get down to Orlando, which was our next and final stop in the United States. So .... all that said, we would all love to go back and see/do a little more in this cute town.
But there was no way we were leaving without at least seeing a few of the iconic houses from the show.
We visited Elena's house, Caroline's house (both on Floyd Street and across from one another), and the Lockwood Mansion off College Avenue). We also checked out City Park with all the signs from the shows and movies filmed in Convington, GA. This park was also home to the Covington Visitor's Center. Unfortunately, that was still closed when we were there, but we did take a few pictures of The Vampire Diaries' tour vehicles. Hopefully, we'll get back to the area to do the tour. I've heard only good things about it.
Caroline's house (is also an AirBnB - will have to stay there one day)
Elena's House (it's also a private home so please don't go on property when you visit)
Tyler Lockwood's house (someone lives here too, so if you visit, please be respectful)
City Park (small but nice and the surrounding neighborhood couldn't be cuter. It's also about a block from the Lockwood Mansion and a couple of blocks from Elena's and Caroline's. All very walkable if you have time)
Like I said, we would've loved to spend more time in Convington. Downtown is beautiful, even if you're not a fan of The Vampire Diaries, and with so many other movies and shows filmed here, you're likely to find some piece of gold from something.
Have you been to Convington? Do you love it as much as we do?
And if you're a fan of The Vampire Diaries, you know I have to ask - Team Damon or Team Stefan?
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Find Storybook Magic in Covington, Georgia: A Book‑Lover’s Guide to the Hollywood of the South or find a book to beneath the shadow of the clock tower at Books Set In or Inspired by Convington, GA.
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I started watching Vampire Diaries a few years ago, and after that, I got my oldest hooked on the series, so as we started our travels, stopping in Mystic Falls was a necessity.
We didn't get a lot of time in Covinginton, GA (where most of Vampire Diaires was filmed), but our first stop was Mystic Grill for dinner.
Thoughts on the Restaurant
Outside looks EXACTLY like it does in the show and it is like being in the show (very, very cool). The green building, the awning, the tables outside, the streetlight...
But the moment that stays with you isn’t the exterior.
It’s the feeling of standing there, realizing you’re in a place that has held so many stories — fictional and real — and now it’s holding yours too.
The inside of Mystic Grill feels like a memory, a place you could've been 100 times before.
Warm wood. Soft lighting. A hum of conversation that settles into the background like a soundtrack. There’s a comfort to it — the kind that makes you slow down without realizing you’ve done just that.
You sit at a table and suddenly you’re aware of everything:
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the clink of glasses
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the glow from the bar
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the way the light hits the worn brick
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the sense that you’ve stepped into a story that’s been waiting for you
Tthis place has atmosphere — and atmosphere is what makes a moment stick.
We were seated at a table near the door, and it was the perfect spot to look around. Admittedly, inside looks quite a bit different from the show (the inside of the restaurant was filmed on a studio set and not in location), and the Mystic Grill itself was opened in honor of the show. When we visited, it was largely decorated for Harry Potter, which I found surprising, but there was still quite a few Vampire Diaries memorabilia around. And the bathroom? I couldn't even guess how many fans signed the walls and stalls.
While we waited for our food, my oldest and I wandered outside and downstairs into an alley that held the town's atompshere in a quiet hush. It's like an outtake, but one you know well from the scenes featured in the show, and the gift shop gives you a chance to purchase everything from pins to shirts to drinkable blood bags while playing host to memorbilia fans will have no problem recognizing.
ATMOSPHERE: 10 STARS
Okay, back upstairs for the meal...
Our Dinner
The menu isn't large, but has a little bit of something for everyone - whether you're into hamburgers, pasta, seafood, appetizers, or soup, you can find an option or two to choose from. More importantly, the food is really good (and we'll talk desserts in just a second).
Both my daughters ordered the fried chicken mac & cheese.
It was cavatappi noodles (corkscrew-like elbows), fried chicken, bacon, and a cheddar bechamel sauce. It also looked like it had a little bit of shredded cheese on top.
They had a little bit different opinions of the food (my youngest is VERY picky and my oldest is not). My 13-year-old thought it was a little spicy and would've preferred just the mac and cheese without the chicken. My oldest said it wasn't super cheesy but said that wasn't a bad thing - she said she wouldn't want it super cheesy - but she also said it wasn't dry, so in her opinion it was a happy medium. My youngest said she would choose something else next time, my oldest said she would definitely have it again.
My oldest gave it a 9/10 stars, my youngest gave it a 6/10 stars.
My husband had Blackened Shrimp Pasta Alfredo made with fettuccini alfredo, gulf shrimp, roasted tomatoes, and alfredo sauce.
He enjoyed the black shrimp alfredo. He did say it had a slight cajun spice and was slightly less creamy than he would have liked (drier than he's used to). The shrimp was large and was delicious. He said it was 10/10 stars and he would definitely order it again.
I had the bacon and cheese burger with winder fries. It was a 10 oz patty, crispy bacon, tomato, lettace, onion, and pickle.
I enjoyed every bite. The burger was seasoned perfectly with just a little bit of cajun bite (very subtle), and the fries were perfect (no ketchup needed). I rate it 10/10 stars, and would definitely order it again should we go back.
While my husband and youngest daughter both order fountain drinks, my oldest and I opted for the strawberry slush drink with sounvenir glass. SOOOOO good!
Dessert
Do NOT leave without having Damon's Dirty Chocolate Cake. It's dense chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate chips. It is (ahem) do die for. So rich, so good, I couldn't quite finish it but oh, I wanted too. I could have order a few more of those to take with us. Amazing! FIVE SHINING STARS
If chocolate isn't your thing, my husband had the pecan pie. His mother used to make pecan pie, so he's very picky about it, but gave this one an 8/10.
Service
Our waiter was fantastic. He was very friendly, actually came down to the gift shop to get my daughter and I when I food arrived, and talked to us about the actors he'd met over the years (spoiler: he met most of them). Not only did he give us great service, but he was fun to talk to. He earned every bit of his tip, and we hope to see him again should we go back. 10/10 stars
VALUE FOR MONEY
It was a touch expensive so if we return to Covington (we hope to), we wouldn't choose to eat there more than one night of our stay. The experience and the food balances out the cost, but still, keep it in mind should you ever go, especially if you are budget-minded. $$-$$$/$$$$
Why Mystic Grill Matters to My Story
I write about places not just because they’re pretty, but because they shift something in me.
Mystic Grill did that.
It reminded me that:
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atmosphere is everything
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small towns carry big stories
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fiction can lead you to real‑world magic
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and sometimes you need a place that feels familiar even when it’s new
It’s the kind of stop that becomes a chapter — not because of what you ate, but because of how you felt while you were there. In our journey, we've eaten at many places, and some have stuck with us for all the wrong reasons while others touched something inside that takes hold and doesn't let go.
And that’s the heart of my travel storytelling: finding the places that feel like memory the moment you step into them.
Mystic Grill is one of them.
Read More
Explore Covington in Around Town in Mystic Falls or find a book to beneath the shadow of the clock tower at Books Set In or Inspired by Convington, GA.
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Mystic Grill is one of those places.
There are few bigger leaps of faith than selling nearly everything you own and setting out on an adventure to take you not only across the country to some favorite spot, but then halfway across the world to explore new cultures and countries.
In September 2025, that's exaclty what my familly and I did. Crazy? Probably. But already, Where the Stories Take Us has experienced some amazing, wonderful things. And some things that were downright scary with moments of "What in the world have I just done?" But as I sit here in France writing this, and getting ready to share every detail with you, I can honestly say this is part of a wild, crazy, exciting dream that still doesn't seem real. It's taken me FAR out of my comfort zone of having the illusion of a safety net, of having predicitabilty and all the things that my CPTSD demands. But at the end of the day, I think that's part of the reason we're doing this. That, and so very many others. We don't know how the chips might fall, and we're hoping we don't epically crash and burn, but if we do, we'll still have quite the story to share.
And I hope you come along for the ride. We'll be doing all the things we've already started on this blog, and sooooo much more. From food to books to castles and ruins, the adventure has only just begun!
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When we moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana eight years ago, the ONLY thing I knew about the city was that, as a teen, I loved the zoo here. But fresh off the heels of the Great Recession, we needed a fresh start. And the city landed within the boundaries of a circle we had drawn on the map when deciding how far we could afford to move. So after months of planning, we moved the three hours to a city has offers a whole lot more than meets the eye. As you can imagine, one of my favorite things to do is explore and that's exactly what we set out to do.
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
Though the animals that you'll find are, more or less, the same ones you'll see at most zoos (although one can never see too many tigers, in my opinion), it's the settings at the Children's Zoo that truly do make this zoo stand out to me.
As I said, I visited with my parents when I was a teen. I LOVED the way it was organized: an area for Africa, an area for Asia, and an area for Australia - and it wasn't just how they organized their animals. Africa offered a savannah-type experience complete with a gondola ride that allowed riders a breathtaking view of the zebra, wildebeest, vultures, and lions (I won't lie, I HATE heights, so this one is a tough one for me to do but the view is killer).
The Asian Trek (which is easily my favorite) allows you to walk through a rainforest-inspired dome followed by a trek along a suspended bridge that weaves through the treetops. In Asia, you'll also find two small counter service restaurants (more on that in a second) along with a carasoul ride.
And Australia, well, that's complete with red dirt that guides to kangaroos and dingos. The aquarium in this area, though small, is also beautiful. Here you'll also find a log ride that is the perfect break from the Australian sun. Petting the sting rays here is completely free, although is almost always crowded so you may have to be patient. Finally, don't forget to take the train ride that takes you out and alongside a lake.
If you simply walk through the zoo, don't expect this to be a full-day experience. While there are plenty of nice corners to rest and do some people-watching. Each area has food available - for a price - but the pizza in Asia was very good and so were the chicken fingers in Australia (sorry, no pictures of this food but no worries. I'll be doing a post on Ft. Wayne restaurants very soon). Also keep in mind that, outside of the park, there are plenty of picnic tables, if bringing your own food is more your thing. And no worries, as long as you have your hand stamped, you can go back in and continue your adventure through the park.
Finally, we all know no trip would be complete without a walk through the gift shop, although take heart. If you have little ones, the floor-to-ceiling wall of stuffed toys might be too enticing to ignore.
I have to admit, zoos are kinda my thing. I'm an animal lover and so are my girls, so they are always must-sees for us wherever we go. But this particular zoo always stands out to me for its fantastic theming. It's well worth a visit during your time in the Fort.
Foellinger-Freiman Botanical Conservatory
If you're a nature lover, you're going to want to hop from the zoo right on over to the Foellinger-Freiman Botanical Conservatory. If plants or beautiful settings are your thing, you're definitely going to love it here.
The gardens here are separated into two main areas (indoor domed gardens) and outdoor gardens, which are further separated into other themed areas. Inside, you'll find a showcase garden that changes throughout the year. One year they had a storybook theme. My kids were younger at the time and were excited about seeing Rapunzel's tower, Alice's cottage, and some other fun little decorations among the bamboo, hibiscus, and other plants. During the holidays, this area is full of poinsettias, lights, Christmas trees, and even visits from Santa and his reindeer.
The next dome is the rainforest, my favorite one here. The waterfall and tropical foliage are just gorgeous, and the paths lead through all kinds of ferns, birds of paradise flowers, and much more. With benches, it's even the perfect spot to read a chapter or two of your favorite book. It truly is the perfect space.
Finally, the third dome features the desert with cacti, sand, and even a few metalworks with a southwestern theme. It's the smallest of the three domes, not my favorite, but that's probably more of a personal preference than anything.
Outside, there are four more gardens with Midwest trees, a koi pond, and a terrace garden.
The gift shop (sorry, my youngest is my shopper so we can't go anywhere without at least poking our head into the gift shops) offers garden seeds, tools, blown glass, and other decorative garden items along with some books, toys, and a few Ft. Wayne souvenirs.
Again, don't plan for a full day here. At best, it'll take you two to three hours to visit and that's if you make use of the benches and enjoy the settings. If you have young kids, most of your time will be spent in the playground set in the seasonal gardens and the talking tree/play area just beyond the ticket desk. After that, they'll likely get pretty bored. But it's an inexpensive way to spend an afternoon.
Old Fort Wayne
If history or educational experiences are more your thing, and it's open for tours, Old Fort Wayne is a great replica of the fur-trade forts that started the city back in the 1800s. We visited the fort during a reenactment weekend when the entire fort was open with fully costumed staff explaining the barracks, dining hall, a hospital, and blockhouses, Outside, the main fort in the "village" area (a row of four or five buildings), there was a working blacksmith and a woodwright along with some bakery goods for sale. There's space in this area for kids to run some steam off or even roll down the hill (when my girls were younger this was their favorite part of the visit). You can also cross the metal bridge into some outdoor gardens and trails and then return to the fort if they are planning on firing off an old cannon or doing other reenactment shows.
No restaurants here (save those baked goods) and no shops here either. In fact, except for a couple of portapotties, you won't find restrooms here either, so take all of that into account before you set off for a visit to Old Fort Wayne.
I believe we spend an hour and a half here tops, so it can easily be coupled with other activities. But it's worth a stop and neat to see, especially if you've never been anywhere else like it.
Catch a Game
If you checked out my article about the hotel in downtown Fort Wayne, then you already know there's a minor league team in town that makes a great night out for families, couples, or anyone who loves baseball. Every time we've gone, we've had a great time, but do keep in mind that, while the tickets aren't terribly expensive, food and drink can be. A family of four (like mine) can easily drop $40-$60 on some pop and hotdogs, and while the chicken fingers here are pretty good, there are a couple of places you can grab the same food for less if doing the whole game experience isn't a must for you or your family. If it is, however, rest assured that you'll find just about any ballpark treat you can think of - and of course a gift shop with plenty of Tin Cap merchandise to show off your ballpark story to your friends. Finally, during the season, don't forget to keep an eye on the schedule as there are plenty of nights that feature a pretty good firework show after the game at no additional cost.
No one in my family is really a sports person, but all of us have had a great time every time we've gone.
Other sightseeing stops in Fort Wayne
These three sights are far from the only ways to spend your day out with your family. Fort Wayne also has Science Central (a hands-on science museum that is pretty cool but also can get insanely busy. We went once and enjoyed it, but we also weren't able to see a lot because the crowds were so heavy. Hit this one up at opening or mid-afternoon to try and miss some of the crowds but again, very busy and you might want to pack some patience for your visit).
Fort Wayne also hosts not one but two art galleries/museums. The Fort Wayne Museum of Art boasts a very nice collection, but my favorite is the Castle Gallery which features various collections for sale while being set in the owner's home.
Castle Gallery is located in the historic West Central neighborhood, and walking through the home is in of itself a real treat. But what makes this gallery very cool is the fact that you can see the pieces of art in real-home settings, so there's no guessing what it might look like over the fireplace or in the foyer. Whether you're in the market for art or just want to appreciate the setting, I highly recommend a stop here.
There's a downtown theatre that features local plays and even the occasional well-known comedian, the Coliseum that hosts anything from Disney on Ice to concerts to trade shows, and festivals throughout the year.
Quiet Times
You've done the sightseeing, caught a concert, and now are looking for a chance to wind down and do some reading outside in a quiet space. Or maybe you need to enjoy your daily run. Or maybe you want to rent a stand-up or seated scooter to take in the cityscape downtown. With miles of trails, some beautiful parks (Lakeside Park and Rose Garden shouldn't be missed), and more reserves than you might expect, you'll find opportunities to take in the outdoors, people watch, or maybe even write your first (or 50th) novel.
Fort Wayne is often overlooked as being just another, small midwestern city. And it's true, it can't boast the culture of Chicago or New York, and it is certainly in the heart of farmland (don't be surprised to find horse-drawn Amish carriages if you venture onto country roads or on the furthest reaches of the north-eastern side of the city limits), but its, perhaps surprisingly, more than that. While I couldn't recommend it as a "vacation destination" all by itself, it is certainly worth a short, or maybe even a long weekend's, stay, or even a great layover if you're on your way to Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, or southern Indiana. And as you'll soon see, there's some great bookish stops to add to your list.
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Grab a Read in Fort Wayne or Play Ball at this Convention Center Hotel
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