No other city in the world has made me feel this way. Each corner held a new and most intriguing view. Staying a couple of blocks from Notre Dame, we checked in late afternoon and decided to go for a walk, forgetting to take our good camera with us. We planned to not walk far as we had 5 days to explore the city but we couldn’t turn back. We walked along the river seine before stumbling across the Louvre, stunned by the beauty of the glass pyramid that filled the square.
Passing the Arc De Triomph Du Carrousel, we walked through the beautiful Jardin Des Tuileries and crossed an underpass that led us to the River Seine. We followed the river to the Pont Alexandre III bridge where the most beautiful view of the famous Eiffel Tower greeted us along with the butterflies running through my body. Its hard to explain how this city truly made me feel. By this time it was 8:50 pm. ‘Surely the Eiffel Tower will twinkle its lights soon’ we thought. Being early in the season, the lights didn’t start until 10:00 pm but it was worth the long wait!
We arrived in Paris during a heat wave where temperatures reached 33’C & it was beautiful! We explored the Louvre, the famous Mona Lisa portrait and ate delicious macaroons. We walked around Place De La Concorde, looking at the water fountains & Luxor Obelisk, originally from Egypt.
Walking down the bustling Champs Élysées, we sung the song by Australian band Art vs Science before laying our eyes on the most craziest roundabout I have ever seen with the Arc De Triomphe sitting in the middle of it. Wondering how we would cross to it, we soon found the underpass that led us under road to the middle. Climbing the stairs to the top, the views were spectacular as we looked down the Champs Elysees and the Eiffel Tower only falling more in love with the city.
We continued along the street to Trocadero, looking down at the beautiful Eiffel Tower and gardens below. Purchasing the freshest baguette dressed with ham & salad and some fresh fruit for afterwards (which soon became a daily occurrence), we sat on the beautiful green grass that is the Champ de Mars.
If you are wanting to climb or take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower (which I’m sure you will), be sure to arrive early to beat the queue! We caught a taxi to be at the base for 8am and already a long line had formed but the wait wasn’t too long. Any time after 9am you should expect to wait for over an hour, especially in peak season. The views from the top are beautiful, looking over the whole city, the Arc De Triomphe, Sacre Coeur… the only thing missing was the Eiffel Tower itself!
For the best views, in my opinion, head to the Montparnasse tower. Beautiful as the sun is about to set, you’ll have the best views over the city as it includes all the sites you love as the night lights sparkle around you.
We jumped on a bus, passing through the region of Montmartre. We walked the street lined with shops and markets and dodgy guys that appeared to be gambling with willing tourists before the police chased them off. Continuing on, we made it to the Sacré-Cœur basilica. The views from here are beautiful, as always but it’s not my favourite area of Paris. We passed the seedy streets where the Moulin Rouge & cabaret show lives which we decided to skip, as it wasn’t any interest to me.
Back closer to where we were staying we explored the streets, passing the Pompidou Centre – a museum of modern art where the design of the building appears inside out. We enjoyed freshly cooked crepes with Nutella, strawberries and coconut and continued our own walking tour.
A 10 minute stroll further led us to the Notre Dame, a french gothic church that is so truly amazing. With a rewarding climb to the top, Paris & the beloved Eiffel Tower can be viewed past the gargoyles heads that perch on the outside.
One of the most beautiful parks in Paris has to be Le Jardin Du Luxembourg. It’s beautiful to wander around this amazing large-scaled park filled with fountains & the Luxembourg palace, the atmosphere so elegant.
A change of path & scenery led us to the eerie Catacombs of Paris. Ascending down the stairs, we walked into darkness and the cold as we explored this underground grave filled with human bones.. eek!
We booked a day trip to visit the Palace of Versailles that you can read here.
Our stay in Paris was almost over. Wade booked a dinner cruise on the river seine. Dressing up fancy, we boarded the boat and enjoyed our delicious french meals and a bottle of wine as it cruised around the river seine, passing many sites like the Notre Dame, Ile De La Cite and Ile Saint Louis (natural islands in the river seine). As the sun began to set & the city started to sparkle, the boat made its way towards the Eiffel Tower, passing the Statue of Liberty, well a replica given to the city of Paris from a neighbouring American City.
In all honesty, I love Paris! And to date it is my favourite city (even though I’m not the biggest city person). Many people had warned us about Paris; how dirty the streets were, full of sketchy people, not being as beautiful as people make out, to watch our bags. Maybe we stayed in the right area as the streets were beautifully clean. We did avoid the subways and avoided the regions we didn’t enjoy but Paris truly lived up to my expectations and I can’t wait to return!
ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL 