A Few Days in Paris 🇫🇷✨

As I had promised, here’s a quick write up on a beautiful trip to Paris I took with my mom and brother back in March. Although we wished for my dad to come as well, he could not because of work.

Let me start off by saying – the weather was amazing ☀️ and we walked some 30,000 steps every day 🏃‍♂️.

Arrival

We arrived at the airport quite late, and had pre-planned how best to travel to a hotel that requires the least amount of walking / changing modes of transportation at night.

This involved a mysterious bus from Beauvais airport to the city center. Of the many things that could go wrong (delayed flight; missed bus; dirty seats), none happened. If you are also travelling to Beauvais airport, rest assured that you’ll get to Paris in no time, and in a very clean and very safe way!

The Eiffel Tower

Once in Paris, we were immediately on our way to walk through the city and enjoy the sights. Our first stop of the trip would be the Eiffel Tower. Although this wasn’t my first time in Paris, I have never once wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower … it always seemed like one of those sights that are better enjoyed from the “viewing point” area, than from up close. Or maybe, the freakishly high ticket fee is what really discourages me every time, and all my other “excuses” are just a coping mechanism … who knows!

The Eiffel Tower is best enjoyed from the Place du Trocadero, right in front of it (that’s also the best spot to see the tower turn into the EU flag at night … although between me and you, I find that whole spiel pretty 🌸 cheugy 🌸 haha). My favourite spot this time around was a little cafe near the tower. You can sip a coffee and enjoy the views!

The Louvre

Perhaps the most overwhelming experience in Paris (except for Disneyland – but that’s a separate post!) is always the Louvre. This would be my second time visiting (the first time was when I was a bachelor student), and I shared the same opinion I did then: after a while, the experience becomes so overwhelming, everything starts to feel the same.

I suppose if one had more time, it would make more sense to visit the Louvre for several days and to take one’s time. I don’t think it’s meant to be enjoyed for just one day … there’s too much to see!

At several points, we walked past groups of children and teachers that would mesh the Louvre with their classrooms: there were (what seemed like) art school children replicating paintings with coloured pencils so well, that I felt incredibly intimidated; and there were history teachers talking history through real life examples housed in the museum. If only I’d paid attention in French class …

Montmartre, The Moulin Rouge & Notre Dame

We spent the rest of the days exploring the rest of the sights too. I had never before been to the Notre Dame, Montmartre and the Moulin Rouge. The Notre Dame was the Notre Dame (pretty great if you pretend Quasimodo is hiding somewhere in the towers); but the other too sights were a bit disappointing.

Both Montmartre and the Moulin Rouge are close to each other, but are a bit away from the rest of the sights … unfortunately, to my taste, the sights did not justify the journey there.

The City & The Magic of Eating Out in Silence

In between the sight seeing and the walking, there was more walking and lots of eating out. One beautiful thing about Paris was this culture of eating out. I don’t know if it was the exceptionally good weather, or if this is common, but there was something almost melodic about the sound of people talking to each other and cutlery clicking on plates WITHOUT POP MUSIC 🙂 *

* yes, that is a little bit of a dig at Kosovo restaurant culture that cannot sit in silence to save its own life!