PARIS is always a good idea
Bonjour mes amis! I am originally from New York, and now I reside in Greenwich, Connecticut. For years Paris was calling me loud and clear for a reason unknown. The second I stepped foot onto Paris soil, it almost felt like a rebirth. A second chance to become a new me. One filled with so much more love, happiness, and inspiration. It indeed was life-changing. Paris is an exquisitely beautiful city with a magical power that creates a lifetime of unforgettable and incomparable memories. Who would have guessed that in all my years, Paris would be the catalyst that empowered me forever? I would love to take you down memory lane and maybe help you find similar inspiration.
I had been dreaming of Paris for years. If you can think of the craziest obsession to visit a place, trust me, I was beyond that. Then it happened, one solemn day I randomly booked my ticket to visit the city of LOVE! And I knew that nothing was going to stop me. As I began researching the city and planning for my excursion, I found myself experiencing both excitement and anxiety. I wanted it all to be perfect. I did not know where to begin, who to ask, how to prioritize. Even Google seemed overwhelming for one who doesn’t travel much. It was the first time I was going out of my comfort zone and that too without my kids. I could not believe that finally, my dream was coming true to venture out to the other side of the world and come back with zero regrets.
With the help of good friends and a fantastic soul Kenn Walker, I overcame my fears and anxiety. Kenn snail-mailed me all the maps of Paris, even the transportation maps, restaurant magazines, tourist magazines. To this day, they are right by my bedside. He spoke on the phone with me, answering all my ludicrous questions about traveling to Paris and safety. I genuinely can never thank this wonderful man enough for assisting me in my biggest dream. Let’s just say after my first amazing trip, I continue fleeing to Paris every time my soul needs to refuel. Then I come back and light up the lives I surround myself with.
As the cliche, ‘Pay it Forward,’ Kenn helped me prepare for a life-changing trip, and now I would love to help make your Paris trip memorable. I am delighted to share all the beautiful places to visit, eat, and experience Paris itself.
It begins and ends with Eiffel Tower
Let's begin with the iconic Eiffel Tower. This tall standing figure does wonders for dreamers. So if you are anything close to an emotional lover like myself, prepare to fall in love with life over and over and over. Word has it that a miracle can fall into anyone's lap at any time. But the best is when it falls on you in the nick of time.
Tour Eiffel
Eiffel Tower! Being that it was our first time, checking out the summit was unquestionable. To avoid waiting on long lines, we purchased tickets through Viator.com. If you check their site, they have a variety of options, and you can just pick the one that suits your desires. We specifically chose the following: Skip the Line: Eiffel Tower Summit, Louvre Museum, and Cruise. It was the wisest preparations we made. Made our vacation Magnifique, to say the least. The second floor of the tower serves ice-cream and treats.
Additionally, there is a substantial social hangout area and many souvenir shops. There's a theater room that projects the history of the tower construction. The view from the summit mimics that of a free bird flying. Paris, Seine River, the bridges all look wondrous. Viator was a great choice. We decided to walk down from the second floor to ground zero for memoir purposes. So glad we did.
Pic to the left is my favorite memory. I hung a large size above my bed to remind me each morning to be forever grateful.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe is definitely a hike all the way to the top but definitely worth the view, especially during sunset. Something I will always remember and never forget. That night the Tower was lit in Red and Gold. I still don't know why. Regardless it was a moment frozen in time—There's a thin gray line on the road where tourists take photos and selfies. There's always a line, and people are very respectful of your turn and let you take your time to get a satisfying photo. I took this picture from my Sony NEX 5, and I love how it portrays the gigantic size compared to the cars and the people on the road. If you look closely, you may see hundreds of people on the top of the Arc that almost look so tiny like toy figurines. From this view, they look small, and when we were up there, the people on the ground were practically invisible, and Paris looks enormous with a full 360-degree view……breathtaking!! Can't wait to go back.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre holds over half a million paintings/structures. If one doesn’t eat/sleep, it will take 9.5 months to see it all. The Mona Lisa is the main attraction. Be sure to allocate an entire day for the Louvre. Also, they sell the best chocolates on the ground floor in a shop called La Maison Du Chocolat. They sell them in the cutest tin boxes uniquely shaped. We spent the majority of our visit checking all the Islamic scriptures, structures, and art. It’s incredible when you learn so much about your background as well as others. The key to Mecca was my favorite.
Palais Garnier
I loved this Opera House. ‘I call it frozen music,’ said Goethe. Palais Garner built so pleasingly to the eye, gives off a momentous feel of the perfect melodious composition. Chandeliers giving off a feeling of splendor. Can you imagine the multiplied magnitude of a room filled with a vivid surplus of elaborate twinkling chandeliers of gilt and crystal, fused art, and breathtakingly musical architecture? The entire Palais smothered with an enhanced touch of luxury. Standing amid lush, you could almost sink into it. Saying I felt like a queen is a vast understatement!
Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame is one of the unique architectures ever built. It took 236 years to build. We visited Notre-Dame after checking out the Louvre. It had been a long hot day, and we were exhausted as every destination was quite a bit of a walk. Ironically as we saw Notre-Dame from our peripheral vision…. our energies just boosted sky-high. All of a sudden, we were laughing, twirling, taking photos non stop. This experience was an actual moment of carpe diem. When I remember our first trip to Paris, this moment relives as the most vivid memory.
La Seine
The Seine River is always beautiful; however, the evening cruise entertains you with the city lights, especially when the Eiffel Tower sparkles while on the journey. That one really did it for us! A few friends of mine experienced the cruise during daylight and unanimously said it was both crowded and too hot to fully grasp the enjoyment. There were so many highlights of our trip, however seeing the city of love all lit up as you take a smooth tour on the Seine really sparked my heart. On the flip side, 6 AM morning runs by the Seine were equally stupendous and unforgettable!
Biking in Paris
The BEST way to truly experience the city of Paris is by 'biking' through its elegant beauty.' Now I am going to be completely honest here. I am not a biker, and since I only weigh 92 lbs, it was a bit hard to steer this bike. The first few days, I struggled, and the skinny bike path, while cars went zooming by, didn't help. Eventually, I conquered, and biking through Paris was a sensational experience. We didn't realize that we visited the Louvre the same day as 'France de Tour.' After the tour completed and we experienced the Jet Finale, we rode these rental bikes from the Louvre to the Les Invalides, to the Lock Bridge, to Pont Alexandre III, and then to Arc de Triomphe. We were sore the next day, but that didn't stop us from getting back on these Parisian bikes!
Sacré-Coeur
Sacre-Couer allows you to see all of Paris from uphill. A panoramic view the heart will cherish timelessly. The town facing the view of Sacre-Couer is known as Montmartre. It’s known for its infamous souvenir shops (by the tons) at competitive prices. The biggest mistake I made was purchasing all souvenirs by the Eiffel Tower. Montmartre sells them for half the price or less and with a greater variety. There you will also find specialty shops with the cutest items not seen anywhere else. The copious restaurants and bars were visually pleasing—a charming crowded place. Montmartre resembled NYC in many ways for me. The restaurants, the shops, the crowd. It definitely looked like a town that never sleeps.
Café de Flore
Café De Flore will always be legendary with its legendary clientele. Pricey but worth it if you want to experience ‘old Paris.’ An upscale locale and great for people watching. The atmosphere is quintessentially French. We knew the cafe gets crowded, so we arrived early to take in the experience. There’s a peculiar pleasure in eating at a historic landmark. Also, rumor has it, on a weekly average; you are sure to bump into a few celebrities.
LADURÉE Paris
The Parisian café not only meets the eye with its angelic art inspired by the Sistine Chapel and the Garner Opera House; moreover, it exemplifies the “French art de Vivre.” The story of the LADURÉE, macaroon, starts in the middle of the 19th century with Pierre Desfontaines, who first thought of taking two macaroon shells and joins them with a delicious ganache filling. The recipe has not changed since. Personally speaking, if you have not tasted a macaroon from LADURÉE, you have not felt the True Art of French in Paris! The second floor is beyond beautiful. An adult dollhouse, to say the least. Très Bien! It’s located on Champs- Élysées right by the historic Arc de Triomphe so you can experience 3 highlights of Paris all at once!
Le Bar
If you’re into excellent dining and classy bars, Le Bar at Le Grand Hotel is just right for you. A luxurious ambiance added with superiors pampering service will leave your soul feeling gratified! Located across from the Palais Garner, so you can visit the Palais and then lounge to discuss the wondrous feeling at Le Bar. The latte was the best I’ve tasted. One where you wish the cup would never go empty. Also, please check out the Grand Ballroom. It is so spectacular, and no photos can do justice to being there to see in person. Complete splendor! It is the same room Napoleon use to have his dinner celebrations and festivities. Also, just food for thought; this place is a high traffic area, and I made the mistake of wearing my vintage Burberry scarf, which was snatched off my neck, and when I found the woman, she ran fast past security. Be very cautious to keep an eye on all your belongings. I still enjoyed the experience of Le Bar itself, aside from the random occurrence. I actually went straight to LADURÉE Paris, (read above description on LADURÉE Paris), for a Raspberry macaroon, that first bite was a savior to my stolen scarf heartache ;-)
Galeries Lafayette
If you claim you’ve seen a large department store, think again. The Galeries Lafayette ignited the same thrill as the Guggenheim architecture in New York City! The feel of the Parisian department store is unparalleled to any shopping plaza. The French Art Creative Touch augments and redefines its beauty each holiday with captivating structures hanging from the ceiling. A JAW-DROPPING view. I felt so joyous to see it in person. (will post photos of the lovely decor I saw soon).
Je T’aime Wall
The Je T’aime Wall. Just off Abbesses is the Square Jehan Rictus, named for a poet, but now more famous for those three little words. Here, in a romantic garden, you can stand before a wall on which more than one thousand, “I love you” can be read. From 1992, musician Frédéric Baron wandered Paris with a notebook, asking friends and neighbors and stopping strangers, assembling declarations in 300 languages. With the help of Claire Kito, he transferred them to more than 600 ceramic tiles, which mounted on the extraordinary wall. - Best Kept Secrets of Paris by Kerrigan Micheal. Can you find your language on the wall? How fun!
Steps Away from Paradise
After researching for a place to stay for weeks and prices going up, I stumbled upon a dreamy location only 650 feet away from the TOWER!! YESSSS, that’s true 650 feet away!! It was through a site known as Homeaway.com. We were on the top floor and could see the tower from our window. It was a breathtaking magical view that will last forever. The caveat being the top floor, had no elevator. Ergo we had to carry up what seemed like a truckload of luggage 6 flights up a spiral staircase. Personally, I think it was high physical activity. We planned our daily agenda so that we would only go up & down once a day.
l’ escalier
Here is a photo of the lovely architecture staircase. If you are an active being and acclimated to Europe traveling, this is considered the norm. If you are like us, it was a hike and a half. We had to take a quick break after four flights up then continue. On the flip side, by the end of the trip, I was skipping up. Zero regrets. I would do it all over again in a blink of an eye. It was beautiful and extremely convenient to be so close to the Iconic Tower.
When in Paris
For those of you wondering, YES, I had to! It was our first trip since our 2004 Honeymoon in Cancun (post on Cancun to come). Here we are, July of 2016. A memorable moment it was rekindling a couple trapped in the rut of family life and obligations. An endearing escape for just the two of us. It was no less than a fantasy breakfast date. We took our camera and tripod, and we had ourselves a moment in Paris. We laughed, we twirled, and then some. I would lie falsely out of my teeth if I didn’t tell you that being with my man at the foot of the iconic tower, brought about a new power!
The city of love..
“Momma, can you take me to Paris?” said the middle one. And so here we are—the full entourage in the city of love. We showed our kids all the places mentioned above, and we saved the best for last, Palais de Chaillot. Oh, boy, what an exciting day. Perfect weather, and the kids were all in a fantastic mood. Undeniably I was on cloud 9000, and above all else, I was interviewed by Parisian News TF1 on my perception of globalization and tourists welcomed in Paris. Photo to the right says it ALL!
Thank you for visiting. I hope I was able to help guide you for things to do in Paris. There is so much more. These were the main tourist attractions. There are several cool local places to check out as well. I find that local restaurants serve the best tasting food. If you are planning a trip to Paris and have any questions or would like to share your thoughts on this read, please comment below, and I will reply. Thank you, and Bon Voyage.
Au revoir,
Aneela K.