This weekend I fell in love with Paris. For me Paris has always been a must on my list of travels. From taking French in high school to having my Grandma be born there, I knew I had to visit during my semester in Europe. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint one bit. Every cliche thing you have heard such as, "the city of love". "city of lights", "I'll always have Paris" are all things that I could use to describe my four days in this magical city.
Thursday morning I took a bus at 4am from Florence to Pisa to then catch a plane to Paris. After landing around 8 am, my friends and I found the metro and after a few mistakes were on our way to our place in the city. We decided to use AirBnb this trip, which is where someone rents their home to you for your time in the city. We arrived at the apartment on a quaint street about 10 min by metro outside the main city center. It was exactly what I had imagined an apartment to be with all white decor, light streaming in through the large windows, perfect Parisian style. We used Thursday to get acquainted with the area, indulge in a few crepes, and get a good nights rest for the weekend ahead.
Thursday morning I took a bus at 4am from Florence to Pisa to then catch a plane to Paris. After landing around 8 am, my friends and I found the metro and after a few mistakes were on our way to our place in the city. We decided to use AirBnb this trip, which is where someone rents their home to you for your time in the city. We arrived at the apartment on a quaint street about 10 min by metro outside the main city center. It was exactly what I had imagined an apartment to be with all white decor, light streaming in through the large windows, perfect Parisian style. We used Thursday to get acquainted with the area, indulge in a few crepes, and get a good nights rest for the weekend ahead.
Friday we woke up early and made our way to the Arc De Triomphe. * tip for anyone going to Paris, buy a metro pass and a museum pass, well worth the money* We used our museum pass to get to the top of the Arc and have an outstanding view of the whole city. Even though the rain was pelting my face, and I was shivering it was so cold, it was a view no one should miss. We did some shopping down the Champ Elysees, including getting macaroons from the famous Laduree, delicious might I add. After grabbing a bite from stands off the street we made the trek to the Louvre. This is where I have never been so thankful for a museum pass. The line was the longest I have ever seen. Thankfully we were able to skip the line and enter the museum. I have ever been huge on museums, but after endless amounts of Art History classes I was intrigued to see all off the pieces I have learned about in person rather than on a power point slide. ht museum itself is a piece of art. The ceilings painted in such detail, the light fixtures so intricate, and the sculptures in the walls so carefully carved. I took the obligatory picture with Mona Lisa, saw the Venus sculpture, and more. After about 3 or 4 hours of viewing art we decided to move on. That night we had dinner at a restaurant right outside the eiffel tower with some of the mouth watering food I have had. We went to Le Coq where I had pasta and Paris Ham with truffle sauce, to die for. At around 10:30 pm we made the decision to take the last trip of the night to the top of the eiffel tower. Let me remind you, it was freezing, pouring rain, and very high which is not my cup of tea. Very cold, and wet I stood at the top with a view that was breath taking. Each main attraction of Paris in sight, lit up for everyone to see it was something I can't even explain. At that moment I realized how grateful I am to have the opportunity to travel around Europe so young and see views that have only ever been a dream for me. Now they are all coming true and I couldn't thank my parents enough.
Saturday we headed out early to board the metro for a ride to the Palace of Versailles. Once again very thankful for my museum pass, we quickly were able to tour the palace. Massive is the only word I can think of that describes exactly how big this place was. Room after room, so intricately designed, dripping in gold, each with a history of its own. Unfortunately it was so packed it was a bit hard at times to get a great view, but none the less it was stunning. I can't even imagine what the gardens look like in the spring. We headed back into the city to add to our lists of museum visits. We went to see the Thinking Man, Monet and Manet paintings, and more. Some of us added locks to the Love Lock Bridge, we walked the back roads with small cafes, and ended with a visit to Notre Dame. Being Catholic this is a sight I couldn't miss. It wasn't a big overwhelming church, but was detailed in every right way. We went to dinner and got delicious french onion soup and made our way back to our place.
Sunday morning I woke up early to do a little exploring on my own. I took the metro to go find my Grandmas home from when she lived in Paris. Just a few miles outside from where I was staying I was able to locate her old street. I was glad I was able to squeeze this little adventure into my weekend to remind me of home and get away from the tourist packed schedule I have. We left in the afternoon to head back to Florence after a weekend I will never forget. I will always have Paris, and all the experiences I had I will never forget. Paris I will be back and hopefully much much sooner than later.
Always,
Sam
Always,
Sam