I had never wanted to visit Paris. I just never understood the allure. But once I exited Charles de Gaulle airport and made my way up those cobblestone streets to our hotel, the hype was understood! Paris is not just a place; it’s a feeling–an overwhelmingly warm, delightful, and oddly familiar feeling. Being in Paris is like eating a cup of hot sweet potato soup on a chilly fall evening, or getting a Bomb Pop from the Ice Cream Man on a hot July day. It just feels good. With all the old world architecture, refined culture, the delicious wine, the amazing food, I can understand why they call it the City of Love.
We stayed at Hotel Gaston. It’s a beautiful boutique hotel located in a residential area within walking distance of lots of cute restaurants and local shops, and the metro station, which was our primary means of transportation. Our rooms were small but comfortable and the service was excellent. We had free breakfast each morning, which consisted of an assortment of meats like salami and ham, croissants, real hot chocolate, fresh fruit and juice. I felt so Parisian each morning eating my petite plate a sipping fresh coffee! I loved that our hotel was outside of the tourist areas because we really had the opportunity to see how real Parisians live–and save alot of coins. We could sleep with our windows open and take in the sounds of the people when the city awoke each morning. Watching parents walk their little ones to school and seeing all the working people march to the metro or expertly parallel park their tiny cars on the street was refreshing to me. It isn’t like I’ve never seen people doing everyday things before, but for some reason I was just enamored because I was in Paris watching Parisians, not tourists (shrugs).
The metro in my opinion is best way to get around Paris. It’s only 1.80EUR and takes you pretty much everywhere you’d want to go. On our first full day in the city we took the metro to L’Opera station and it was amazewah! A short walk from the metro station is all of the luxury jewelry and clothing stores your heart can bare. I’m not one for high-end shopping but it was so easy to get lost in all of the sparkles and opulence. We spent some time window shopping then hopped onto the bus and headed to The Louve.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to go into the museum to see my girl Mona Lisa but we did get to stroll through the park adjacent to the museum and observe Parisians in what seems to be their natural state: Chillin’. Parisians take relaxation seriously and don’t sweat the small things. They don’t even concern themselves with putting dividing lines on roads—they literally just find a space for their car on the road and go, and somehow it works. I noticed people weren’t walking around with their eyes down on their cell phones either. People seemed to be fully immersed in the moment at all times and I loved that!
I found that everyone I interacted with were incredibly kind and generous. During our stay we visited the Musée de l’Armée, which is the arms museum. I was actually trying to visit Musée d’Orsay, but went left when I should have went right and there I was. Since that wasn’t the museum I wanted to visit, I didn’t bother to purchase a ticket to go inside but just photographed the areas I could see for free. I walked around and wandered into the building that houses Napoléon’s tomb. I attempted to enter, and the attendants asked me if I had a ticket. I of course said no, and turned to leave. I figured I could just get some snap shots of the outside and I’d be happy with that. As I stood outside and began taking pictures an attendant came out and told me I could go ahead and come in for free! On my way there a train attendant also allowed me to ride the train for free when I got off at the wrong stop. She was also the one that gave me the wrong directions to the museum though, but since she was kind, I forgive her.
We took the rail train for 3.80EUR per way to Chateau de Versailles and OMG, I have never experienced so much opulence in my life. From the ornate murals covering the walls and ceilings, to the all gold trimmed everything, to the acres of lush gardens, it was truly a dream. The town of Versailles itself had a wonderful storybook quality to it. After we spent a couple hours at the palace we dropped by a nearby Italian restaurant and enjoyed one of the best pizzas I have ever had. The crust was unlike anything I have ever eaten—so soft, slightly sweet and very fresh. In general, the bread in Paris is on another level. I don’t know what they do or add, or what special tricks they use to knead it, but what they produce is magical. Another memorable meal was the Duck Confit I had from a rotisserie restaurant near L’Opera. I had never had duck before, but when I travel I always try to eat something new. I cannot even find the words to describe how delicious that duck was, it literally had me dancing in my seat like a seven year old eating dessert for the first time.
Paris is such an overwhelmingly beautiful place with serious pheromones that will have you wide open. The city’s beauty is inspiring. It’s romantic and enticing. Before we got to Paris I had planned to take a day trip to Amsterdam on the train in anticipation of becoming bored, but after our first two days I just couldn’t commit to leaving. It just took hold of me and I really wish we had spent more than 4 nights there. Being there is such a blissful experience that a week is just not satisfying enough. Whether you spend your time museum hopping, shopping, strolling down the river taking in the gorgeous skyline, or just spend the afternoon people watching at an outdoor café, enjoying a cool glass of wine or a hot cappuccino, every moment in Paris delights all of your senses. I’m so happy I went and I look forward to going back. Paris, I surrender.
