Bonjour Paris! A weekend in the city of love

8 – 10 November

Paris, je t’aime!! The last time I was here was on a school band trip and we were shuttled around on a bus. The only picture I have of the Eiffel Tower is from a bus window and I only got to use my French at The Louvre to ask where the bathrooms were (the man answered in English.. cool). So it was 100% time to go back! And not only so I could actually experience the city but more so because I love speaking French and I finally got to practice it (and people answered me in French!!).

Our day definitely started out unadventurous when we woke up at 4:30am to catch our 9:00am flight. And it was one of those nights where you tell yourself you’re going to go to bed early but for some reason or another you accidentally stay up until midnight and realize you literally will have to hold your eyelids open in the morning… Yeeeah. But surprisingly, I had a good amount of energy, especially after we got off the train stop and walked up onto the street right in front of Notre Dame. Such a happy little accident, especially considering the confusion of trying to figure out how to get to the city from an airport an hour away on 4 hours of sleep. And we were starving which means *enter my friend Claire* a really cute breakfast nook.

To give some background, Claire is really good at finding places to eat. And she surprised me and Sarah with this one because she specifically chose it for the extreme chicken decor. I mean, extreme. When you enter Eggs&Co. it almost looks like a takeout only place that barely has enough room inside for you to turn around in. But we soon found out that a narrow twist of spiraling stairs gave way to what looked like a farmhouse attic. I’m pretty sure they only hired petite waitstaff that were under 5’7” because the ceiling was so low and the tables were so close together that I felt like Buddy the Elf crouching to walk and almost upsetting someone’s breakfast trying to squeeze into my chair. But the food was amazing and the menu was in French so I got to translate and order for my friends (ahh!). We even got to chat with a cute American couple that sat next to us. I’m so used to British accents (and honestly kind of missed them on this trip) that we got really excited hearing a classic Midwestern twang and asked them where they were from. Never thought I would run into someone close to home right next to my table in a tucked away chicken themed farmhouse restaurant in Paris, 4,000+ miles away from home. It’s one of the reasons I love travel.

After stuffing ourselves with poached eggs, lots of bread, potatoes with fresh cream, and salad, we set off to the Luxumbourg Gardens Les Jardins du Luxumbourg. It’s a palace style building built in the 1600s that once housed royalty, turned into a prison during the war, but now is a place for government. However, the gardens are open to the public year round and despite the fall season, the landscaping was still beautiful (especially with the trees being orange and red). We relaxed here for awhile and watched a young man eat a plain baguette next to a group of pigeons eagerly eyeing him – he didn’t cave to their dismay. As we walked around the grounds, we came across a beautiful path of fall colored trees, a large beekeeper area, and a group of men playing pétanque. So far, it was a beautifully relaxing day, and it was only noon. So much more was to come *cough* public transport horror stories *cough*.

Our AirBnb was ready for us so we headed towards the metro station. On our way there we had to make a couple of pitstops. First, to get macarons for Claire and Sarah at a pastry shop pâtisserie. It was reeeeeally hard not to buy half of their other desserts that literally whispered in my ear to eat them but I stayed strong. Instead, we went to a cute little market that sold fresh fruit and snacks and bought a tub of strawberries and a bottle of rosé. Then we went to a bread shop boulangerie for a fresh baguette and a stand in the middle of the street overflowing with cheeses for some traditional brie. The culture of having very specific shops for different foods was something I remember learning in French class. There are virtually no “grocery stores” that sell all different types of food and pâtisseries and boulangeries are very common and popular. In fact, you literally can spot someone carrying a baguette every half hour or so passing you in the street, riding their bike, or getting into their car with a huge bundle. And I now understand the hype: I’ve never had bread that amazing.

Typing into Google Maps our AirBnb location was easy. What wasn’t easy was not knowing that the train stop by our AirBnb was under construction and no trains could stop there. What was even more frustrating was that not only did we zoom past our train stop but that we missed the train by two minutes that would have gone back in the other direction where we needed to go. In short, after a $30 Uber ride back to the AirBnb and a long phone call with our host on how to properly open the door because you had to wiggle and pull the handle just right, we finally collapsed onto the bed. My mind was exhausted from trying to speak in French and from barely sleeping. But at least my mind was exhausted from trying to speak in French and from barely sleeping in PARIS! Perspective amiright.

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what we even talked about after my body hit the covers but I do know that we eventually pulled ourselves from the comfort of the AirBnb and ventured outside again. The town we were staying in, Choisy-la-Roi, was super cute and easy to navigate. We (somehow) figured out how to get on the correct train to the center of Paris and ended up at The Louvre. This was probably one of my favorite moments of the trip because as we were walking into the center courtyard of the museum, there was a couple PROPOSING in the middle. And to make it even MORE romantic, there was a sexy saxophone being played nearby that echoed around the architecture. The moment was so intimate and romantic and I don’t think he could have picked a better proposal location.

The next day was really hard to get out of bed. After 12 miles of walking and 4 hours of sleep, I don’t think my body has ever crashed so hard. But the city waits for no one (I know, cringey) so we forced ourselves to leave and got ready in our cute dresses that pale in comparison to the fashionistas that passed us in the streets. Since we left our bookbags at the AirBnb and only took our purses, we blended in really well and people kept asking us questions in French. So while I felt bad saying I didn’t know the answer to the question, I was happy that I looked like I knew what I was doing lol. AND I even perfectly executed ordering our breakfast (two peices of bread and some apples) in French!! It was only like 3 sentences but still lol.

In order to get into the Catacombs, you have to wait in a line that can be up to 3 hours. You can buy tickets ahead of time and get in quicker, but if you want a discount for students or seniors, you have to wait in the line. I think it was worth it because the student tickets were only €12 and we waited about 1.5 hours. (If you ever need a travel game, the app Charades! is literally the best thing to pass the time and to get other tourists to look at you funny). Its also easy to miss the entrance to the Catacombs because its a very plain, small looking building that doesn’t say anything on it except for a very small sign in front. Once you wait in the line that wraps around the building, they do a quick security check, sell you your ticket, and then send you on your way down a ton of stairs. I mean a TON, spiraling tightly downwards. I felt like I was in a fever dream that had no end. Once at the bottom, you walk through some stoned passageways for 15 minutes, sometimes passing a stone that would mirror the street name 66 feet above us. Finally, there’s a room that explains the history behind the Catacombs and then a sign in French above the entrance to the bones that says “Arrête, c’est ici l’empire de la mort” which in English means “Stop, this is the empire of the dead”. It’s actually pretty creepy stuff. There’s 6 million skeletons there, the biggest catacombs in the world. The bodies come from many different cemetaries throughout time and eventually, they were collected and ended up here. They were purposefully arranged to look pretty and as you walk there are different shapes and areas of the catacombs that are eerily beautiful. Not to mention the numerous signs in French that talk about the poetry of death and how being dead is a blessing over that of living. Or maybe my subpar translations made it seem creepier than it actually was. Overall, the underground experience takes about 45 minutes and takes you to the other side of the city.

We emerged safe from the empire of death and our appetite came creeping back. On our search for a cheap restuarant, the world faded into a blur as PUPPY CLUB came into focus. Ran? We sprinted to the store window where a multitude of fluffy puppies met us. Ignoring the signs that warned not to pet, we put our hands straight into the action of fluffy, licky, grunty, and wiggly cuteness. A lady emerged from the backroom and scolded us that we shouldn’t pet (guilty, but no regrets) and we reluctantly pulled our hands back. 10 minutes later we had the best pizza. Was this a dream? 😍

After lunch, we took the metro to the Effiel Tower Tour Effiel. This was probably the most touristy area we went to because there were sooooo many street peddlers selling berets, mini Eiffel Towers, cards, scarves, you name it. There was also a massive horde of people all trying to get either to or from the tower. And while I 100% took way too many pictures of it, it really is an impressive structure. Built for the 1889 World Fair, it was meant to be a temporary structure for only 20 years! Clearly, it is now one of the biggest tourist attractions in Paris. We chose not to go up in it, although it wasn’t too expensive, and settled on taking pictures outside of it instead. For some reason, the grass lawn that people usually picnic on was fenced off, but it was still a fun photoshoot on the outside of the fence. We also tried to pet this couple’s reeeeally cute and fluffy pair of dogs but as I offered to take their picture, the dogs lunged at me so that was a no. I hope they didn’t think I was being creepy because I walked all the way across the lawn to ask if I could take their picture for them and then walked all the way back once I realized their dogs weren’t that friendly (so cringe). Then I tried to ask a lady if she could take our picture, blanked on a crucial word in French, and stood there too long trying to think of what I wanted to say… even though she clearly could speak some English. But, I’ll never see her again, at least that’s what I constantly chant to myself in my head to make myself feel better. 😅😅

After taking an overkill of photos that I am not sorry about at all, we ventured into the city again to find some postcards, scarves, and some crêpes. Basically, we were stalling for nightfall so that we could see the tower sparkle. We got really cute postcards, Sarah purchased a Burberry patterned scarf for €4, and the girls both got crêpes from a cute little nestled side shop. We also bought another baguette, but I think it was a little stale because I could have smacked someone over the head with it and knocked them out cold. They were that hard lol. We quickly rushed back to the tower to wait for the sparkling, which only happens for 5 minutes at the top of every hour. There was a big group of American college guys that were right next to us and we still regret not saying hi to them to make friends because we were too nervous (ugh!!!). But, we still saw the tower during the day and at night in the span of two hours which was really cool. And pictures do not do the structure justice when it’s lit up, definitely a must see if you find yourself in Paris.

As we walked back to the metro to go home, we passed a soccer practice field literally right next to the Eiffel Tower. Like, imagine having to go to practice in Paris right next to the Eiffel Tower like its an everyday thing! I mean, obviously it would get old as a Parisian, but its crazy to think about how our homes to some people are amazing when to us its just an everyday thing (although I don’t know how I can compare that to Toledo lol). But then, most people probably live in the suburbs, like our AirBnb. Which by the way, the shower was broken and only shot out BOILING hot water and when I tried to wash my body, burned my feet and hands instantly. I felt like a lobster so I resorted to using the sink to wash my hair which wasn’t too bad. We rewarded ourselves with some wine, bread, and brie after a long day of sight seeing and awkward encounters. I thought that I knew what brie tasted like, but our Parisian brie smelled like feet and was extremely strong tasting. It was really good, but definitely not as mild as the brie we have at home.

On our last day, we decided that we needed to eat something besides bread for breakfast. We shuttled ourselves into the city, finally experts of transportation on the last day. But I guess Paris wasn’t ready to let us leave without giving us a full taste of the joys of public transportation. On our commute to brunch, one of our fellow commuters l i t e r a l l y pooped his pants. At first, I asked Sarah if she smelled strong cat poop. Then I realized after a couple of stops that are metro car kept emptying but people were just switching onto the next car. The smell increased. People who were waiting it out covered their noses with their shirts. A man with an accordian boarded, not yet aware of everyone’s green faces, and began to play a cute Parisian poop tune. The man guilty of soiling his pants continued to talk loudly on the phone while everyone pushed themselves as far away as possible. Thankfully, the doors opened and fresh subway air greeted us as we pushed our way out of the suffocating scent.

The universe thanked our bravery by greeting us with a bustling open air market surrounding the exit to the metro. This was my favorite part because I truly felt like a French woman. There were beautiful flowers (des fleurs), fish (des poissons) on ice, tons and tons of fruit and veggies (les fruits et les légumes), vendors making les crêpes, and more. Fresh orange juice (les jus d’orange) caught me and Sarah’s eye and we just couldn’t resist. €2,50 later, my juice transported me to a bliss that felt like I was squishing an orange straight into my mouth like the Greek goddess I wasn’t.

It took us 45 minutes to find our brunch place, but it was 100% worth it. It didn’t look boujee, but it was definitely the most expensive and beautiful place that we ate at on the whole trip. The walls were covered in orginial art and we could see the chefs talking in the kitchen about that day’s orders. We got there RIGHT when it opened which was perfect because we were supposed to make a reservation. As we were waiting for our meals, me and Claire a mushroom pasta and Sarah with a beef tartare, we listened to the American ladies talking next to us. She casually said how she was in Budapest for business but wanted to stop in Paris for a day or two. It sounded like they both travelled a ton and lived a lavish lifestyle. One of them had a friend who was the assistant to Ariana Grande! Now cue back to some very broke, travelling students who thought that eating a €18 meal was a splurge (LOL). But our food was amazing, I even tried a bite of the beef tartare despite it looking like cat food (sorry Sarah). For dessert we got crème brûlée and this amazing pistachio cream over honeyed almond shreds. AMAZING.

After lunch, and with only a few hours of our time in Paris left, we went back near the Eiffel Tower and found our way into a free art museum, le musée d’art moderne de Paris. The wait was only 5 minutes to get in and most of the museum was free, except for a few exhibits that we chose not to pay for. They set it up by the different art genres through the ages so you could really see how art evolved. The collection was impressive and I took way too many pictures that don’t do the works themselves enough justice.

With a couple of hours left, we walked along the Seine and pulled out our bottle of wine. I felt like a hobo but we had yet to finish and we were going to finish it dang it! While we took more pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower (who’s surprised), this cute girl from Jordan that was solo travelling asked us to take her picture and then told us to all get in for a selfie! It was so cute and such a pure moment. A good way to end the trip as we got back onto the metro for an hour commute to the train station. And thank god for nice people in the world because our metro tickets for some reason did not work on the turnstile that let’s you into the airport. But there are no attendants. So we were stuck outside of the turnstiles wondering how the hell we were going to get into the airport so we wouldn’t miss our flight. Thankfully, a random man told us to pile into the handicap turnstile and let us all through. People always say that the French can be rude, but to be honest, I don’t think we met one rude person our whole trip. I think as long as you’re friendly, try to speak French, and aren’t extremely touristy, everyone was always willing to help us out.

Some suggestions if you’re going to be travelling to Paris

1. Try to learn how to order in French. They’ll probably notice you speak Engish, but if you’re trying, people appreciate it. While a lot of people do know English, a lot of people also really only speak French.

2. Take advantage of the student deals. If you’re travelling on the weekend and you’re under 26, you can get an unlimited metro ticket for €4. Definitely worth it, especially if you get off on the wrong stop.

3. BRING CASH! A lot of the purchases can be small amounts of money and street vendors literally don’t take card.

4. Paris is huge (duh). Make sure you plan a least a few things that you want to do before going but also leave some time to try and understand the public transit and for moments outside of your touristy adventures.

5. Dress like a Parisian. Just try to be stylish and people won’t try to scam you as much. They do wear jeans, but black tights are a big fashion statement. If you’re truly trying to blend in, don’t bring a huge backpack.

And now, some pictures that I took that are pretty and I wanted to include.