Trip to Paris
Despite my love for planners and stationery, I failed to plan for this week’s blog that I wanted to dedicate to Remembrance (Sun)day. Well, I did watch “In Vlaamse Velden” on Netflix. It is a series from a couple of years ago that I hadn’t seen when it aired on TV and that follows the lives of a doctor’s family during World War I.
So if this blog isn’t about Remembrance day, let me tell you about my trip to Paris from a little over a month ago.
This trip already started with some anxiety as the hotel I was supposed to stay at sent me an email two days before arrival to check if I still intended on coming to Paris and staying with them. Maybe the hotel was overbooked, or something happened last minute that I couldn’t stay at theirs. They offered me two alternative locations and assured me the fare and booking reference stayed the same. However, on the day of arrival, it took some convincing for the receptionist to indeed grant me the agreed price, even a bit less. But the room was ready, and after dropping off my luggage, I went to explore the city. The first stop was the Montparnasse train station as they house a waterdrop® and Moleskine store. I went to the waterdrop® store to drop off my empty blisters and buy the new flavor they brought out a week before. In the Moleskine store, I wanted to buy the City Notebook Paris (https://www.moleskine.com/en-be/private-summer-sale/city-notebook-paris-8058341717370.html). Unfortunately, it was sold out in the store, so I may have to buy it online to document my journey. I have the one for New York and London and find them very handy as they contain street maps, maps for public transportation, empty pages for journaling, and pages where you can document stores, restaurants, bars you want to visit or did visit. When opening my backpack to retrieve my lunch I realized I forgot to drop off the empty blisters, hence I went back to the store. Afterward, I walked to the Hôtel National des Invalides. There I wanted to visit the musée de l’armée (https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/your-visit/museum-spaces.html). However, it wasn’t clear if a ticket purchase upfront was needed or if ticket sales were still possible at the entrance. Also, the weather was nice autumn weather, so I decided to keep on walking and maybe find a nice bench to rest with my e-reader from time to time. After refilling my water bottle, I found the app “DrinkStop” with public water fountains, I continued my way to the Pont Alexandre III. Those who saw “Emily in Paris” on Netflix will recognize this bridge. I went a little bit further to Place de la Concorde. But at this point, my feet were killing me so I took the metro back to my hotel. The weather was still nice enough so I left the hotel again to the Place de la Bastille. There I read a bit further until the evening chill made an end to it.
The next day was weather-wise the worst day of my stay. However when my weather app predicted a break between showers I took the metro to the Galeries LaFayette (https://www.galerieslafayette.com/). Their luxury brands are not for my wallet, but the interior dome is marvelous and from the rooftop, you have a great view of the Eiffel Tower. From there I walked to the Place de Vendome and the Jardin des Tuileries. I arrived just in time outside the Louvre where I could sit out the next shower under an arch. Then I walked to “Les Halles” where I took the metro back to the hotel.
On the third day, I decided to do a guided tour from the app “Rewind” from the Place des Abbesses to the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. The narrator had a good voice and the story was informative and fun. It was still early so not too crowded, except when passing the Maison Rose. It was still cloudy, which didn’t make the best pictures from the city below. From there I took my time descending to the metro, where I rode to Place du Trocadero. Normally you have a very nice view from there to the Eiffel Tower, but due to construction works, they were a bit less. However, I think together with the Sacre Coeur this is the most touristy spot in Paris, where you must be aware of pick-pockets and make your way through vendors of mini Eiffel towers and other mementos. Before I started this trip I wanted to retake a photograph I made 15 years ago with the Mur de la Paix in the foreground and the Eiffel Tower in the background, but unfortunately, they took down this peace monument at the end of 2020 and they didn’t seem to have found a place to resurrect it. I did traverse the Champ-de-Mars and continued to the metro Les Invalides from where I went back to the hotel.
My penultimate day took me from the Place des Voges, where you can visit the house of Victor Hugo, however, it is one of my favorite reading spots in Paris, through the Marais with another guided tour from the “Rewind” app to the Hôtel de Ville. This tour was delivered a little dryer than the one of the Sacre Coeur and I would like to have maybe a bit about the Jews in this neighborhood during World War II. But this is completely my opinion. From city hall, I walked to Notre Dame Cathedral, due to the big fire from a couple of years ago this monument is largely sectioned off from the public, even the garden, which is a pity. The weather was nice and I enjoyed the smells and sound from the Bread Festival that was taking place. It was getting a habit, but from the Notre Dame, I walked again to the Place de la Bastille to catch a metro back to the hotel.
On the last day, I went to the 13th arrondissement and did my last guided tour from the “Rewind” app, it was one with street art in Paris. However, most of the art was unfortunately not my thing. Overall I would like to recommend this app as you will get to know possibly another side from Paris that you wouldn’t have visited otherwise and it is self-paced. So when you come across a nice bench or a restaurant you want to visit you can just pause it. For an introvert like me, it is also lovely that you don’t have to deal with new people in a group you don’t know and don’t have to make small talk. The tours vary in length, but the ones I did were all about a mile, a bit more or a bit less. When the street art tour finished I walked to the Jardin des Plantes. Here I also visited the Grande Galerié de l’évolutions. Here it was clear that last-minute tickets were still possible to purchase. However, I didn’t put in my contacts and after more than a year of Covid I haven’t mastered the skill of wearing a face mask and my glasses not fogging up, so I couldn’t read the explanation of most of the exhibit unless I put my face to the plaque with the said explanation. On the other hand, the life-size replicas of animals, and the skeletons exhibited were magnificent. The rest of the afternoon was again spent reading in the sunshine.
I was as per usual way too early at the train station again, but I enjoyed myself.
Facemasks are still mandatory inside public buildings, such as shops, hotels, and museums as well as on public transportation. Museums and restaurants require also a health pass, which shows you are fully vaccinated, recently recovered from Covid, or had a recent negative test. However, after all those months of self-imposed isolation, it felt strange at times to be in a full metro car or train, close together. So in case you would visit shortly make sure you read up on the rules and regulations concerning Covid.
The hotel I stayed in was nice as well; as the room had a kitchenette with a microwave and breakfast while basic, was still sufficient. I don’t want to persuade nor dissuade you from staying in the hotel, so I won’t publish the name, but if you are interested just contact me via the form on the blog.
Hope I gave you some inspiration for your next trip to Paris, and if I missed one of your must-sees, don’t hesitate to share in the comments.
