Paris…we meet again. Part deux of my Paris trip started off on a beautiful (rare) sunny day, and I was staying in a nice and clean hostel right near the metro. It was easy to get to and was nestled in a quaint and quiet area of Montmartre. Montmartre is an artsy area in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, and it holds both the Sacré-Cœur and Moulin Rouge (so similar, right?). I was just about three blocks from the Sacré-Cœur in a quintessential Parisian quarter of the neighborhood, filled with lots of little shops and restaurants.
The first thing I did after arriving was book a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Yes, I know, how touristy of me! And I know everyone back at work is cringing at the thought, but just bear with me. It was amazing, and I would recommend it to any other Paris newbie such as myself.
So after dropping off my things, I took the metro to The Louvre in search of the closest bus stop for the start of my tour. It was a gorgeous day, so I took advantage of Paris’ extremely unpredictable weather and walked around the Tuileries Gardens outside the Louvre.
After wandering around for about a half hour, I began actively searching for my bus stop. The stop “description” on my bus map was not very descriptive at all. The name of the stop was “The Louvre.” Cool… the Louvre only covers an area of 652,300 square feet. Come to find out, I also chose a bus tour in which the majority of the bus stops were not marked. Great! So, once I found myself in what I hoped might be the general vicinity of the stop, I asked for directions. The girl I asked was local and wasn’t sure, so she advised me to ask a random bus driver at a nearby bus stop.
I waited there for a few minutes and decided to meander on. I figured the odds of the bus driver speaking English were slim to none. As I started walking away, low and behold, I spotted the big red bus speeding down the street. I hesitated for a moment, and then did what any sane person would do. I ran after it.
I chased that big red bus for two, long blocks, ignoring the fact that I looked like a maniac. It had to stop somewhere near the Louvre. Thanks to Paris traffic, and to my lightning speed of course, I caught it. And I loved every minute of that bus tour.
I didn’t do the hop-on hop-off thing. I just perched on the top level of the bus, grinning from ear to ear, ignoring the freezing cold, and soaking in all of the sights Paris had to offer. I had a perfect view of everything and saw it all while listening to the history behind the city, accompanied by music from one of my favorite ballets (The Nutcracker). I was able to get incredible pictures without a bunch of annoying tourists like myself blocking the view.
As my bus tour came to an end, I found myself near the Trocadéro, which sits ideally across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower and boasts a breathtaking view of the iconic monument. I ended the cold day in a comfy restaurant nearby with steak, a glass of Bordeaux, and caramel ice cream.
The next day in Paris was a gloomy one, but it didn’t bother me one bit. I fell so in love with this city that it could have rained my entire trip and it wouldn’t have mattered. I woke up early to head to the Louvre and beat the lines that were not actually there. I was warned profusely about lines to the Louvre, but apparently November is an ideal, off-season time to come to Paris. I didn’t have to wait in line for anything throughout my trip. Once inside the Louvre, I made a beeline to the Mona Lisa before the crowds settled in. Honestly? I was a bit underwhelmed. No offense, Leonardo. It’s a must-see because of its history, but I didn’t need to stick around gazing at the painting. I was most captivated by the Roman and Greek sculptures, which are all must-sees in my opinion. I spent a lot of time walking through the wing that housed famous paintings from people like Da Vinci and Raphael. After about three hours of browsing, I started to get a headache and decided it was time to move on. My fourth hour in The Louvre was spent simply trying to get out of the Louvre. Like I said, it’s massive, and I am also directionally challenged.
Once I found my way out, I grabbed an espresso in the Tuileries Gardens and decided it would be nice to walk around and take in the view once more. As soon as I took my first sip, the sky opened up and it started pouring. It was extremely windy, so my umbrella kept flipping up. I was mostly focused on not spilling my espresso, so I just got wet. I eventually (and reluctantly) downed my espresso, burned my throat, and ran into the nearest restaurant I could find. Here, I got some mouthwatering carbonara and tiramisu. Not a bad way to wait out a rainstorm.
I spent the rest of the day wandering around just exploring the city. I stumbled upon La Madeleine and walked around the area near Galeries Lafayette, a French department store which is 10 stories high. Festive holiday lights lined the streets and buildings, and the window displays put you right into the Christmas spirit. I had to elbow a few kids out of my way to see them. Totally worth it (kidding…kind of).
Eventually I made my way back to the Eiffel Tower, where I was taking a sunset/nighttime cruise along the Seine. Romantic boat tour for one? Yes, please! I stood outside in the freezing cold on the boat for the majority of the ride. Fingers and toes felt like they were about to fall off. Did not care. I was in PARIS! You all already know from my last blog post about Paris that I have a love for seeing monuments at night. There’s really not much that compares to seeing Notre Dame, the Louvre, and The Eiffel Tower all lit up against a midnight blue sky.
Top day, Paris. Top day.
More soon!
xo,
Heidi
Heidi Elsewhere 