Paris
Finally the trip I had been waiting a year for had arrived! As we slowly began to exit the pandemic in the summer of 2021 my family decided to plan a trip to several countries in Europe. Each of us was assigned one country to learn about and plan for - an idea that proved to create a really fun and unique travel experience for everyone. Partially because I have always wanted to go to Paris and also because my birthday fell on our first day there I was assigned to France! I spent many hours researching the best spots to visit, ticket prices, the Parisian metro system, and more. I was beyond excited!
Day 1 - From San Francisco to Paris
One of the most exciting parts of a trip is the first day, even if you are prepping for a long flight. Our flight left from San Francisco International Airport in the late afternoon, so we all piled into the car mid morning and drove up. One travel tip I have learned from my family is that rather than pay the egregious airport parking prices, you can find a nearby hotel or airport lot to keep your car at while you're away. The only difference is that you will have to take a shuttle or Uber to the airport, but considering the cost you save it's definitely worth it. Anyhow, we left our car at a nearby hotel and headed to the airport. Our first leg was the longer portion, about 9 1/2 hours and we had a layover in Lisbon, Portugal which I learned is a very popular vacation destination for many Europeans.
Our leg from SF to Lisbon was slightly delayed and when we landed in Lisbon we just missed our connection to Paris and had to wait for a later flight. So instead of arriving in the late afternoon like we anticipated we ended up waiting several hours in the airport and arriving in Paris around 10 pm. The best thing I can do for myself in these situations is remember it could be so much worse. There's always the possibility of no more flights being available the same day and having to find a hotel for the night, of going to the wrong gate and losing what you paid for the ticket, etc. In the big picture, being set back a few hours was just a small bump in the road.
One aspect of this trip that I struggled with at the start was packing. During her extensive planning for the trip my mom learned that airports nationwide have been experiencing chaos regarding lost baggage, mostly due to large numbers of people traveling after Covid. Rates for lost bags have skyrocketed in recent months and we really wanted to avoid losing our bags so we all packed only a backpack and one carry on. Now one thing about me is I am a chronic over-packer. Maybe this is due to the fact that I'm also a chronic overthinker. I feel compelled to have one outfit for every potential situation, which means that while I can usually get by with packing several outfits and repeating, I pack 30 different outfits. But this time I had to change my ways. We were planning on staying in various Airbnb's on the trip and so I knew I could wash and re-wear some outfits. Contrary to lessons I learned from London Tipton from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody (who I distinctly remember exclaiming in disgust at the idea of even re-wearing a single outfit) cycling back through outfits, doing laundry, and mixing and matching are crucial for long trips. So I layered different outfits, brought lots of solids and staple pieces, and went against all my instincts to pack 14 outfits or more for a 14 day trip and only packed about 6. In the end, this saved us all the worry of our bags being lost, the cost of checking bags, waiting for our bags at baggage claim, and hauling heavy, large luggage all over Europe. Sometimes you have to be forced out of your comfort zone and habits to learn that there are other and better ways of doing things!
Day 2 - Versailles
For my twentieth birthday (July 28th - yay Leo season) I wanted to enjoy the decadence and history of exploring the Chateau de Versailles, the palace where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived outside of Paris.
For breakfast we all grabbed croissants and coffee before walking to the nearby metro station and taking the trip to Versailles. The metro system in Pairs, while insanely complicated at first, is extremely efficient. If you know what you're doing you can effectively get anywhere in a relatively short period of time. Not to mention that compared to metro systems I've taken in cities like New York and Seattle, the Paris metro is clean and feels generally safe. I would still recommend investing in either a money belt or a cross body bag/purse when you are a tourist here since pick pocketers know who to look for that would be an easy target.
I made sure to buy tickets online for Versailles to avoid the long lines that stretch across the entrance courtyard as soon as the palace opens. There is a timed entrance every half hour, and while this can create restriction for your travel plans this system overall works to ensure that the flow of people in the palace and grounds is somewhat controlled.
We walked from the train station and as soon as I rounded the corner and saw the famous palace come into view I was stunned. I have never seen such an elaborate, extensive, and ornate piece of architecture. The detailed ceilings, beautiful sculptures, stunning art, and sheer breadth of the rooms, grounds, and winding halls took my breath away.
We walked from the train station and as soon as I rounded the corner and saw the famous palace come into view I was stunned. I have never seen such an elaborate, extensive, and ornate piece of architecture. The detailed ceilings, beautiful sculptures, stunning art, and sheer breadth of the rooms, grounds, and winding halls took my breath away.
My family used Rick Steve's audio tour to traverse through the many rooms of the palace. There are audio guides and tours available in the palace, but these do cost a couple euros. The palace layout is very confusing and it is so easy to get lost, so I recommend trying at least one of these methods!
There are so many elaborately decorated and decadent rooms in Versailles. Touring the palace felt like roaming around an endless maze with gold, chandeliers, and exquisite art everywhere the eye could see.
Some of the most famous rooms in the palace are the Royal Chapel, the Hall of Mirrors, and the various royal apartments. I particularly loved the Gallery of Battles, a long room with an amazing glass ceiling that featured giant paintings of various battles.
Art was not only framed in the palace either. Intricate, stunning and detailed ceilings were present in nearly every room.
After getting our fill of the elaborate rooms, halls, and chapels of the palace we all headed out to see the famous Gardens of Trianon. While I have had the opportunity to visit many beautiful gardens in my life, from the San Francisco Japanese Gardens to Central Park, nothing has ever impressed me like the gardens of Versailles. Just as within the palace, the natural beauty outside was intricate and sprawling.
For lunch we ate at one of the small sit down restaurants in the gardens. The lines were very long even though we visited on a weekday, but options are limited when visiting the palace. Because there is a timed entry you cannot leave the palace/grounds and re-enter. However, there are several dining options within the palace and a range of dining experiences from casual and affordable to more up scale.
After our lunch we strolled through more of the gardens, enjoying the sunshine, live music, and the fountain shows that periodically popped up. After exploring for about an hour we still had only seen about 1/4 of the gardens! Everything I had read online before visiting Versailles said that this trip is a full day excursion and even then it is impossible to see everything. Although I was a bit sad that we were not able to see where Marie Antoinette had lived, we had to get back to our train and back to Paris for our dinner reservations.
Before we traveled back to our Airbnb we stopped by the Notre Dame cathedral. Even with the construction going on because of the fire in 2019 the building was stunning. Its sheer size and intricate architecture was amazing to see in person. We also stopped outside of the famous Shakespeare and Co. bookstore and cafe which is just across the river from the Notre Dame.
Per the recommendation of my best friend Tasina who attends university in Paris, we made dinner reservations at a restaurant in Montmarte called Le Moulin de la Galette. We sat outside in the garden and enjoyed a delicious meal in the warm evening. I ordered escargot, a favorite delicacy dish of mine, and a wonderful pasta, glass of house red, and the most decadent and delicious chocolate mousse I've ever had.
After dinner we wandered up to Sacré-Cœur, a famous church in Paris with a stunning skyline view of the city. When I was a freshman in high school I actually found a postcard of Sacré-Cœur at a thrift store and was so enchanted with the beautiful spires and romantic steps of the church that I bought it, framed it, and kept it in my room for many years until finally I got to visit it on this trip! It was a very special stop for me because of this.
If you get the chance to visit this area of Paris I highly recommend taking the time to traverse up the stairs of Sacré-Cœur and spend a couple minutes inside the gorgeous cathedral. Stepping inside the dim light of the church and feeling the hush and soft glow of the candles felt like traveling into a world completely removed from the buzz and rush of the city outside. It was very special to spend a couple minutes sitting in the chapel in the quiet reverence. After sitting for a couple minutes we all walked back to the Airbnb, ready for some much needed rest.
Day 3 - The Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower
Our third and final day in Paris was chalk full of the classic tourist sights. We started the day again by grabbing a quick croissant and coffees before taking the metro to see the Arc de Triumph.
The Arc de Triomphe was more impressive than I expected. It was much bigger than I expected and learning about some of the history relating to its creation and significance to the people of France was so interesting. We got tickets to see the city from the top and the view was amazing! From the top I could also look down at the circular road surrounding the Arc, and I have never seen such confusing and chaotic driving. I learned that this is the one place in Pairs where car accidents are not up for debate, insurance companies simply split the cost by half. Apparently the hassle of trying to sort out who was at fault is always too much work!
After taking the underground walkway below the road surrounding the Arc (there are no crosswalks across the street) we walked down the Champs-Élysées. I stopped into the Kith flagship store that I had been looking forward to visiting as I was planning the trip.
Next up was our tour of the Louvre. I was so excited for this part of the trip and have dreamed of visiting the Louvre and its famous artwork for many years. Because I purchased tickets online and in advance we did not have to wait in line for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Similar to Versailles, there is also timed entry to the Louvre so make sure you have it fit into your schedule if you ever plan on going!
There is so much art in the Louvre that if you were to look at each piece of art for 30 seconds it would take 200 days to see everything. The Louvre is also the most visited museum in the world and is the largest museum in the world at 731, 945 square feet with 35,000+ pieces of artwork.
The first piece of art I wanted to see was of course the famous Mona Lisa. This piece is so popular there is a line just to see it, which I waited in for about 20 minutes before I could even get a clear view! While it was worth it to say I have seen it and to get a close up view, I don't think I would do it again.
My favorite piece of art in the Louvre is this sculpture titled Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. The sculpture captures the emergence of Romanticism and is so perfectly emotional, tender, and passionate.
Two of my other favorite pieces were the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory. During our tour of the Louvre we again opted to skip the line and cost for an audio tour and used Rick Steve's tour app. He contrasted the two symbols of the Venus de Milo as one of feminine beauty and love, and the Winged Victory as defiant resilience and strength.
We had a quick lunch at one of the cafes in the Louvre which felt a lot like cafeteria food and was pretty overpriced! If I was to go again I would grab lunch at a cafe outside of the museum before going in. Afterwards we walked through the Tuileries Gardens outside of the museum, another stunningly beautiful and elaborate park that boasted lovely sculptures, fountains, and detailed flower and hedge arrangements.
In the gardens we sat in the shade for a bit before heading to the metro station and to our Airbnb to get ready for dinner.
We had a late evening dinner at Comptoir Principal before walking along the Seine and boarding our river cruise past the Eiffel Tower and under twenty two bridges that traversed across the famous river.
The river cruise was so romantic and memorable. I absolutely loved the glow of the city lights reflecting on the lapping water, the groups of people sitting and drinking along the rivers edge, and watching couples stroll by arm in arm.
As the sun set and the dusky evening faded into inky black sky the lights of the city and the rotating lighthouse beam of light emitted from the Eiffel Tower shone brightly into the night.
As we disembarked from the ship and rode the metro back late in the night I couldn't help but start to daydream about everything I would do next time I visited the beautiful city of Pairs. Certainly I would return to the beautiful Louvre and spend even more time admiring the timeless art, I would spend more time in the shopping district, and make even more of an effort to discover more of the delicious local cuisine.
The next day we were departing for Belgium. I was sad I did not have more time to spend in Pairs, feeling sure I could spend forever discovering gems of the city, but nonetheless excited for what was to come on the next step of our trip!
