Aaaand we’re back! For the beginning of this trip, check out this post.
Wednesday – Day 4
This was the Big Day for me. Though my birthday was Sunday, the #1 thing I was most excited to visit in Paris was the Louvre. I learned about it in Art class in 5th grade and it’s been on my bucket list since then.
We got 9am tickets and showed up right on time. After a quick segue to grab the audioguides (on 3DSs, which was unexpected, but the extra functionality was awesome), we legged it up to the lady herself – Mona Lisa.
I refused to be that person that had a picture taken with her, but look at how short the line was first thing in the morning in the summer during a pandemic!
(Seriously, this trip was unreal because of the timing – I don’t think we’ll ever experience Paris like this again).
We spent 4.5 hours wandering the Louvre and barely hit the essentials. It’s so big and impressive and I’m so lucky that I got a chance to go.
After our required lunch and nap break, we set off to hit another birthday plan – shopping. I had a pair of earrings I wanted to buy myself for my 30th birthday, so we decided to check in the Galeries Lafayette. Fun fact: the department store was invented in Paris, and this one has the most impressive interior I’ve ever seen, beating out the Macy’s in Philadelphia.
We looked around and didn’t see exactly what I was looking for (plus we were a bit intimidated by the attendants), so we grabbed a drink at a café called Choron and then went around the corner to Restaurant Caillebotte.
That was our most enjoyable meal experience during our trip – the waitress was incredibly sweet and found our horrific French adorable (rather than annoying) and the food was out of this world.
Thursday – Day 5
We took it pretty easy on our last full day. First thing, we went back to Galeries Lafayette and the Palais Garnier to pick up a couple souvenirs, then walked down to the Jardin des Tuileries (stopping on the way to grab some macrons!). The plan had been to go to Musée de l’Orangerie (for some more Impressionism), but it was under construction, so the available galleries didn’t seem worth the price point. Instead, we napped and snacked.
Two more things to round out our final day: going up the Eiffel Tower and one more exquisite meal.
The Eiffel Tower trip really emphasized what a special trip we had – instead of the hour-long lines we expected, it took us about 25 minutes to get to the top! So when we had a bunch of extra time before our dinner reservation, we sat on the first floor and had a drink.
The view from the top was incredible. All the sights we’d seen over the past few days were tiny from the height of 300 meters. Even Montmartre blended into the rest of the city! The view from the second floor was more realistic and it was easier to pick out sights. But even 131 years after its completion, it’s an architectural marvel and I wasn’t expecting to find the metal so pretty.
After hanging out on the Eiffel Tower, we walked over to Les Antiquares for our final dinner in Paris. It was Zack’s first experience with escargot. Since he doesn’t like oysters, he didn’t expect to like them, but they were (1) not briney; (2) cooked; and (3) soaked in a garlic butter sauce, so they were a hit! I loved that they came with special tongs to hold them as you eat. Very unnecessary, but very fun.
Summary
Our 5 days in Paris weren’t as action-packed as they could have been, but that gave us the opportunity to do a bit of wandering and really get a feel for the city. I really enjoyed Paris – to visit. It’s basically a European New York City, and I already have a running list of places for our next trip!
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