Paris is my favorite city in the world. I first visited Paris when I was 13 and since that day I have been in love. I have always been captivated by the spirit of freedom amongst the people. They dress the way they want, love the way they want, and could care less about the opinions of other people or cultures. Since that trip I have visited Paris four times and every time is like the first time. Last July, I had a conference in London and decided to stop by Paris for a few days before the conference. My best friend, Sheridan joined me and we had a blast. This was her first time visiting the city and she fell in love too. July is primetime for travel in Europe since it is the “Holiday” (vacation) season for most Europeans and peak travel time for most people in the world. Because of this Airbnb’s were also pricier than normal. However, we found a cute studio in the Montmartre neighborhood, right up the hill from the famous Moulin Rouge and the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur. Montmartre is in the 18th arrondissement and a 10 minute train ride to the Louvre. The Airbnb was a five minute walk from the Abbesses metro station.
The first stop was the Louvre. The Louvre is where the Mona Lisa is housed but it’s also a massive art museum which houses a million different things. No matter how many times I go, there is always something new to see. After that we headed to the Eiffel Tower where I forced Sheridan to walk up the stairs instead of taking the Elevator (the lines were ridiculously long). But we made it to the top and she loved it. It is the best view of the city. We had lunch at this small, cute, Italian restaurant named Di Felice and the lasagna was delicious. Later on in the day we headed to a wine tasting at O’ Chateau which was booked through Airbnb (check out my post Traveling On A Graduate Student Stipend to learn more about Airbnb experiences) where we enjoyed several different french wines. After that we headed to Rue De Rivoli for some light shopping. Rue de Rivoli is a famous street in Paris known its high end fashion boutiques and stores.
The next day we went on a guided bike tour through the city which was also booked through Airbnb.We had a blast! Instead of stopping by all the known hot spots in the city. This tour went to all the hidden gems in Paris including the only church that survived the French Revolution. Later on in the day went to the Notre Dame Cathedral and it is a good thing we did because it caught on fire a few months ago destroying some of the original architecture 😦 . The next morning we took the train to Versailles and it was just like I remembered it….gorgeous.
I love Paris and while there I had my fair share of macaroons and escargot (snails). If you have not been….you are missing out. We only spent four full days in Paris before heading to London.
From Aeriel, With Love
Aeriel Views 