Paris, Le Premier Jour
Tuesday May 2, 2017
My first full day in Paris was extremely busy. I covered all the famous landmarks; I've been here before in 2001 - so long ago that they didn't even have the Euro - I wanted a quick revisit without spending too much time at one spot.
The city is incredibly pretty. I love the little bridges over the Seine. The flowers are out in bloom and there aren't too many people. However, the line to get into Notre Dame was ridiculously long; I totally cut the queue like a smooth operator. Admission is free though, so I don't think people would have minded that much. I remember the magnificent stained glass window shaped like a rose, and to this day remains as memorable as it was 16 years ago.
From Notre Dame, I walked to the Louvre and its famous glass pyramid. As it was a public holiday, the museum was closed but having been inside already (and it was free for me back then), I didn't feel like I had to go again. Besides, everyone always complains about the horde of people surrounding the Mona Lisa trying to take photos, and you're so far away that it's like looking at a postage stamp.
I continued down past Le Jardin les Tuileries and Place de la Concorde, and onto the Champs Élysées. I found the memorial site of the recently slain officer, covered in French flags and flowers. Further down, there was Laduree, a famous patisserie with a massive line to get in that extended outside. Finally, I made it to the Arc de Triomphe, with the largest French flag billowing in the wind under the arch.
From there, I walked towards the aquarium and the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world, and with recent security concerns, it has been completely fenced off with checkpoints and military presence. Thankfully it was relatively quick to get through on the north side, but the lines to buy tickets were way too long, so I left and walked down the Champ de Mars.
I took the metro up to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. I remember sitting on the stairs there, overlooking the magnificent views of the city. In the distance I could make out the George Pompidou Center. I continued down from the stairs into the red light district - Moulin Rouge!
I often walk around with headphones on, mostly so people don't try to talk to me when I'm on the street. That didn't stop several people chasing after me and trying to offer me free tickets to the various strip shows or whatever around the place. One even tried to talk to me in Chinese. I was not interested. I had places to go and things to eat!
I went back to the Champs Élysées and waited in line to get into Laduree. There is definitely an air of elegance and poshness, and the desserts are presented immaculately. I got three macarons and the classic mille-feuille. Yum!
I had a quick dinner before returning to the Eiffel Tower. The lines were so short now, it took me a few minutes to get a ticket to the second floor - via the stairs, of course. I love the view from there, and as the sun set, the red glow of the sky peeked out from behind the dark grey clouds and the lights of the city started to flicker on. I went to the top as well, for an extra €6 but it was a bit too crowded for my liking. At 9.45pm I made my way back to ground floor and down the Champ de Mars to watch the famous Eiffel Tower light show.
What a day. Paris, je t'aime!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:18am on Tuesday May 2, 2017 :: 0 comments :: 