I must admit that my life is surreal right now. Returning to the land of 40+ hour workweeks, bills, and commitments is going to be a shock to my system. Don’t get me wrong, I do have responsibilities here, but they are much more flexible and accommodating than anything I’ve ever experienced in the States. It is possible to be outrageously spontaneous here and I love that.
On a Saturday evening my friend Dee called and said, “I’m going to Paris. Want to join me?” I’m not one to turn down an opportunity, especially one that comes knocking on my door. “Um, Yeah…love to go…when?” MONDAY!
In a whirlwind of activity, I cleared the trip with PC, reserved my flight, notified my friends and co-workers in town, and bought a bus ticket (the fateful journey that you just read about). In less than 48 hours from receiving her call, I was on a red-eye bound for Paris.
Little did I know that this last-minute excursion would turn into an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime exploration of Paris. Through a more common than you would believe turn of events, we stayed for free in the heart of Paris (Left Bank; 2 blocks off the Seine) with a woman Dee had briefly met in Ethiopia. There is a tight-knit bond that quickly forms between those of us who live abroad. Alison was happy to share her home and Dee and I were more than willing to accept her offer.
Alison, an American woman, has been living and working in Paris for the past 11 years. Not only is she fluent in French and knowledgeable about the city, but she is currently unemployed and was more than willing to show us around. For 9 days we explored and experienced Paris to our hearts’ content. We hosted 3 dinner parties with Alison’s mix of ex-pat and Parisian friends, spent a day driving through the Champagne region, feasted on French cheeses and pastries, watched the sun set over the Seine from the pedestrian bridge, explored Versailles, napped and read in Luxemburg Gardens, visited countless museums and even toured the Sewers of Paris. We left no site unseen…those above and below ground!
The highlight of our trip is the manner in which we explored Paris. I never envisioned biking the streets of Paris, but that is the BEST way to go. Alison just happened to have 3 bikes and we put them to good use. Our inaugural ride was done in style. Every Friday evening during the summer months, the city organizes a public ride through Paris. All three of us intended to go, but at the last minute Alison was unable to join us. She got Dee and I headed in the right direction for the rendezvous point and off we went. From 10pm to midnight, we and about 400 other people biked the streets of Paris. It was an amazing and beautiful way to experience the City of Lights.
On a Saturday evening my friend Dee called and said, “I’m going to Paris. Want to join me?” I’m not one to turn down an opportunity, especially one that comes knocking on my door. “Um, Yeah…love to go…when?” MONDAY!
In a whirlwind of activity, I cleared the trip with PC, reserved my flight, notified my friends and co-workers in town, and bought a bus ticket (the fateful journey that you just read about). In less than 48 hours from receiving her call, I was on a red-eye bound for Paris.
Little did I know that this last-minute excursion would turn into an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime exploration of Paris. Through a more common than you would believe turn of events, we stayed for free in the heart of Paris (Left Bank; 2 blocks off the Seine) with a woman Dee had briefly met in Ethiopia. There is a tight-knit bond that quickly forms between those of us who live abroad. Alison was happy to share her home and Dee and I were more than willing to accept her offer.
Alison, an American woman, has been living and working in Paris for the past 11 years. Not only is she fluent in French and knowledgeable about the city, but she is currently unemployed and was more than willing to show us around. For 9 days we explored and experienced Paris to our hearts’ content. We hosted 3 dinner parties with Alison’s mix of ex-pat and Parisian friends, spent a day driving through the Champagne region, feasted on French cheeses and pastries, watched the sun set over the Seine from the pedestrian bridge, explored Versailles, napped and read in Luxemburg Gardens, visited countless museums and even toured the Sewers of Paris. We left no site unseen…those above and below ground!
The highlight of our trip is the manner in which we explored Paris. I never envisioned biking the streets of Paris, but that is the BEST way to go. Alison just happened to have 3 bikes and we put them to good use. Our inaugural ride was done in style. Every Friday evening during the summer months, the city organizes a public ride through Paris. All three of us intended to go, but at the last minute Alison was unable to join us. She got Dee and I headed in the right direction for the rendezvous point and off we went. From 10pm to midnight, we and about 400 other people biked the streets of Paris. It was an amazing and beautiful way to experience the City of Lights.
Luxemburg Palace and Gardens
Being able to be in a public space filled with tall trees, beautiful flowers, and a perfectly manicured lawn was so refreshing. I literally could have lounged here all day!
You can’t tour the Champagne region without stopping to visit a champagnery. We wound up at GH Mumm & Co. and sampled a bit of bubbly.
Alison’s home turned out to be a charming one-room (plus galley kitchen and bathroom) apartment with a fabulous private courtyard.
Our evening bike ride was so much fun. I had picked up 3 French words in the two days we had been in town: please, thank you, and “to the left.” I never dreamed “to the left” would be so helpful, but it sure came in handy on our ride!
Versailles is impressive and completely OVERWHELMING.
Monet’s Les Nympheas exhibit at the Musee de l’Orangerie is a must see. Brilliantly displayed, it is a magnificent masterpiece that can and should be appreciated by everyone.
I had never heard of St. Chapelle, but I shall never forget it. I have never seen such a display of stained glass windows as I have here.
A trip to Paris wouldn’t be complete without a few shots of the Eiffel Tower.
I’m not one for endorsements, but if you’re going to visit Paris the museum pass if something you have to know about. You can purchase a 2, 4 or 6 day pass and it enables you to cut ticket lines at almost all of the major sites and museums in and around Paris. Plus, if you’re industrious and organized you can see a lot and save money. It’s definitely the way to go!
The Arc de Triomphe affords a fabulous bird’s eye view of Paris.
It was hot, we were museum’d out, and the thought of being someplace cool was inviting…so we toured the sewers of Paris. What we didn’t factor in was the strong, inescapable odor!
