Paris, France
September 2021
~ Click any image in the galleries to enlarge and browse ~
Yay, we finally made it to Paris! My husband kept saying that he's already been to Paris, both on business and before that with his family while growing up in Britain, so we always found other European destinations. But wow, what a beautiful, vibrant city with so much to see!
And Paris is such a great walking city. Our apartment was very centrally located, only a few blocks from the River Seine. For fun, I included my timeline map just so you can see our meandering through the city streets, where according to Google we walked a total of 35 miles in the 5 days we were there, up to ten miles in a day.
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Our Paris Apartment
For our five days in Paris, we found a cozy apartment on the left bank that was walking distance to most of the places we wanted to visit. We stayed on the fifth floor, and I happen to know it was 108 steps up since there was no elevator! We got nice views of the city including a view of the Notre Dame Cathedral from our bedroom window, plus we were above a bakery so it smelled wonderful each morning. Our host had put out some fresh fruit and nuts along with a nut cracker for us to enjoy, and supplied us with fresh cream, butter, biscuits and coffee. Maybe this is the Parisienne way!
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Walking along the River Seine
I love cities with canals or rivers meandering through them. The first thing we did after settling into our apartment in Paris was to put on our walking shoes and head toward the river. There was a really enjoyable pedestrian walkway running along both sides, and whatever our destination, we always tried to get there via the river path!
The walkway was lined with booksellers, artists, and stands selling jewelry and delicious baked goods. The independent book vendors were all selling old/used books and magazines from green metal boxes. I later found out that these vendors have a special name in Paris, and are called bouquinistes!
A series of beautiful and historic bridges connect the Left and Right banks, I captured a few on the photos below. Pont Neuf is the one that connects with Ile de la Cité, and is the oldest bridge crossing the Seine. Pont Alexandre III is definitely the most recognizable and extravagant bridge, famous for its gilded sculptures.
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Île de la Cité
Île de la Cité is one of two natural islands on the River Seine. This "City Island" is the heart of Paris and is where the city was founded. As well as famous historic buildings, Île de la Cité has beautiful streets, squares and markets. We of course visited the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, and walked through Place Louis-Lepine, which is a large square with a famous flower market as well as live birds and other pets for sale.
We followed Rick Steves' recommendation, and selected the famous Rue Cler as the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine and some Parisian food. His description says it all - "In all of Paris, my favorite street is Rue Cler.... Lined with shops that spill out into the street, it's a slice of village life in this giant city."
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The Latin Quarter - "Where Medieval Meets Modern"
The Latin Quarter is situated on the left bank of the Seine and is the second oldest district in Paris after Ile de la Cité. It reminds us of what the medieval city of Paris looked like. We enjoyed the narrow, winding, cobblestone streets with all the picturesque shops, pubs and cafes as well as famous churches and buildings. The Panthéon sits on top of the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, which is a hill on the edge of the Latin Quarter. Check the photo captions for details!
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Champs-Élysées
As you probably know, the Champs-Élysées is a long, wide avenue connecting the Place de la Concorde with the Arc de Triomphe. It's probably one of the world's most famous commercial streets! We had a nice lunch at a table right at the edge of the street, overlooking all the hustle and bustle of tourists.
Near Place de la Concorde, walking towards the Seine, we stopped at the Petit Palais which now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. I am typically not a museum person, but I really enjoyed the art, paintings and history. I of course picked one of the few modern pieces of art to display in my gallery below!
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The Louvres and the Tuileries Garden
The Louvre is the largest museum in the world, and also the most visited. Definitely a travel destination for most. But we were reluctant to spend our valuable time waiting in lines. We were there in September 2021, when Covid seemed to be on its way out, schools were re-opening, the travel ban was lifted, and the Delta variant was just in the beginning stages. End result, we were able to book the Louvre for the very next day and NO lines anywhere! Well, except for the line to see the Mona Lisa!
The large pyramid in the main courtyard serves as the main entrance, and I was impressed by the size of it. But the inside of the Louvre is like nothing you have ever seen before. I admit I don't get excited walking through a room full of statues, but the Louvre is massive and so much more than even the art inside it, with magnificent ceilings, grandiose rooms and fascinating displays of history. Really, did I just say that?
When our (my) feet could no longer take another step, we found a bench in the Tuileries Garden located just outside the Louvre, an enjoyable area to walk and enjoy the sunshine...and the hedge maze.
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Montmartre
We opted out of taking the funicular, and instead walked hundreds of steps (yes, I counted them) up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. This is one of the highest points in the city, and has quite an impressive view of Paris!
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Luxembourg Gardens
The Luxembourg Garden is a beautiful park surrounding the Luxembourg Palace, and is located near the Latin quarter on the left bank. Lot's of green grass, groups of college students socializing, families picnicking, and perfect for a relaxing stroll.
We did not expect to see a replica of the Statue of Liberty! Apparently for the 1900 World Exposition, the original sculptor Bartholdi crafted a 1/16 scale bronze version, which then stood in the Luxembourg Garden for over a century. In 2011, vandals broke into the park and stole her gilded torch, after which the statue was replaced with this bronze replica.
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Eiffel Tower
We decided to see the Eiffel Tower during the late afternoon so that we could also enjoy the light show after sunset. It was disappointing that we could not walk up the tower due to some ongoing construction. But the long grassy area in front of the tower was a very festive place to hang out waiting for the dark. Families having picnics, vendors walking around selling beer and souvenirs, and some guys making a little extra money by showing off some impressive flips and contortions!
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Château de Vincennes
The Château de Vincennes is a former fortress and royal residence next to the town of Vincennes, on the eastern edge of Paris, about a 30 minute ride on the metro. We were leaving later that day for Italy, and had just enough time for one more excursion! This is a true medieval fortress complete with a keep, towers and a moat, all very well preserved. We had lots of fun climbing the turrets and meandering the grounds.
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I hope you enjoyed sharing our visit to Paris, and to find out how much you can see and do in only five days!
And sometimes we just experienced Paris by sitting at an outdoor café watching people and listening to street musicians.
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Thanks for visiting!
