Weekending in the City of Love

From standing under the sparkling Eiffel Tower at midnight to devouring delicious macaroons at Ladurée, this past weekend in Paris was a dream. The city was everything I thought it would be and more.

Friday

We were off to an early start Friday morning with a 9:31 departure time at London St. Pancras International Train Station. We took the Eurostar from London to Paris. The train was extremely nice which made for a fun and easy morning of travel. Arriving in France was definitely a culture shock. Figuring out which train line to take to our hostel and dealing with weekend transportation passes was not the ideal way to start off our trip, but we figured it out and were on our way.

We stayed at Les Piaules – Nation. The hostel had gorgeous views of the Eiffel Tower and even Disney Paris in the distance. We paid for a 4-bed single to ensure that we wouldn’t have to stay with random people, which worked out perfectly. We had double doors that opened to a roundabout view and comfortable bunks with privacy curtains. The only downfall was the location. We were too far out to walk to the touristy spots, but there was a Metro station right outside the front door that took us wherever we needed to go. I would give the hostel a 10/10 and recommend it to anyone that is looking for an affordable stay!

Excited to explore the city and starved from our morning travels, we walked around our area and found a corner restaurant for a late lunch. We ate at Le Terminus Nation. The service was excellent and the food was amazing. The four of us shared a bottle of wine and attempted to soak in the reality that we were in Paris.

Our hostel gave us a recommendation for a sunset view of the city, so we walked to Belvédère de Belleville after eating to catch the 6pm sunset. Walking up to the lookout point was my first view of the Eiffel Tower. I was in awe of its size and structure. The pink and purple skies settling over the tower was the perfect way to kick off our first night in Paris. Across the street was Le hangar à bateaux, a bar that we grabbed a drink at to wait for dusk to set. At the top of the first hour of darkness, we watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle for our first time.

After admiring the views, we hopped on a bus back to our hostel. Public transportation is Paris is not nearly as organized as it is London. It’s quite overwhelming to be honest. After standing at armpit level, smushed between bodies, we got off and were back at our hostel after what felt like hours of travel.

The sixth floor of the hostel was a rooftop restaurant/bar with stunning views of the city at night. We drank wine, ate pizza and reminisced on our time aboard thus far. We had so much fun this night, but headed to bed at a decent hour to make sure we were able to get a head start on our first full day in Paris the next morning.

Saturday

Saturday was a dream; it was my favorite day by far.

We started off the morning with on-the-go croissants from a cute street café next to our hostel. We spent the next two hours walking around the Eiffel Tower, taking pictures and admiring the park that surrounded it. Already hungry, we grabbed crepe sandwiches from a street vendor. I ate an unreal ham and cheese crepe. C’était délicieux.

Next Stop: Arc de Triomphe. The Monument was gorgeous with intricate detailing that blew me away. The arc opened up to the Champs-Élysées, the 5th Avenue of Paris. The stores on the Champs-Élysées were stunning. We wet into the Christian Dior store and walked around all three stories, window shopping like we owned the place. The collections were elegant and the prints vibrant.

Just a few blocks down was Ladurée, an upscale French bakery with world-known macaroons. The restaurant/bakery was brilliant. Sculpted gold trim and royal green walls with stunning gold accents. The macaroons didn’t disappoint – the best macaroons I’ve ever had. Smooth, rich tastes with delicate flavors.

We later explored the Louvre. The area was crowded, so we didn’t stay long, but I did manage to touch the top of the pyramid. What can I say, I’m a tourist.

From the Louvre, we walked to Café de Flore, a charming, well-known French café. By well known I mean a lot of famous people go there and it was featured in Gossip Girl… On the way to the café we walked through quaint streets filled with cafés and thrift shops. I loved this area.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris was up next. It was sad to see the construction and ruin from the fire, but the front stood tall with gorgeous architecture. Right around the corner was Le Flore en l’Île, a French eatery with killer gelato. I stuck with my go-to, chocolate, and it did not disappoint.

With rain starting soon, we stopped in Little Café for a quick drink around the corner. We only stayed for one drink before heading back towards our hostel for dinner. We ate at La Mère Pouchet. I wasn’t starved, so I ordered French onion soup. To be honest, I don’t really like French onion soup, but when in France!

There was only one way to end our first full day in Paris… to stand under the sparking Eiffel Tower at Midnight. This was a highlight of my trip. I facetimed some loved ones to share my experience and stared in awe at the fact that this is my life right now. A memory I will never forget.

Sunday

We started Sunday with street side brunch in Montmartre at Le Studio Café. Our table had the perfect view of Sacré-Cœur, which we later explored. The views from Sacré-Cœur were unreal. The area around it was neat as well. Not too far away was Place du Tertre, which is famously known for artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso painting there in their early days. An incredible area to walk around in.

From Montmartre, we headed to Musée Yves Saint Laurent. The YSL exhibit was another highlight of my trip. The exhibit featured original sketches from Yves Saint Laurent as well as his sketch collection from his farewell show. His sketches had movement, he was the epitome of a couture designer. I left with a new appreciation for the YSL fashion house.

We spent the remainder of our Sunday walking around, exploring the different streets and cafés Paris had to offer. Each turn offered something new, it’s a gorgeous city.

To end our last night in Paris on a high note, we did a Seine river boat tour of the city at sunset. Most of the tour was in French so we didn’t learn as much as we anticipated, but the views made up for it. The tour ended right around 8pm, and at the top of the hour we watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the river one last time.

Paris was a dream. I had the best weekend and would do it all over again if I could.

Unité la prochaine fois, Paris.