Bienvenue á Paris

*blows dust* Hello there! Did you miss me? 

Well, I have been very active on Theatre Scribbles, but the fact I haven't really touched this since my Contiki trip... Well, there WAS a pandemic in the gap at least...! 

Luckily for the lot of you, I have brought the OG out of the closet. And I hope to be doing so a few times this year... 

But enough of the teasing. Let's get to the main event - I have FINALLY been to Paris. 

In case you are scratching your heads by the FINALLY, yes, I am ashamed to admit it, even though I lived in France for a good 9 months, I didn't take the opportunity to visit Paris.. whoops. It's all good though, don't worry. 

I spent 4 nights there, and packed a lot in, so do not fret. 

Allons-y!

The view from the Basilique Sacré Cœur

Getting there and getting around: Wanting to do the greener option, we (being my parents and I) agreed to do the Eurostar rather than fly. In fact, did you know you would have to do 13 trips on the Eurostar to produce the same amount of emissions that 1 flight produces?

I had to work on the Thursday, then it was grab the suitcases, taxi to Bolton station and then the train to Manchester Piccadilly then London Euston. I had reserved an Air Bnb for the three of us to stay in London (as we were getting there 9/10pm); and then on the Friday morning, it was time to board the Eurostar from St Pancras. 

I did not expect the Eurostar, from London to Paris, to be a shorter journey than Manchester to London! AND they feed you! 

When we arrived in Paris, the next step was to get the Paris Visite. These are perfect for tourists hoping to be in the city for a few days. You can get them either for the central zone, or to also include the baniliuex (or suburbs), and for either 1, 3 or 5 days. They cover all the metro and bus services across Paris, so are definitely worth it. 

If you're familiar with the Tube in London, the Métro is pretty much the same; hot, sweaty, smells of BO, but gets you from A to B. Just outside the apartment was the 39 bus as well, which terminates at Gare du Nord, which is where you get the Eurostar from in Paris. 

Accommodation: We were very lucky in this regard. In fact it was the reason we went in the first place: my brother's lovely girlfriend's family owns a flat in the 15me arrondissement (as you do), and offered us a chance to stay there! The reaction was a resounding YES! (Even though at one point the sofa bed tried to eat me...)

Therefore in this regard, I cannot really comment on accommodation prices, but I would, if I were travelling solo and didn't have this option, go for a hostel or Air Bnb to help keep costs down. 

Sights: Obviously, there is SO much to do in Paris. You can spend months or years here and still find new things to do. It's the same as going to London - I manage to do something different almost every time I go. 

Definitely do your research before you go, and check which areas you want to visit. My parents had the pocket Lonely Planet guide, which was very useful, and had walking routes which skipped most of the touristy paths while still catching the big sights. 

Before we left, my Dad purchased Museum Passes, which can last for 2, 4 or 6 days. This covers most museums in Paris, but not all, so do check beforehand. 

Friday night, after settling in, was a walk to the Eiffel Tower, about 30 minutes from the flat. You can go up it, but be prepared to queue and hope you're not scared of heights. We, as you may have guessed decided against that. 

The Arc de Triomphe is the same; very imposing, and best caught through the other side of the Champs Elysée for a photo. If you get line 6 on the Métro from there, you will get to see it go above ground, including BOOM (!) going past the Eiffel Tower and across the Seine. 

Speaking of imposing sights, even though you cannot go in following the 2019 fire, Notre Dame is still worth a pilgrimage to. They have an exhibition outside updating people on the restorations to the cathedral, and the team hoping to achieve the massive challenge of being ready to open next year, as per the target set by the French government. 

Just up the street from Notre Dame, is the Concierge; what was the old palace, turned into a prison, which held many of the prisoners of the French Revolution - including Marie Antoinette. The main hall after the entrance claims to be the biggest hall in Europe, and holds different exhibitions - just my luck that the one when I went was the history of growing food and the restaurant business in France (cannot get away from hospitality can I?). But going up the stairs is where you really get to hear about the prison itself, and what it was really like being a prisoner there. 

If you are an arts fan, like myself, Montmatre is a must. We used the Lonely Planet as a guide in this case and did an edited version of their walking tour which did a good 2 hours ish. I'd get the 74 bus, or the Métro to Blanche, which will drop you off right in front of the Moulin Rouge. 

Walk up the hill a bit until you get to the Café des Deux Moulins, also known as Amélie's café. We couldn't resist "taking teaspoons to crack crème brulée", especially as it was the best crème brulée I had ever had! As you explore the hills and cobbles, you can walk past the house where Van Gogh lived, Place du Tetre where all the artists are, and then to Basilique Sacré Cœur. You are not allowed to take photos inside, but it is definitely worth popping in especially as Notre Dame is not allowing visitors. The pride and joy of the church is the STUNNING mosaic of Christ's arms outstretched. It is definitely worth sitting in the pews for some quiet reflection and to take everything in. 

For fans of theatre of any kind, I would absolutely recommend the Palais Garnier. The only major downside is that it is not included in the Museum Pass; it is 14 euros for a ticket, plus an extra 6 for an audio visual guide. However, it is worth it, I believe, especially for a theatre nerd like me, to know all about the staircase (not singing Masquerade was difficult), the fanciest room you will ever get an interval ice cream; and of course the auditorium itself with THE chandelier, and Box No.5, said to be where the Phantom lurks. Yes, THIS is the opera house which inspired Gaston Leroux to write Fantôme de l'Opėra! 

Two of my favourite rooms in the theatre though are either side of the Grand Foyer: la Salle du Soleil, and la Salle de la Lune (or the rooms of the Sun, and of the Moon); absolutely stunning, adorned with either a pair of salamanders, or bats & owls in the centre. It's the most stunning theatre you will likely ever see. 

Finally, a visit to the Louvre is of course a must. But you HAVE to pre-book a time slot before you go due to it being such a big attraction. Now, you can spend the whole day there. It is over 4 floors after all; but my advice would be to focus on the art that interests you. 

For me, the Greek sculptures (as a fan of all the myths) was what I wanted to see (also included would have been the Ancient Egypt collection if I hadn't already seen the Turin collection, the largest outside Cairo). 

There is of course the Mona Lisa; smaller than you would expect it, and a bit of a palaver to see - it was in my case anyway, I had a couple in front of me trying to get every kind of selfie out there with it in the background. But the other painting I really wanted to see (and was very happy I did), was Eugėne Delacroix' Liberty Leading the People. 

For the final full day, I had different plans from my parents. While they went at their own pace, I went to Disneyland Paris! I have done a separate piece on this one though, felt it definitely merited it.

Cuisine: Being in Paris, we tried to keep everything we ate as français as possible - that was hard walking around the Japanese quarter where there are ramen places EVERYWHERE! Paris is known to not be the cheapest city if you intend to eat out a lot. We ended up eating out at a restaurant only once, on our first night - and it was a BEAUTIFUL one. 

Le P'tit Trouquet is on Rue de l'Exposition, about a 5 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower and served us the most stunning meal. The staff were incredibly friendly, made us feel welcome, and were very patient with my rusty French coming back (side note: thank GOD it did mostly come back, just like riding a bike). 

We all had a salad for starter, and what can only be described as apricot heaven for dessert - but while I had duck for main, my parents really decided to push the boat out and went for the scorpionfish dish (on the right). Yes I tried a bit, and it was extremely nice. 

More than anything else, Paris is littered with cafés, and it was them more than anything else that we visited. Especially with how hot it was (32 degrees on the Sunday!), there were frequent stops for Orangina, apricot juice and ice creams. 

Yes it's not quite Italian gelato, but the ice cream in Montmatre in particular was utterly delicious! This one on the left was pear on one side, and raspberry on the other - yum! 

We were also really lucky to have a market open a couple of days a week, down the road from us in Convention; and a street full of local shops even closer than that - just a 2 minute walk from the apartment! Boulangerie, fromagerie, charcuterie; all the independent local shops you would need that makes it feel properly continental. Such a shame you no longer see this in the UK 😿

While we were only there a few days and we couldn't go crazy buying loads of stuff we wouldn't be able to take home, we all wanted 1 night away from eating out, and getting in classic French foods in for a home supper: baguette, a selection of cheeses, figs, apricots, cherries and patisserie. And of course, washed down a lovely bottle of Canopée, a beautiful vegan red made without sulphates! 

Final thoughts: Paris is definitely a city everyone should visit, but here are my top tips for making the most of it. 

1. Do your research. The Lonely Planet pocket guide was a big help, plotting the book into sections depending on area and interest. Be aware you can't fit everything, but select the most "important" things for you to see depending on what your interests are and go from there. The good news is that there is something for everyone. 
2. Think comfy over uber chic. Yes it's Paris, but comfort is still key. Flat shoes are a must - I think I did around 80,000 steps over the whole time I was there. And don't forget blister plasters in case any pesky so-and-sos show up. I also have this stick from Compeed and the foot rescue from Body Shop which are brilliant for tired feet. 
3. Have plenty of liquid with you. A water bottle is a must - preferably a larger metal one so it can keep it cold. I was lucky I could also chuck ice cubes in mine. If you have a spare bottle of ice tea or similar, even better. 
4. Don't forget the sun cream. Like I said it was 32 degrees one day, but I got burnt the day AFTER, at Disneyland, when it was 10 degrees cooler! 
5. Appreciate the sights, and take your time. If you need a break, you take a break! You deserve that Orangina!