My friend Manny called me up about three weeks ago to tell me that he had an extra ticket to Paris and asking me to come along with him. I used to live in Paris, and I’m a French teacher that travels with students a lot, so the prospect of a weekend in Paris without kids was exciting, but I didn’t accept right away because taking three days off of work seemed like it would be a challenge because of all the lesson plans I would have to create. However, when I talked to my friends and colleagues about it they told me I would be crazy to not go, and so I accepted. The plan was for us to leave January 30 and return February 3, flying out of Detroit with a layover in Iceland before arriving in Paris. On Wednesday there ended up being no school because of the severe cold, and we drove three hours north to Detroit. We arrived early and after walking to the gate decided to grab a drink and dinner. When it was about time to board we returned to the gate only to find out that there was a burst pipe because of the cold and the gate was closed. Most of the planes in that terminal were left vying for one of the few gates that weren’t flooded, causing some delays. The end result was when we arrived in Iceland at 7am we had missed our flight to Paris by an hour, and there was only one flight a day to Paris. Luckily, Wow put us in a hotel for the day, but that meant one of our three days in Paris was now going to be spent in Iceland instead. Not ideal for me considering how pumped I was for Paris, but not a awful day either. After taking a quick nap we decided to take an hour bus ride into Reykjavik. Although it was snowy and cold it was warmer there than in Columbus.
First stop: lunch, where we shared some yummy fish and chips, after walking around (or in my case slipped and fell around- 4 times!) the capital taking in the sights.
One of my favorite places we saw was the Harpa concert hall and conference center; the first concert was held there in 2011. I love the colored glass façade overlooking the water.
Our next stop was Hallgrimskirkja church, built from 1937-1940, it is the tallest church in Iceland, and also one of the tallest structures in the country.
It was fun walking around the city, which quickly changes from shops and businesses to residential areas with single family homes.
The next building called Safnahúsið, formerly Þjóðmenningarhúsið (yes I had to look that up), is a part of the National Museum of Iceland.
Our last stop before heading back to the hotel was the Apotek restaurant, where we had amazing meal of shared plates, with calamari, french fries (oh my gosh they were good!), “cauliflower two ways” (Baked cauliflower, pine nut and cauliflower purée, kale and pumpkin seeds), ” Icelandic landscape” (lamb tartar, pickled red onions, smoked cream cheese, dill oil, vinegar snow) and “sea trout on a himalayan salt block” (Slow cooked Icelandic sea trout, yuzu mayo, truffle mayo, crunchy quinoa, apple). Oh my gosh it was delicious! But that amazing meal made us miss the last bus back to the hotel (located by the airport in Keflavik- which is about an hour away, and getting to and from there is not the easiest. 
We made a valiant effort getting to the bus, sprinting through the streets, but once we realized the bus had come and gone we had to figure out a way to get back. Luckily, a nice concierge in a nearby hotel hopped on the computer and booked us a way back, by way of mini-bus, to larger bus which took us to the airport where we had to take a taxi. So if you are traveling to Iceland, figure out transportation to and from the airport before you try to leave the airport- taxi’s are not cheap and there is no Uber.
This was not my first time in Iceland, so when you come make sure you go on a tour of the Golden Circle, and do a Northern Lights tour if you there in the winter months. There are lots of adventurous things to do, and I recommend it, but it is a not an inexpensive country.
The next morning we were up bright and early at 3am to get a bus to the airport to make our 6am flight to Paris. After a 3.5 hour flight we arrived in my favorite city in the world! I couldn’t stop smiling ear to ear. We took the RER B (the subway that goes out to the suburbs of Paris), and then the metro line 6 to our hotel, the Ibis Hotel Eiffel Tower (A on the map). The whole trip from the airport to the center of Paris is only 10 euro per person, which is much cheaper than any alternative, and I think the subway in Paris is the easiest out of any I have used in the world. When I travel I usually stay in AirBnB’s but this hotel was pretty nice. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful (we didn’t check in on the date we were supposed to because of our delay in Iceland, so our room was given away, but they fixed the problem for us), they had a nice bar on-site, and the location couldn’t be beat, the hotel was just steps from the métro so we didn’t have to drag our luggage all over Paris. We checked in, dropped off our things and quickly took off, stopping at a boulangerie with a line of locals queuing outside the door (if they were lined up, it had to be good right?), before I led Manny to the Champs de Mars (B on the map), the long public park that leads to the Eiffel Tower. I was pretty pleased with my route, because we were so close to the Tower that we couldn’t see it over the buildings, we turned a corner, and there it was! Manny’s first viewing ever of the amazing Eiffel Tower- I was pretty proud of myself.
So there, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, we had our first meal in Paris. People always ask me what I love to eat in Paris, or where to eat, and here is my answer: at a boulangerie! That’s right folks- hit up any bakery and get a sandwich, which comes on a baguette (with any variety of meat you can think of, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and mayo, or ‘un sandwich crudité’ which is veggies and probably hard-boiled egg- yum my stomach is growling just thinking of it). We actually got panini’s (grilled, pressed sandwiches), mine with three cheeses, and it was délicieux! We also got a chocolate éclair and my favorite- Orangina (think pulpy orange juice mixed with carbonated orange soda). And with the Eiffel Tower in our sights, it was a picnic worthy of King Louis himself.
Facing the Eiffel Tower at the end of the Champs de Mars is the Hôtel des Invalides (a military hospital in 1670 turned military museum- a very interesting museum and recommended by me) and also the Wall for Peace
After our delicious and super-satisfying lunch we walked towards the Eiffel Tower (C on the map) to see if we could climb it. When I was here last spring break with my students we couldn’t go up the Tower- it was too busy and it is recommended to get tickets in advance. There has also recently been added a glass wall surrounding the Eiffel Tower, and you have to go through security just to walk around the grounds underneath the tower. We went through the x-ray machines and walked straight up to the ticket counter- there was NO wait for those who wanted to climb the stairs to the second floor (the third floor wasn’t open the day we were there, and is only accessible by elevator). There was a line for those taking the elevator, but it was the shortest I’ve ever seen- I knew then that late January is THE time to travel to Paris because this was the fewest amount of tourists I’ve ever seen.
I personally love walking up the Eiffel Tower, and it’s not as tough as you’d think- there are only 669 steps to the second floor, you get a workout and fun views as you climb, and I always think the elevator feels weird going up at an angle. And don’t be scared, look at how enclosed the stairways are, you can’t just accidentally fall off the Tower.
I may like the first floor best because you get the amazing views without everything seeming too small to appreciate. You can walk around the whole first floor to take in all of Paris. This is also the level where there is a restaurant, a café, a short film about the building of the tower, a gift shop, toilets and during some winters- an ice rink! When I lived in France I skated on it and I had to dig up this picture as proof!
There’s also a section of glass floor that has always freaked me out; Manny was a little nervous about it until we saw a stroller go over it- if a baby can do it we (or at least he) can too!
As many times as I have seen and been on the the Eiffel Tower, I never get tired of it!
We left the Eiffel Tower after climbing up to the second floor and back down, and then walked along the Seine. We passed the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, one of the newest museums in Paris that opened in 2006. I’ve never been but it features the indigenous art and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. And I love this living wall that faces the sidewalk.
I love walking the streets of Paris and seeing all it has to offer, and one of my favorite things to do is go below street level on the promenade going along the river Seine, known as the quais. We even came across a little section with benches that were perfect for sitting and relaxing, and those views!
We also passed by the church I used to attend and I have such fond memories of, the American Church in Paris (D on the map). Also along the walk we passed some workout stations, including a children’s climbing wall.
The bridges of Paris (there are 37) are very charming, and you get a great vantage point of them from walking along the quais.
Probably the most ornate and stunning bridge in Paris is Pont Alexandre iii (E on the map) This bridge has golden winged horses on each end, as well as statues of cherubs and nymphs lining the bridge. It was built from 1896-1900 and is named after the Tsar Alexander III, who made the Franco-Russian alliance, and whose son laid the foundation stone.
Crossing the bridge you reach the Champs-Elysées area of Paris. We first came to the Grand and Petit Palais (F on the map), built around the same time as the Pont Alexandre iii and opened for the World’s Fair in 1900. Both the Grand and Petit Palais are now museums and exhibition halls.
We had worked up our appetite, so the natural thing to do was eat some crepes! With nutella of course (is there another way to eat them?), sooooooooooooooooooooo (I could fill up the page with more o’s) good!
We walked along the Champs Elysées until we got to the Place de la Concorde (G on the map). This is the largest square in Paris (19 acres) and is know for being the site where the guillotine stood during the French Revolution (au revoir la tête de Marie Antoinette). Now in the center stands the oldest monument in Paris, the Luxor Obelisk. The 3,000 year old obelisk was offered to France in 1883 and has stood in the Place de la Concorde since 1836.
Next on our agenda was a place I have wanted to see for a long time and have never been- the Musée de l’Orangerie (H on the map). This museum, one of two matching buildings in the Jardin des Tuileries, used to house the orange trees of the Tuileries. It was, with the matching Jeu de Paume (which used to hold tennis courts), built in 1862 and now houses Impressionistic art, including some Waterlilies by Monet which are held in a large oval room. This is the location that Monet actually picked out himself for these paintings.
There are paintings by other artists in this museum, including some of my favorites painters, like Matisse, Cezanne and Renoir. And one of my not-favorites but always popular, Picasso.
After the museum we walked through the Jardin des Tuileries (I on the map). This park was created by Catherine de Medici when, after her husband King Henri II died, she decided to create a new home for herself in 1564, the Palais des Tuileries. The palace eventually burned down and wasn’t rebuilt, but the grounds remained and have been a public park since 1667.
We walked along the Rue de Rivoli, where there are adorable covered walkways (J on the map), just look at the decorative sidewalk! This may come as a surprise, but we decided that we needed- food! So we went to Ladurée (K) to get some macarons! Ladurée has been making macarons since 1862 and they did not disappoint.
The street where Ladurée is located is Rue Saint-Honoré, known for having the luxe retail and jewelry stores (like Louis Vuitton pictured above), and located just off the square is Place Vendôme (L). This octangular square with matching buildings was planned by Louis XIV in 1702. In the center is the Vendôme Column, built for Napoleon to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz and is made out of melted cannons.
Our next pitstop was the Palais-Royal (M), a former royal palace sitting across the street from the Louvre. It’s popular now because in the courtyard are these fun black and white pillars, and everyone loves a good photo opp, right?
My plan was to blog about my whole trip all at once but seeing how many pictures I have already included I don’t want to overwhelm anyone. So coming soon will be the second half of my 3 days trip- with visits to the Louvre and Versailles among other amazing Parisian sites. Stay tuned, and thanks for checking out my pictures!
