Over winter break I went on the COOLEST trip that I have ever been on in my entire life! I finally went to Paris! The city of lights has been a dream destination of mine since, well forever, and I’ve finally gotten to experience this beautiful, sprawling city for myself. I spent 7 days in the city total, and then one day on a day trip to Versailles. In this post I will be talking about the top three spots from my Paris trip, and why they were so incredible.
- The Top of the Eiffel Tower
Now some people may say that this going to the top of the Eiffel tower is overrated and a waste of money. To me, those people are wrong! If this is your first time in Paris, then i think that this is must. We went at night and that only made the experience even more magical. It costed me 14 euros to get an elevator to the top, which is the student discounted price so it’s not super expensive. We took the elevator to the second floor where they let us off and we were able to walk around the observation deck. Now I will admit that I was a little nervous to go all the way up to the third level because looking down (or up) from the second level, your already high up! But the elevator ride to the top was smooth and seamless and totally worth it. When you get to the third floor there is one section that is enclosed with windows and then another level accessible by stairs that is outside, but has a high railing. Going up to the very top level that was outside was a magical experience, being able to see the entire city of Paris from a bird’s eye view is one of the best ways to see the city. We could see the Arc De’triomphe, the Louvre, and the Notre Dame! And because it was nighttime, we saw the spotlight circling the city, and then it started to snow, which is super rare weather for Paris. There is also a champagne bar on the top level, (it is 25 euros, but if you come to the top of the Eiffel Tower, live a little) and to top it all off someone proposed while we were at the tops, proving that Paris is in fact the city of love (she said yes).
2. The Musee d’Orsay:
My next favorite stop was the Musee d’Orsay. This is a small museum and a lot less overwhelming than the Louvre, and houses some of my favorite paintings. They have many of Van Goughs, Monets, and Renoir’s works. They even had a temporary exhibit dedicated to Van Goughs life and death, which had of his painting on loan from the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam, so we were super lucky to see that. The museum is in an old fashion train station so there is a beautiful glass ceiling, and a glass clock looming over the main hall. On the fifth floor there is a beautiful cafe in clock tower, and the windows throughout the museum give you a great view of Paris. My favorite paintings in the museum where without a doubt Monets water lilies which are even more stunning in person. There are also a wide variety of sculptures in the museum, including Rodions Dante’s Inferno, which is breath taking.
3. Shakespeare and Company Book store:
This place has been on my bucket list forso long! Shakespeare and Co. is the largest English bookstore in Paris and is a staple location in the Latin quarter. The store is famous for housing famous artists such as Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, and Allen Ginsburg for hosting events and workshops about their works before they were well known. The founder of the shop Sylvia Beach helped to publish James Joyces Ulysses and the store has remained a haven for writers and readers a like. I bought four books at the shop and sat and read for while in their upstairs reading corner, and I felt as though I was reading and thinking among some of the greatest minds that have also inhabited that same space.
Overall my trip to Paris was everything I wanted and more, and I hope I get to go back to the city of light some time soon!