I hope you all enjoyed my previous travel blogs about New York City and London. Before returning to my usual topic of Sweden, I must talk about Paris, France. It was about this time of year when I visited the most romantic city on Earth — and trust me, the romantic atmosphere lives up to all its hyped up to be. Whether it’s strolling along the Seine or moseying down the streets of quaint neighborhoods, Paris is a city which all others cannot possibly compare.
During our first night there, my parents and I headed to “Avenue des Champs-Élysées,” a street known for its luxury shops, cinemas, and cafés. (It was not far of a walk from our rented apartment.) “Avenue des Champs-Élysées” is one of the most expensive strips of real-estate in the world, and amongst the top known streets on an international scale; so as you can probably guess, I mostly window shopped. However, my spirits weren’t dampened since simply being in Paris and experiencing my first night in the city made everything else seem secondary.
One of the best things in France are the local bakeries; you can be sure to get fresh baked goods since all the batches are made daily. Early next day, I woke up and walked down the street from the apartment to order baguettes for breakfast. I had studied French for several years and could not resist the urge to test my ability. Thankfully the bakers understood, but based on my noticible accent, they answered politely… in English.
The rest of the day was spent walking along the Seine River to the Eiffel Tower. While there were tourists, many people walking along the river were true Parisians. The Seine was one of my favorite parts of Paris since it showed a culture difference. For example, while I was there I saw a large group of young adults who were sitting and having some drinks in the sunshine. The scene differed from atmospheres I had experienced in places like New York City, where it was rare to see people simply sitting and relaxing.
The Eiffel Tower looked much more magnificent compared with the photos I had always seen. You almost had to be at a distance to take in all of its grandeur. Of course, as typical tourists, we had to wait in a long line to go up but the wait was worth it. The view from the top of the tower was absolutely beautiful as the white buildings gleamed under the sunlight. It was such a contrast to the other cities I had seen; my parents and I had just come from Rome, where the buildings were mostly orange or red in tone, while all of Paris’ buildings seemed to be in a homogenous cream hue.
The next couple of days were spent site-seeing and visiting museums, such as the Musée d’Orsay and The Louvre. My trip to Paris is one I will never forget and a place everyone should experience at least once in his or her life. Once you’ve visited there, you’ll come to realize the truth to the saying: “J’adore Paris.”