Paris has many nicknames. From the City of Light to the City of Love, it’s one of the most visited cities in the world. Having only ever driven through it (en route to Disneyland Paris, of course), I thought it was about time I visited the French capital for myself. So, last weekend I took a lovely city break to Paris, with none other than my parents. Who said the city was only for lovers?
Having heard lots of amazing things about the city, I compiled a list of things to do. Enjoying a boat ride along the River Seine, climbing the Eiffel Tower and visiting Notre Dame were all on it, but one thing I couldn’t wait to do was enjoy some platters of cheese and wine. An obvious first on the list was trying some of that famous French cuisine.
Our hotel was fantastically central, just a few streets away from the Eiffel Tower, so it wasn’t long before we bumped into a lovely restaurant serving up Parisian specialties. The mussels and glace au four – or Baked Alaska – were delish!
Saturday was a busy day of city exploration and seeing the Eiffel Tower was our start to the morning. After stopping for a cheeky pose we headed over to the Seine for a river cruise that took us to the famous Notre Dame. A boat ride is a must when in Paris, and I’d definitely recommend the Batobus; stopping off at all the main attractions, a 15 euro ticket lets you hop on and off the boat for the entire day.
I couldn’t wait to take a walk around Notre Dame, and I wasn’t disappointed – it was absolutely beautiful! The highlight though was climbing up the bell tower; not only were there stunning views to be seen, I also couldn’t help but relive the Disney movie all over again!
A staggering 387 steps later we had worked up quite an appetite, so who could say no to some wine and cheese in front of the Seine?
Not far from Notre Dame is the renowned love lock bridge. It’s hard to believe the bridge has not buckled under the weight of so many locks!
Of course, one thing you must do while on a city break in Paris is to climb the Eiffel Tower. Tickets are hard to come by unless you book in advance, but checking the website regularly means you’ll be able to snag last minute tickets and skip the queue. I was a bit skeptical at first as I’m a bit wimpy when it comes to heights, but the views from the top were breathtaking! We even saw a wedding proposal while up there.
Sunday was much more laid-back. Jumping on the metro to the Arc de Triomphe, we spent time shopping before heading over to the Louvre. Although we didn’t go inside, a sunny stroll through the Tuileries Garden made up for the disappointment.
Heading over the Seine, we spent some time in the lovely St. Germain district, which is full of chocolate shops! From Pierre Hermé to Gérad Mulot, this is where some of Paris’ best chocolate can be found. Being chocoholics, we couldn’t help but stop in every one we saw for some last minute tasty treats! It was also a great place to stop for some delicious ice cream.
Top tip: When in Paris, don’t miss out on trying the Paris-Brest cake. Created to commemorate one of the oldest bike races between Paris and Brest in 1891, it has lashings of praline flavoured cream sandwiched between puff pastry thins. It’s amazing!
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