As I'm going through my photos in Paris and writing this blog post, I can't help but wish I was back there. Much like my first trip there before, we only had a day to explore Paris but a day trip there is enough to make you realize that this city really is one of the most beautiful in the world.
From Brussels, we took an early morning train to Paris which only lasted about an hour and a half. Since we didn't have a guide to tour us around, we were supposed to get on a hop on hop off tourist bus that goes around tourist attractions so that we could cover as much ground in our limited time. We took a cab supposedly to go to the bus terminal at the Louvre but we were fortunate enough to have met the nicest taxi driver. He immediately recognized that we were Filipinos because he met some while working in Bangkok and Malaysia teaching French. When he found out our itinerary, he gave us a lot of helpful tips on how we can go to all of the major sites just by walking and short taxi rides instead of the tourist bus. It ended up being a great decision because we were able to leisurely explore the streets on foot and get a more local feel of the city.
He dropped us off at the Louvre Museum which was the perfect starting point for our tour. We didn't have enough time to go inside the museum but the exterior of the Louvre is already a masterpiece itself. We definitely spent too much time there taking pictures but you really can't help it because of how beautiful it is.
From the Louvre, we made our way to Champs-Elysees. We had a choice between walking through the Jardin de Tuileries but we opted to walk along the parallel streets where the shops and cafes were. We also passed by the Luxor Obelisk at Place de la Concorde.
We actually got a bit lost because instead of going all the way straight to find Champs-Elysees, we made a wrong turn but it was okay because we were able to walk along the River Seine. We also got a glimpse of the Pont Alexandre III (bridge), the Military Museum, and the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. That's one of the nice things about Paris - I feel like there's no such thing as getting lost because every corner you turn, there's always something beautiful to see.
After consulting google maps, we finally made it to Champs-Elysees and window shopped in all of the designer stores. A girl can dream right? At the end of the of the street, we were greeted by the Arc de Triomphe, which after our long walk was kind of like our pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
From the Arc de Triomphe, we walked going to the Eiffel Tower. It's my second time seeing it and yet I still found myself smitten with it. There really is nothing like seeing the Eiffel Tower to make you realize you're not dreaming, and that you really are in Paris.
By the time we got there it was already past lunch time so we decided to grab some sandwiches and have a casual "picnic" by the river Seine where you'll find the Bateaux Mouches (boat tours).
We then took a taxi to go to Notre Dame Cathedral. I was actually more familiar with the Sacre Coeur than Notre Dame so I didn't really know what to expect but we I saw it, my jaw just dropped. It's probably the most beautiful church I have ever seen. I love how structure-wise, it's one of the largest cathedrals in the world, and yet the design of the carvings and stained glass are so small and intricate. Now I know why it's one of the most famous church buildings in the world. It's so beautiful I just couldn't stop looking at it.
As much as I didn't want to leave Notre Dame, we had to go our final stop - the Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre. It's located at the summit of butte (hill) Montmarte, which is why aside from seeing the Basilica itself, it's the best place to get an overlooking view of the city. By this time, we were already so tired not only from touring Paris but from the non-stop travelling that we did touring other cities in Europe. Just as the sun was about to set, we found ourselves just sitting by the steps, looking out into the city, and feeling absolutely grateful for the amazing trip that we had.
To see more of our Paris trip, watch my vlog below!
No comments:
Post a Comment