Planning for the trip

In the middle of our program, we had a three day weekend so a group of us head off to Paris. Even while planning for the mini getaway, I still couldn’t believe I was going to Paris. As I child Paris was just one of cities always mentioned when asked “Name three cities in the world”. The context of knowing that it was a city faraway in France versus actually planning logistics of my day was mind-boggling. I was only staying a couple of days so had a very packed schedule, wanting to make the most out of it. When my grandma heard that I was going to Paris, she had eagerly sat me down and gave me a full rundown of all the insider tips, having visited herself last year.

Grandma’s notes

6AM: Getting There

My train was at 6:45 AM. I was worried I wouldn’t wake up but opened my eyes at 4:50 AM. Despite being early in the morning, there was a fair amount of people at the train station. My group & I did a quick Albert Heijn run and boarded the train. On the way there, I read, journaled a bit and enjoyed my yogurt. I had casually picked it up but was the best yogurt I ever had. It tasted like milk more than yogurt. The train ride we was relatively short, stopping by Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels. Before I knew it, I was in Paris. 

When I first got off the train, I immediately saw pink and blue 2024 Olympic banners hung across the station. Paris would be hosting Olympic in a couple months so the city was busy in preparation. 

Early morning train station

The best yogurt I ever had

12-6PM: The Louvre

I head directly to the Louvre Museum, the pyramid. The picture I saw in books, used for PC backgrounds was a matter of couple subway stations away from me. When I first got there I was awed by the gothic renaissance style of the museum. The pyramid was smaller than I thought but was still grand. With its sturdy, glass panelled walls and minimal design it reminded me of an Apple store. The actual entrance to the museum was underground so it felt like entering a secret safe. It had only been open for three hours but was already bustling with people. Just by looking at the map I was able to gauge how enormous the collection was. I had roughly five hours to see everything.

Starting from the Richelieu sculpture gardens I quickly made my way through the pieces. Everything in the Sculpture Garden was light and mystical. The natural night streaming from above shone the marble sculptures, the off-white interior reflecting everything. I felt like I had went back in time and been dropped off in a rich person's greek garden. They even had a special exhibit on L'OLYMPISME, Modern Invention, Ancient Legacy to accompany the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Louvre Pyramid

Cour Marly Sculpture Garden

Special exhibit on L’Olympisme, in honour of the Paris 2024 Olympics this year

When I saw the Mona Lisa, I wasn’t surprised at how it had its own room. There was a crowd of people around the painting distanced by ropes. The crowdedness, clamminess and pushing mimicked a concert audience but soon enough I found myself front and center of the Mona Lisa. Her ever so faint smile was mesmerizing. How light reflected in such a way that illuminated her presence was a mystery. Even while seeing it before my eyes, it felt surreal. What was she thinking? What was Leonardo thinking? Having been an inventor, scientist, artist among many other things, Mona Lisa was truly the result of his accumulated discoveries.

Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci

Navigating the museum was both a delight and horror. Each exhibition had an exquisite amount of detail yet the halls were endless and easy to get lost in. I chuckled as I overhead someone frustratingly say “how do I get out of here”? The frequent maps with “you are here” dots were really helpful. I was whizzing through the floors of Richelieu, Denon and Sully. There was so much to see, so much to marvel at. Aside from the upright walls, there was art all 360° from the ceilings to the floors. Each room left me in more awe than the next. The Napoleon III Apartments especially, was extravagance at its finest. Each room dripped with gold, velvet and crystal chandeliers, it was quite a sight to see. I didn’t realise how stuffy it was until being pleasantly surprised by the fresh air from a window. I briefly leaned against a way only to register then how tired my legs were.

Galerie d'Apollon, Golden Room

Aphrodite Naples Fréjus

Napoleon III Apartments

Huge paintings!

Art from ceiling to floors.

After 4.5 hours, I had seen mostly everything (but not everything). My phone battery was running low and I didn’t have my power bank so stopped by an information desk to get it charged. The person working was understanding I was so relieved. Afterwards I had dinner at Café Marly, which had an amazing view of the museum.

Dinner at the Cafe Marly

7-8PM: Tuileries Garden, Place de la Concorde, Champs-Élysées, Alexander III & Bir Hakeim Bridge

After dinner I picked up cakes from Angelina and walked around the Tuileries Garden. I got a raspberry mousse cake and it was the best dessert I’ve ever had. I’m not really a fan of sweet things, let alone cakes but this was on a whole other level. Each bite was so refreshing and fruity, almost like eating a soft, cold fruit rather than a dessert. I was truly in bliss enjoying my cake, basking in the sunlight.

Sunny day at Tuileries Garden

Angelina, Délice fruits rouges (THE BEST dessert I’ve ever had)

Unfortunately because of the Olympics many of the main spots like the Champs-Élysées and Champ de Mars were fenced off. It was such a shame since I was really looking forward to causally lounging underneath the Eiffel Tower. I slowly made my way to the Eiffel Tower, passing by Champs-Élysées, Alexander III Bridge and Bir Hakeim Bridge along the way.

Alexander III Bridge

9-10PM: Eiffel Tower

From far away the Eiffel Tower looked small but when I got close up it was massive. The arcs of the tower were so graceful. I walked around, capturing the tower from various angles. Despite the elegant tower, it was disheartening to see how people cared more about getting their perfect Instagram picture rather than appreciate its beauty. This was actually one of the main reasons I took a break from Instagram, because I couldn’t truly enjoy the things I saw.

I ended up at Palais de Chaillot by accident but it was the best way to end the evening, with the prettiest purple sunset. Its soft purple glow and cotton candy clouds delicately framed the Eiffel Tower like a fairytale. Sometimes the unplanned is the best part:) The slight breeze, background chatters and long gazes. Admiring the sunset among strangers in a foreign city, I strangely felt at peace. Would child Hannah have known that she would be in Paris, admiring the sunset in 2024? We can plan our future to the very last detail but what actually happens is unpredictable. I wanted to stay longer for the lights but with 10% battery left, no service and getting dark I retired back to the hotel.

Purple sunset from Palais de Chaillot

End of day

Paris. The City of Love, The Eiffel Tower, the museums. Endless rows of tan Haussmann style buildings, stands of keychain souvenirs, faint conversations over a glass of wine. It was a long day of walking from one place to another, but I'm glad I got to do everything I wanted. It was stressful having no service and low battery but miraculously I made it work. Paris Part 2 to be continued. A bientôt!