Paris - The City I Once Called Home

Oh Paris, you mean so much more to me than just the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur and Algerian Sauce.

You were a place where I experienced exponential personal growth that has catapulted me to eventually ending up where I am now.

I feel like I have so much yet so little to say about Paris.

A semester that felt like a lot longer with memories that come with a whole range of emotions that are enough to last me a lifetime. So I thought it was only fair to post something on my blog about you.

So, without further a do, I present to you a blog post full of suggestions and tips as scattered as my mind when I was there.

I hope you enjoy it!

So I’m going to start with something I’ve been sharing with friends and Instagram followers alike who have asked me for things to do in Paris. It’s a little walking route that will allow you to see a fair bit of Paris within a shorter period of time. I’ve cleaned it up a bit and added a few (quite a few) things as well. As you progress through the post, you’ll see that I’ve continued to add things in. My apologies in advance. (Pardon!)

“Walking Tour”

Start at the Notre Dame and end up here. This was one of the most beautiful sunsets I saw when I was in Paris.

Start at Notre Dame (near St. Michel metro stations) and walk all the way to the Arc de Triomphe (near Charles de Gaulle étoile metro station)

If you get the chance, climb the Notre Dame. The view is pretty great and it includes Gargoyles!

While at Notre Dame go to the Latin quarter and la Fontaine St Michel. Have a shawarma. In Paris it's called a GREC. It’s halal and very tasty!

As you head to the Arc you'll see the Musée Louvre, Jardin de Tuileries and Musée d'Orsay as well.

Eventually you'll end up at the world famous Parisian street called champs élysées. When you’re there make sure you go to Publicis where you can try the famous Pierre Hermé macarons. Mogador is my favourite.

Macarons anywhere else will just never taste as good!

Near champs élysées is pont Alexandre III. It’s a beautiful bridge. See if Rosa Bonheur (a restaurant on the water) is open and have ice cream or your choice of a treat there.

There’s also Rue da la montagne (check spelling) where a lot of the other designer stores are located.

At another time

Make sure to go to the Eiffel Tower at sunset and/or at either midnight or 1 am in the morning to see the lights dance without the yellow hue. It’s so beautiful and feels so magical.

Palais de Tokyo also has a cool view of the Eiffel Tower if you’re looking for a different perspective.

On another day that’s not a Friday or a Saturday

Make sure to head to Le Marias where you will find tons of boutiques and brand name stores but most importantly some great food. Enjoy falafel at l'as de falafel (kosher) and an eclair from éclair de génie. You can choose to either dine in or get takeaway. Takeaway is cheaper.

On the other side of Paris

Climb the dome of the Sacre Coeur for a beautiful view of the city. It’s around 6 euros.

Then hang out in Montmartre until the sun is about to set. Have a seat at the stairs by sacré cœur and enjoy the live music and whatever entertainment Paris decides to provide you with that day.

As you should in all of Paris, make sure you watch your stuff because there are a lot of pickpocketers.

For a free view of Paris and for Shopping

Make sure to go to the top of the department store Printemps on Boulevard Haussmann. You can also go to Galerie LaFayette.

The opera is right near it so you can go there as well. I would suggest spending the money and going inside. It almost feels like you’re at Versailles except you’re still within the city.

When you visit the opera, you almost feel like you’ve been transported to Versailles. It’s beautiful.

If you have more than 2-3 days ensure you visit Versailles for half a day.

If you like modern architecture

Visit La Fondation Louis Vuitton. Do the mini tours, they really teach you so much about the construction of the building among other things.

If you like museums

Some other museums you can also visit are Musée Rodin and Musée Bourdelle. The first one you have to pay for but it isn’t too expensive, the other is free. They are similar in that they are both based on sculptures.

Institute du Monde Arabe

I haven’t been inside during business hours but I did go to the rooftop for a party and it was one of the best parties I’ve been to in Paris.

If you want to have a taste of Morocco within Paris

La grande mosquée du Paris.

The tour is less than five euros and you will learn a lot about the religion and the history of the mosque. It’s so peaceful and beautiful.

If you feel like doing a movie night

Go to Bibliothèque François Mitterrand. They also have food trucks there (at least in 2016) It’s near Bercy village which always reminded me of Toronto in a weird way and made me feel at home.

This image was from the first couple of weeks I was living in Paris in 2016.

If you’re in the area and the sun is still up, you can visit Rue Cremieux for a couple of shots for the gram. The pastel coloured homes will kind of remind you of Notting Hill in London.

If you want to experience an authentic Parisian market

Go to see the marché right outside of metro Bastille on a Sunday. It’s not only cute but you’ll leave with a full belly. There’s so much to choose from; fresh veggies, fruits, pastries and of course, crepes.

There are other markets around the city as well. The internet should allow you to locate them.

And if you want to go to where all the political action happens

Head over to République. Right outside of Metro république is where all the demonstrations happen. It’s worth checking out, there are a lot of cool things to do there.

If you’re there during brunch time, make sure you eat at Paperboy. The smoked salmon there is divine!

And If you’re feeling a little hipster

Go to la recyclerie at the end of line 4 (Place de Clichy) Their chocolat chaud is bomb. Or at least it was in 2016.

I’ve also heard Marché St. Ouen is pretty good for vintage buys but I haven’t been there myself.

Versailles is beautiful. Worth the visit if you’re in Paris long enough.

If you want to hang by the water

Theres a place called Nuba. It’s a rooftop where they play loungy/house music. People go there for drinks. It’s a pretty cool place to hang out.

Wanderlust is also there.

Tips

Try to experience Paris by night as well. The walk I previously mentioned from Notre Dame to the Musée Louvre is just as beautiful at night, if not more beautiful. Just be aware of your surroundings.
Invest in a week metro pass if you don’t want to walk too much, it's worth the money. If not, buy a book of tickets.
Uber’s are also an option in France and are great for late nights. Or wait until 5 am when the subways open up again.

Food

Have crepes at montparnasse. Chez josselin or any of the other crepe places nearby.

Smoked Salmon Galettes are so rich in flavour. A must when in Paris!

Paperboy for brunch
Holy Belly for brunch
L’As de Falafel for falafel
Pizzeria Popolare

Kebabs in Paris are my guilty pleasure. With so many sauces to choose from you can’t help but not eat this on a regular basis! There’s no point of directing you to a specific one. They’re all pretty amazing!

There you go!

This is definitely not an all encompassing list of things to do in Paris but I hope it helps you in shaping your trip to what you want it to look like!