On Paris day two, I awoke around 8:30, still time to catch the sunrise, and I decided to get breakfast in Montmartre (remember the cute lil neighborhood I lived near?) This was a mistake because it was COLD and I paid TOO MUCH for like a croissant, coffee, and juice. Don’t go here for breakfast (or maybe food in general) because it’s cheaper to eat by street vendors. But, it was still lovely to see the same village in a different hour of the day and I got to see the I Love You Wall, which has the phrase written in hundreds of different languages. I cried in the club because literally some language it basically says yeeting. Inspiring. Sorry if that was racist.
I checked out of my hostel but left my bags in the luggage room again and headed out to see all the sights. The way I like to see a city is form a general google maps walking directions map and send it to myself. I usually end up deviating but then I have it and can open it to see what I am near at any point in time.
I started off at the Luxembourg Palace/Gardens which were vast and lovely— I can only imagine how wonderful in summer! I walked past the Pantheon (which does not resemble the Parthenon, that would be Rome you are thinking of!) and then through an awesome neighborhood with the CHEAPEST food. I couldn’t get over buying a crepe for 1.50 euros and a fresh baguette for 1 euro. If you’re in Paris and want cheap food, go to these little streets near the Pantheon/University area (I think). In my typical nature, I stumbled upon an outdoor market and enjoyed the buzz of Paris, even on an ordinary Wednesday morning, it felt so full of energy.
Paris was interesting because the French probably view their language just as important as we view English, so people really don’t speak English as much as they do in other tourist designations. Regardless, I was fine the whole time. (Oui, merci, baguette, bonjour, all you need!)
Per my French friends’ suggestion, I headed to the Garden of Plants, where I first stopped inside the mosque for three euros and enjoyed the beautiful colors and architecture for no more than 15 minutes. I definitely recommend this if you don't like museums but you like pretty places and spaces! I then walked through the park which was probably the reason I fell in love with Paris. This was not a place I found on any tourism lists, perhaps it was just considered another ordinary park in Paris, but it was so special. If even an ordinary thing can be that awesome, I can’t imagine what else I missed in this city. There were blow up animals, perhaps remnants of Christmas decorations, and I walked through a huge shark blow up just in the middle of the running path! The park was lined by Natural History museums and greenhouses. I ended up in one of the greenhouses for free but I think it was by accident when the ticket attendants were switching shifts.
Multiple people came up to me and talked to me in French, asking for a lighter, asking directions. On my way out, I casually looked up and the building said that was where Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity. What?????!
My next destination was about a mile away but it was a great walk, through the university area/ Latin Quarter. More good, cheap food in this area and I was hunting for a beignet after only ever trying the ones in Disneyland. I was quite disappointed that my beignet was way too sugary and smothered in Nutella on top of it. Regardless, I warmed up in the cafe and then strolled through Shakespeare and Co, a famous book store, though I didn’t understand the hype personally. It said not to take pics but I didn’t see that until after I snapped this (oops)
I walked over to Le Marais, a neighborhood I really wanted to check out because it is a cultural hub, serving as both the Jewish neighborhood and LGBT neighborhood. I took advantage of the warmth and restrooms in a large department store and then successfully bought three wooden beaded necklaces which I had been searching for all trip. This place was full of bead shops, vintage shops, and not many tourists in sight. I’m not sure if there was one big place I was supposed to check out but I was content in my experience. Look at the awesome rainbow light I found in a storefront!
This next episode was very much walking after I swore to myself I would get less steps that day because my body was tired. Zoe turned me onto the habit of checking my steps on the Apple Health app, but who cares about steps when you can talk about mileage?? I think my average mileage has been about 10 miles a day. I flirted with the idea of going to the Louvre but decided against it, but let it be known the museum is bigger than any person could even enjoy in 30 days. You basically go there and decide what you want to see, knowing you won’t even see 1% of everything.
I finished my day walking past the Obelisk, Les Invalides, the River Seine, and several miles later, sunset at the Eiffel Tower. With my phone out of power, I have no photos to prove I did this, but I can prove that I can navigate a foreign country and their metro with no phone! And that I did.
Bless my hostel for letting me loiter in their lobby after check out while I waited for my train, and then some more loitering at a panini place by the station and in the Gare du Nord station where I bought a FAT macaron because I had yet to buy one in France. I finally, exhausted, hopped on the Flixbus to Munich but this bus was sadly FULLY BOOKED, a rarity for European transit, so I only slept once the man beside me got off at a stop at 3 AM.
Au revoir, Paris. I think that’s what they say. I will so be back. Heck, maybe I’ll live there if I will myself to learn French.
