PARIS – of Towers, Gargoyles and Crepes!

Paris is beautiful. There is no other way to describe it. It is a visual treat, a balm to the mind and a joy to the heart. Sometimes famous things do not live up to the hype (one such example is mentioned later on in my post) but Paris will live up to all you have heard about it. The City of Love will win you over; clean bowled!

Not the Best Beginning but who cares?!

Long flight-challenges-excitement

Unlike my last foray, this time I did fly over international waters. I faced a few challenges upon landing – my luggage arrived at the very end, my international sim card didn’t seem to be working and then it took ages to locate Albert who was to receive me. It took over an hour to reach our destination – the Novotel (company-arranged) which is where I put up during my stay. I gave myself an hour to get freshened up since it was already nearing midday and then…I started my Paris sojourn. All this drama had not dimmed my excitement one iota; I kept thinking “I’m in Paris, I’m in Paris!”

Tip: The receiving area at the CDG airport is actually inside the airport itself. If you have reached the taxi ranks know that you have crossed that receiving lounge.

Tip: The Schengen visa process for France is a relatively simple one though it requires a lot of documents. You need to book an interview slot, be there to submit your documents, answer a few questions and get your biometric done. The visa should reach you in about 5/7 business days.

Day 1

Louvre-Monalisa-Street Music-Seine-Ile de la Cité-Notre Dame-Berthillon

I had planned extensively on what to do in the mere two days that I had to play tourist and I was eager to get started. You know what they say, “best laid plans…” I started out with my little “planner” diary but hit a literal roadblock almost immediately. The metro stop closest to my hotel was closed for renovation – in fact, so was a major chunk of the routes I had planned to use – since the day before. But, no worries, Google Map to the rescue; it was my savior then and throughout my trip! It rerouted me via buses/alternate metro stations to my 1^st stop of the day – collection of my passes/The Louvre Museum.

Passes

There are various types available online – Paris Pass, Paris City Pass, Paris Pass’lib, Museum Pass, Transport Pass being the most common ones. These passes allow you to visit most attractions for free, give discounts on some activities (cruise, shopping, eating) and most passes also have the additional “skip-the-line” advantage. Based on which attractions I wanted to visit and the time I had on hand, I chose the Museum Pass and the Transport Pass. These would cover all museums plus some added attractions and my inter-city travel respectively; cost was also the most optimized.

Tip: The Paris Pass includes both travel and sightseeing but you will not be able to take full advantage of its benefits in only 2 days, trust me. It is also costlier than the Museum and Transport (2 days) pass combined.

Note: Eiffel Tower is not included in any of the passes, it requires a separate ticket altogether (which you can book online).

Street Music

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I walked from the metro stop to the Tourist Office to collect my passes (ordered online). As I walked, I gazed at the buildings and streets – everything was so neat and colorful and just so pretty. On the way I chanced upon a group of musicians playing on the street – a mini orchestra with violins. I stood there and listened to the wonderfully melodious music for a while basking in the sunshine. I think I fell in love with Paris then.

Tip: Remember to pick up information booklets and city + transport maps of Paris from the Tourist Office. They are really helpful.

Armed with my passes, I walked to my first attraction of the day – The Louvre Museum. I skipped right to the front of the line due to my museum pass and entered the vast main hall, collected my tickets and an information booklet.

The LOUVRE

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There are 3 wings in the Louvre – Denon, Richelieu and Sully – named after notable Frenchmen. Each of the wings is spread over 5 levels and houses an unimaginable plethora of paintings, sculptures, antiquities of varied styles and from various eras dating as far back as 4000 BC!!

The Denon wing contains many of the best-known works of art, the Richelieu wing has sculpture terraces and apartments of Napoléon III and the Sully wing focusses on the history of the Louvre.

The Louvre is vast and it is impossible to see everything in a day; in fact, it is said you would need atleast a week to visit each of the exhibits! Well, I had only a few hours so, predictably, I chose the Denon wing which, among others, housed the famous ‘Monalisa’. [Currently, the painting has been shifted to Galerie Médicis in the Richelieu wing.]

The Denon wing had some really wonderful sculptures and paintings which I thoroughly enjoyed. I actually lost track of time in wonderment of the diversified artwork and ended up spending over 3 hours there – and I had only covered a fraction! – but it was an amazing 3 hours.

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I exited from the museum proper onto the courtyard in front of the famous Louvre glass pyramids and spent some time taking photos and feeling star-struck. I fondly remembered the last scene of the Dan Brown novel and (the movie buff and geek that I am) recalled the last poem,” The Holy Grail…”

The Louvre also includes the Carrousel and Tuileries Gardens and the Musée Eugène-Delacroix. They are situated at 5- and 15-minutes’ walk from the Louvre respectively. The Tuileries Gardens is known for its flower beds and shaded groves and is an open-air sculpture museum. Do visit these if you have the time; I didn’t since I spent way too much time inside the museum.

Monalisa

I may be crucified for what I am about to say but the Monalisa disappointed me; it didn’t really amaze me and left me puzzled as to its fame. But I am not an art connoisseur and am probably wrong. It is a small painting really, hanging solitary on a huge wall and cordoned off within 4 feet. There was quite a crowd in front of it, all snapping away gaily. I, however, did feel a sense of awe knowing that I was in the presence of the most famous work of the great Leonardo Da Vinci.

The one painting which I did love and was awed by was the Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese which hangs on the opposite wall of Monalisa. Measuring 22 ft. by 32 ft. this painting was fascinating.

Île de la Cité and Seine

From the Louvre I took a bus to the next stop on my agenda – the Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral is located on “Île de la Cité”. The Ile de la Cite is an island which lies at the centre of Paris and is connected via bridges to the mainland. It is a charming place with cobbled streets, vibrant shopfronts and cute houses.

My bus stop was actually on this side of the Seine River and I walked across one of the bridges to the island. It was a pleasant stroll in the breezy afternoon and I stopped midway to enjoy the beautiful picture the river posed. There were several street performers on the bridge as well – singers, magicians (I enjoyed that for a few minutes) and guitarists. The atmosphere was such a joyful one!

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NOTRE DAME

A few minutes’ walk into the Ile de la Cité will bring you to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It took almost 200 years to build this glory of Gothic architecture which was the largest religious building in western Europe until the mid-13^th century. This symbol of medieval Paris is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Notre Dame allows free entry into the cathedral proper. As a result, the queues were huge on a Saturday – it would take me atleast 2 hours! So, I chose an alternative.

The towers of Notre Dame are its most famous feature. Victor Hugo’s famous novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame described them as “beautifully balanced parts of a magnificent whole”. This is where I headed. Entry to the towers are chargeable but I got free entry via my museum pass although there was no skip the line allowed and I had to stand in queue (much smaller one than the cathedral one). Visitors are allowed to go up in groups of 20 every 10 minutes.

To get to the top of the tower, I had to climb 400 steep steps which kept getting narrower the more I arose. The first stop was the Chimera gallery which gets its name from the statues gracing the façade; the most famous one is “styrga”.Next comes the south tower belfry which houses the cathedral’s 2 largest bells dating back to the 17^th century!

After the strenuous climb, I was awarded with the most stunning view – the entire city of Paris laid out in an incredible vista before me. I could see the Eiffel Tower, the gleaming Sacré-Coeur, the Seine and the pretty houses of Paris. It was one of the best experiences of Paris for me. I stayed there for ages just gazing out at the beautiful sight.

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Crepes and Berthillon

It was now time for lunch. This was when I understood one thing about Parisians – they love and almost always eat, al fresco. You will find the inside of restaurants empty, but the outside tables brimming with patrons. But the Indian in me couldn’t bear to sit in the sun for so long – I ate inside. I chose French baguette ham sandwich and crepes for my meal. The baguette was melt in your mouth tasty and the crepe was to die for! Perfect introduction to French cuisine.

I followed up that delicious meal with ice cream from Paris’ famous shop Berthillon; one scoop of salted caramel and raspberry each. O my my, the cold creamy goodness made my day!

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I wanted to end the day with shopping; however, when I made my way to this shopping district  – Latin Quarter – all shops were closed!! So, I roamed the pretty streets just looking into and admiring storefronts before heading back to my hotel. On the way back, the bus stops confused me a bit and I got lost – Google maps turned me round and round in search of a particular bus stop for almost an hour! Thankfully, I spotted it in the end after which I called it a day.

Tip: Most shops (not restaurants) close by 7PM and are closed on Sundays as well, so plan your shopping stints accordingly.

Tip: Strange and notable thing about Paris bus stops – there may be a stop A and there may be a stop B but sometimes there may be a stop A-B. So, when you are looking for a hyphenated name most always it is an in between stop on a small by-road.

Day 2

Eiffel Tower-Orsay Museum-Saint Chapelle-Seine Cruise

I began the next day nice and early. The first agenda of the day – the Eiffel Tower!! A 45 minute metro ride and a 10 minute walk took me to Champs de Mars, the location of the Tower.

EIFFEL TOWER

The first sighting of the icon was when I was about 2 minutes away from the actual location and its sheer size amazed me. But the real wonder of it dawned on me when I finally stood in front of it. The Eiffel Tower was breathtaking! Towering 1063 ft. above ground, the wrought-iron lattice structure is a thing of beauty.

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There are 3 levels – the top one being at 906 ft.! To buy tickets, I had to stand in line for almost 1.5 hours and the top level got filled out by the time it was my turn, unfortunately. There is a limit to people allowed on each level due to space crunch and top level being significantly narrower, gets crowded quite soon. I was told I could go up once it freed up a little. Though slightly disappointed, nothing could dampen my mood on this gorgeous sunny day.

Tip: The first 2 levels are part of the normal entry ticket while there is an extra charge for the top-level observation deck. Tickets can be bought online but remember to book it well in advance. Online tickets will state date and time and will save you standing in line.

I rode the lift to the first floor – it’s an angled rise along the “legs” of the tower. The elevator ride itself is an exhilarating experience. You can also take the stairs but it will be a daunting task – believe me because I climbed down them and the steps seem never ending. The view from the 1^st 2 levels of the tower is a phenomenal one. The 360-degree view of the Paris landscape is mesmerizing. I spent a long time simply admiring the view until it was time for me to leave.

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Walks

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After I descended from the tower, I spent some time photographing it from the lawns of Champs De Mars. I then walked to my lunch appointment with a relative. Walking in Paris was one of my favorite memories of the city. Colorful alleys shaded by trees and pretty houses all make the soul so happy. This time I had lunch al fresco keeping in trend with the Parisians – it was an enjoyable experience. Post lunch, we spent some time roaming the streets, over the numerous bridges – most notable The Pont Alexandre III. Strolling along the river with the breeze on my face will forever be etched on my mind. We ended up at my next sightseeing attraction – The Orsay Museum.

MUSEE D’ORSAY

The Orsay Museum is a renovated railway station which was inaugurated for the World Fair 1900. It was converted to a museum in 1986. It boasts of a diverse range of paintings, sculptures, photography which represent the evolution of western world art from 1848 to 1914.

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Orsay Museum was more my kind of museum – I admired and just loved the paintings because I understood them, they were more identifiable and overall appealed to my novice senses. Monet’s famous “Blue Water Lilies” resides here and is enthralling to look at. Degas, Manet, Van Gogh, Gauguin – amazing collections of these famous artists blew my mind. I enjoyed wholly and whole heartedly here. The high arched ceilings draw your gaze while what captures your heart is the massive Victorian station clock at the end of the building – a remnant of the original building. This is a definite must visit, I recommend!

SAINTE CHAPELLE

After spending almost the whole 2^nd half of the afternoon at the Orsay, I made my way to the last attraction of the day – the Saint Chapelle.

Located in the center of Île de la Cité, the Saint Chapelle is a royal chapel of the Palais de la Cité. It was built between 1242 and 1248 as per Louis IX’s wishes to house the relics of the Passion of Christ. The relics were displayed in the upper chapel while the lower chapel was a place of worship for the palace staff.

Today, the lower chapel houses a statue of the Virgin Mary and, on its left wall, the oldest wall painting in Paris – a 13^th century fresco depicting the Annunciation. The upper chapel is a thing of wonder – its brilliance leaves you dumbstruck! The reason is the famous stained-glass windows which are breathtaking.

The 15 tall, arched and glamorous stained-glass windows contain 1113 scenes depicting the story of mankind from Genesis to Christ’s resurrection. 14 of these are to be read left to right, from bottom upwards, while the 15^th which tells the story of the relics are read boustrophedonically. Boustrophedonically means reading from bottom upwards and alternate lines are read in opposite directions – left to right then right to left. The windows left me gaping at them while I tried to absorb the magnificence of the shimmering and dancing colours and patterns.

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SEINE Cruise

My last activity of the day was a different kind of sightseeing – a cruise. I took a cruise on the Seine river. The cruises run from 10.30am-10pm and are of three types – lunch, dinner or plain sightseeing. I chose the last one. There are various companies offering their services but upon reading reviews I settled on Bateaux Parisiens.

Aboard the deck of the panoramic boat, I looked up at the towering Eiffel again and admired it – the cruises depart from the foot of the monument. One glance at this wonder is simply not enough. Once the cruise began, though, I had a lot else to look at. The 1-hour ride with commentary was another memorable experience in Paris. The wind in your hair while you glide through the water, under arching – and sometimes dangerously low – bridges, with the pretty city of Paris surrounding you – it is just the most amazing feeling! The tour gave glimpses of Les Invalides, La Place de la Concorde, L’Assemblée Nationale, La Conciergerie among others.

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All too soon, we were turning back to return to our starting point but not before one last surprise. As evening fell and we approached the end of the cruise, the Eiffel Tower lit up in welcome and did its light dance – they sparkled and winked for 5 minutes and was the perfect end to my cruise and the day. My love for Paris was cemented in place.

Day 3 & 4

Work-French Food-Bye

This was a work trip and that’s what took up most of the next 2 days – work and some more work. However, at lunch and the end of each day, we i.e. my colleagues and I went out for French food. Those 4 meals were filled with classic French cuisine – confit duck, flammekueche, a fabulous starter with pork fat tuna and last but not the least – blue cheese! The foodie in me was entirely satisfied.

After 4 ½ days in Paris, it was then time to say goodbye to this beautiful city which had made a permanent place in my heart.

Some places which I missed out on due to scarcity of time, are mentioned below.

In summary, for a 2-day Paris trip:

• Day 1: Louvre, Tuileries Garden, Notre Dame (do not miss the tower!), Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Élysées, Pantheon, shopping.
• Day 2: Eiffel Tower, Orsay Museum, Sacré-Cœur, Saint Chapelle, Seine Cruise.

They say “there’s a museum at every corner in Paris”, so be sure to take in your quota of atleast 2-3 museums when in Paris. I had sorely wanted to visit the Palace of Versailles but it is located quite a bit outside the city and the journey to and from would be about 3 hours. Sadly, I had to let that dream go.

2 days barely scratches the surface of Paris but it will give you a taste and feel of what an amazing city it is and will leave you wanting more. I know that I am definitely going back there some day for an encore.

Tip: There is fear of pickpockets in most of the tourist spots, so it is advisable to not use backpacks; rather wear your bag cross-bodied and keep your belongings close to you and within your eyesight at all times. This is something a lot of people have advised me including resident Parisians.