A Weekend in Paris

“To err is human. To loaf is Parisian.”

I’d say that pretty much sums up my time in the French capital; loafing around, eating copious amounts of cheese and bread.

Though a bit of relaxation was much needed, in the 7 days prior to Paris I had finished exams, flown to Kenya for 3 days, come back to Dublin to start a new job, and moved house!

In hindsight I would perhaps not recommend doing all of that in one week… but somehow I managed to make it to Paris in one piece!

My friend Amy and I, arrived fairly late on Friday night, so after the essential wine and cheese catch up, we hit the hay so we could be up bright and early on Saturday.

We started, as all good tourists in Paris do, at the Arc de Triomphe.

We then strolled down the Champs-Elysees and did a spot of shopping, before having a rather over-priced hot chocolate.

We had both been to Paris before so we weren’t in a mad dash to hit up all the tourist sites, but we did of course make an effort for the Eiffel Tower.

What would a trip to Paris be without stopping to admire it?

For lunch we met up with Anniina, our friend and lovely host, who brought us to a park for a picnic.

How wonderfully Parisian…

Though we were about 10 shades paler than everyone else.. ah well.

Our afternoon was equally leisurely, with several coffee stops.

We eventually made it up to one of my favourite parts of Paris; Montmartre and the Sacre-Coeur.

If you haven’t been to Paris this really is a must! Montmarte is just so cute with its cobbled stoned streets dotted with cafes and gelato shops, and the Sacre-Coeur offers one of the best views of Paris.

Speaking of good views, I couldn’t let a trip pass without a visit to a rooftop.

This time we picked the rooftop terrace at Printemps, a French department store.

It offers excellent 360 views of the city, and you can do all your shopping.. what more could you ask for?

By this stage I was beat. I did manage dinner and drinks dinner but then I was fit for bed… not very cool I know. Amy and Anniina held up the forte and went dancing late into the night while I slept like the dead.

My flight the next day was early in the afternoon (right after the Ireland – France match, but we won’t mention that) so we only had the morning to explore.

Our first excursion was to the bakery for croissant and pain au chocolate – major key.

Feeling refreshed, we hopped on a metro to the 11th district. It’s not on the traditional tourist map but if you are looking for a more edgy scene then it is the place to go.

We finished our trip with a coffee at Place de la Bastille .. Au Revior Paris, until next time!

#France #Montmarte #Paris