Paris, France

Although we’d both been to Paris previously, this would be our first trip to the city of romance together. It seemed a fitting way to mark our fourth anniversary.

The four-day trip in early May should have flourished us with mild temperatures and perhaps a good amount of sunshine. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. With most days struggling to reach a high of 11 degrees or offer a break in the rainclouds, our Parisian getaway ended up wet and cold.

1 – Architecture

The buildings that make up central Paris are almost all identical in style, structure and form. One street looks like the next, which looks like the next, and so on. It’s fitting that the term déjà vu originated in France!

But it’s not just the uniformity of the Parisian skyline that caught my eye. First and foremost, there are no skyscrapers. Certainly not for a considerable distance anyway. All buildings are of a similar height, perhaps five or six floors, plus roof, and crafted in the same light-coloured stone. The intricate exterior carvings and fretworks are impressive, as are the quantity and alignment of windows. It’s possible to stand at one end of a long avenue, cast your eye-line to the other end, and see a precisional row of windows, shutters and balconies. They are so incredibly uniformed, it takes the word symmetry to a whole new level.

2 – Tradition

France appears to have retained more of its tradition than most places I’ve visited. I can’t decide whether this is by chance or design. Be it the highly sought after french cuisine, the desire to sit out al fresco, or the quirky-dressed locals, France retains the stereotypes we were taught more than 30 years ago.

Shops still don’t open on a Sunday. I found this to be a pretty outdated concept for such a forward-thinking capital in the global market. Perhaps retaining their identity is more important to the French than adopting the open-all-hours approach.

I’ve outgrown my hunger pangs for french cuisine and regard pastries and breads as relatively dull ingredients these days. As such, the appeal of popping into a boulangerie or patisserie wasn’t as mouth-watering as it might have been. But we still sampled a few bakery delights during our stay and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Hotel: Hotel Louison, Montparnasse

We stayed in Hotel Louison which is situated in the Montparnasse region, just to the south of the city. The hotel was small, boutique and cosy. With timeless french decor throughout – it was the epitome of what you’d expect a traditional french hotel to be. A narrow, spiral staircase serves as the centrepiece of this hotel, spanning all 7 floors. The building is said to have had royal connections too. As rumour has it, Marquise de Maintenon secretly raised the bastard children of King Louis XIV in the confines of Hotel Louison’s very bricks and mortar.

We ate locally one evening at Harper’s Paris 15, a modern-traditional French restaurant, and it was spectacular. The quirky decor, the creative menu and sophisticated Parisian diners made our evening that extra bit special! (Overall Rating 88/100)

Eiffel Tower

We paid two visits to the Eiffel Tower area, one by day and one by night. Our first visit would see us in the vicinity of this magnificent structure for five hours! A slight faux pas on our part for not realising how late the sun sets in May. But it was worth the wait. When the illuminated, iconic landmark radiated against the dark sky backdrop, we felt anything other than short-changed.

It also gave us time to sit outdoors in Cafe des Officiers, a traditional bar where we sipped red wine and watched the tourists and locals wander on by. Observing the pop-up stall owners arriving to set up their blanket displays of mini Eiffels to sell to tourists was enlightening too. (Overall Rating 90/100)

Louvre

Saturday’s weather forecast was dire so we decided to spend the day indoors, keeping warm and dry. Epic plan – not! Our genius idea didn’t factor in that everyone else would be planning to avoid the rain too. As such, we ended up queuing for an hour and half to get in to the Louvre museum. After what felt like an eternity stood in the heavy pouring rain and cold temperatures, we weren’t in the best mindset to take in a spectacular plethora of art by the time we reached the entrance.

However, once inside we were mightily impressed. The Louvre is a maze and one you could easily get lost in. We lost the concept of time and spent endless hours soaking up the magnificence on display. The underground floor which was completed a few decades ago was tastefully built. It combines fine traditional architecture alongside brutally modern new materials that blend perfectly together.

The queue for the ‘Moaning Lisa’ (as I like to call her) was quite breathtaking, if not the painting itself. I imagine most people go there so they can selfie with the famous lady! We didn’t get close enough for the must-have selfie, but we managed to snap a photo of others selfieing with the iconic portrait instead. (Overall Rating 93/100)

Grand Arche

On the outskirts of Paris stands a tall, modern structure in the shape of a hollow square frame. We took a 36km round walk to see it, and it was worth every second of the time we spent on foot. The area surrounding the structure, known as ‘La Defense‘, was an unexpected surprise too. It comprises a large business district, residential apartments and leisure or recreational zones. From my observations it looked to be THE place to live and thrive for young professionals and families. Once we reached the Grand Arche, we climbed the structure’s base level steps, turned around and cast our eyes to the unimpeded straight-line views of the Arc de Triomphe in the distance. I’m certain this alignment wasn’t a ‘by chance’ consequence of the structure’s development. (Overall Rating 90/100)

Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe

The Champs Elysees‘ pedestrian-only streets came as a huge shock – it’s nothing like the frenzied, dodgem-like set up I remember from the early 90s. Lining both sides of this famous street are high-end retail outlets, ideal for the hoards of billionaires who visit Paris, just to shop. We popped into one of the department stores to use their ‘facilities’ and were blown away by the Japanese-inspired interior. The mixed-gender, zen-influenced lavatories had heated seats – a very plush way to spend a penny whilst out shopping.

The roads surrounding Arc de Triomphe are notorious for bumper-to-bumper accidents. Not surprising really, there are no road markings on the cobbles of this road-rage hotspot. Under the Arc de Triomphe is a useful subway – a safe way to navigate the city I imagine. We walked under the Arc and onward to a busy street market in a residential area not far from the iconic landmark – worth another visit if ever we decide to return. (Overall Rating 91/100)

Le Jardin du Luxembourg and Bois de Boulogne

Our half-marathon stroll out of the city centre and back took us through a delightful forest, Bois de Boulogne. The picturesque area of 2,088 acres was filled with spectacular greenery, water expanses and walkways. Amid the parks, lakes and trees, recreational activities such as camping, watersports and even skating are on offer. Bois de Boulogne was an unexpected find and we were stunned that we’d not heard of it before our trip.

We wrapped up the day with a trip to Le Jardin du Luxembourg. A stunning Victorian garden which is home to the spectacular Palais du Luxembourg. I had visions of young mademoiselles from the start of last century holding sun parasols and dressed in pretty white and pastel costumes. It was a perfect way to reflect on the origins and past of the city. We hid under trees during a short downpour and managed to stumble upon a mini Statue of Liberty. During this trip I sensed a connection between New York and Paris in more ways than just the statue. (Overall Rating 90/100)

Sacre-Coeur

Our final day included a quick trip to Sacre-Coeur. Translating to Sacred Heart, this famous church is set on an elevated position to the north of the city and overlooks Paris for many miles in all directions. There are a number of ways to reach the church, we took a back-streets route and climbed a few hundred steps to reach the vantage point.

The memorable sights we took in made the climb totally worth it. The quaint little gift shops and cafés on the doorstep of Sacre-Coeur are well worth a visit too. (Overall Rating 90/100)

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Date of visit: 3 May 2019 to 6 May 2019