We didn't expect to go to Paris. That seems to happen more often than not - we have plans to go somewhere, the plans fall through, and we get an unforeseen opportunity to see this incredible city at this perfect time of year!
We took an evening flight directly from Minneapolis, and 8 hours later, arrived in Paris. We found our hotel on Trivago, the beautiful Hotel Ares Eiffel, just blocks from the Eiffel Tower. It was a quaint, quiet hotel but if we went again, we'd probably pick something more centrally located. However, the underground system is magnificent, and we had a very easy time using the subway to get around. Don't bother renting a car - it's a waste of money, and parking would be a pain in the arse.
Hotel Ares let us check in early (thank goodness, we dropped our bags off and took much needed showers), and once we were revived, headed out to see the famous Eiffel tower, in all its glory, on such a blue, cloudless day. We blocked out the hoards of tourists and hawkers selling mini towers (I remember this part of my trip here 12 years ago like it was yesterday...my family thought the blinking, glowing plastic towers were so ridiculous, and we were bothered over them so much, we eventually bought one. Touche, hawkers, touche.)
We made our way to the River Seine through Champ De Mars park to take a lunch river cruise (Bateaux Parisians - $65 per person). The port is just below the Eiffel Tower, and after we checked in, we were greeted with champagne, bread and wine (all you really need, amiright?!). The wine was a red Gerard Bertrand 2014 Minervois (Syrah - Carignan blend) - we finished it a little too quickly!
We ate our three course meal of seared Bonito fish, avocado, and artichoke heart with sesame vinagrette (for Derek) and a soft-boiled egg, smoked duck filet nuggets and crisp green vegetable salad for me, followed by sea bass with caponata and basil pesto and herb crusted lamb with creamy polenta gratin. And for dessert? Cheese of the day from their Maitre Fromager and a small pot of Itakuja chocolate cream, orange and hazelnut financier cake. We died and went to heaven!
So there we were, in a near trance from being stuffed full of good French food and wine, lulled by the hot sun and sweet music, and completely in love with the marvelous weather and sights around us, we went back to our hotel and passed out.
Not one to waste too much time napping, even when it was desperately needed, I roused Derek and off we went to see the Eiffel Tower (PS - they are NOT joking about buying tickets for the lift literal MONTHS in advance. If you didn't plan, plan to take the stairs.) There's major security here - you have to go through a metal detector to get in, and open your bags, etc. There are guards with massive guns wandering around the area. I can't blame them for their extra precautions - less than a week after we returned from this trip, there was a shooting on the Champs Elysees.
We arrived around 7:30 and were in line for about an hour and a half. We paid our 7 euros each to climb to the first level, and by then, the city was completely dark. The lights were magnificent! My camera clicked away, focused especially on a building (I think it's the Sacre Coeur church) with the moon rising just behind it. We took more stairs to the second level, enjoying the 360 degree views of the city at night. But, of course, you've got to go to the top!
We took another elevator to the very top (another 6 euros each) to see the tiny apartment that Gustave Eiffel maintained for special guests like Albert Einstein. Apparently if you build something this massive and meaningful, you get to put in a cozy reading nook 984 feet in the air. Noted.
We waited (this was a common theme...it's like Disney World here. Wait in line for 50 times the length of time you'll enjoy ANYTHING you want to see, because it's April in Paris, and you're not the only one who had the genius idea of visiting today) for the elevators to take us down.
How do we cap off an evening like this? Nutella crepes, of course! And with dinner at a forgettable cafe brasserie near our hotel along the Avenue du Suffren. I was tired, and therefore, stupid. Don't eat anything but Parisian food, if you can help it. I never regretted any French food - and how could you?! Italian is common and popular here, but it needs to be REAL, authentic Italian - otherwise, expect it to taste like cardboard. There are some good places here, but the pizzas at the cafes taste like an open faced cheese sandwich, so find a good Italian place, or don't order pizza.
We took an evening flight directly from Minneapolis, and 8 hours later, arrived in Paris. We found our hotel on Trivago, the beautiful Hotel Ares Eiffel, just blocks from the Eiffel Tower. It was a quaint, quiet hotel but if we went again, we'd probably pick something more centrally located. However, the underground system is magnificent, and we had a very easy time using the subway to get around. Don't bother renting a car - it's a waste of money, and parking would be a pain in the arse.
Hotel Ares let us check in early (thank goodness, we dropped our bags off and took much needed showers), and once we were revived, headed out to see the famous Eiffel tower, in all its glory, on such a blue, cloudless day. We blocked out the hoards of tourists and hawkers selling mini towers (I remember this part of my trip here 12 years ago like it was yesterday...my family thought the blinking, glowing plastic towers were so ridiculous, and we were bothered over them so much, we eventually bought one. Touche, hawkers, touche.)
We made our way to the River Seine through Champ De Mars park to take a lunch river cruise (Bateaux Parisians - $65 per person). The port is just below the Eiffel Tower, and after we checked in, we were greeted with champagne, bread and wine (all you really need, amiright?!). The wine was a red Gerard Bertrand 2014 Minervois (Syrah - Carignan blend) - we finished it a little too quickly!
We ate our three course meal of seared Bonito fish, avocado, and artichoke heart with sesame vinagrette (for Derek) and a soft-boiled egg, smoked duck filet nuggets and crisp green vegetable salad for me, followed by sea bass with caponata and basil pesto and herb crusted lamb with creamy polenta gratin. And for dessert? Cheese of the day from their Maitre Fromager and a small pot of Itakuja chocolate cream, orange and hazelnut financier cake. We died and went to heaven!
A violinist and a vocalist traded off performing live music while we watched Paris pass by our windows. We passed the Louvre, the Muse d'Orsay, the National Library of France, and a sister Statue of Liberty that was gifted to France from America three years after they gifted us the original.
So there we were, in a near trance from being stuffed full of good French food and wine, lulled by the hot sun and sweet music, and completely in love with the marvelous weather and sights around us, we went back to our hotel and passed out.
Not one to waste too much time napping, even when it was desperately needed, I roused Derek and off we went to see the Eiffel Tower (PS - they are NOT joking about buying tickets for the lift literal MONTHS in advance. If you didn't plan, plan to take the stairs.) There's major security here - you have to go through a metal detector to get in, and open your bags, etc. There are guards with massive guns wandering around the area. I can't blame them for their extra precautions - less than a week after we returned from this trip, there was a shooting on the Champs Elysees.
We arrived around 7:30 and were in line for about an hour and a half. We paid our 7 euros each to climb to the first level, and by then, the city was completely dark. The lights were magnificent! My camera clicked away, focused especially on a building (I think it's the Sacre Coeur church) with the moon rising just behind it. We took more stairs to the second level, enjoying the 360 degree views of the city at night. But, of course, you've got to go to the top!
We took another elevator to the very top (another 6 euros each) to see the tiny apartment that Gustave Eiffel maintained for special guests like Albert Einstein. Apparently if you build something this massive and meaningful, you get to put in a cozy reading nook 984 feet in the air. Noted.
We waited (this was a common theme...it's like Disney World here. Wait in line for 50 times the length of time you'll enjoy ANYTHING you want to see, because it's April in Paris, and you're not the only one who had the genius idea of visiting today) for the elevators to take us down.
How do we cap off an evening like this? Nutella crepes, of course! And with dinner at a forgettable cafe brasserie near our hotel along the Avenue du Suffren. I was tired, and therefore, stupid. Don't eat anything but Parisian food, if you can help it. I never regretted any French food - and how could you?! Italian is common and popular here, but it needs to be REAL, authentic Italian - otherwise, expect it to taste like cardboard. There are some good places here, but the pizzas at the cafes taste like an open faced cheese sandwich, so find a good Italian place, or don't order pizza.
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