For our last stop on our backpacking trip (called Second Europe), Nico and I flew to the romantic city of Paris. Although it normally makes more sense to take the train from San Sebastián to Paris, Nico and I didn't get our shit together in time and train tickets told out. So, we took a bus to Bilbao and then flew to Paris. This visit marked my third trip to Paris and I've loved this iconic city every single time.
Accommodations
Nico and I chose to stay at an Airbnb this time around. We did struggle quite a bit with communicating to our host. Nico messaged her to let her know our arrival time at the airport. We said we'd take the metro directly to her apartment after that. She said that was ok and that she'd meet us there. When we got to the apartment complex, however, nobody was there. We waited outside the gate, trying to see if there was a way in (there wasn't without a code). We looked for a doorbell or buzzer to try to ring the apartment (the search was inconclusive). Finally, Nico decided to try to find someone and borrow their phone to contact our host (since our phones were useless without wifi). He walked to the park nearby while I stayed at the gate in case our host showed up. It felt like forever that Nico was gone but eventually he walked back up and told me that our host was nowhere near the apartment right now and could meet up with us in an hour. Somehow there was a miscommunication but I was frustrated and tired and began drafting my negative review in my head.
Nico told me that he met some people in the park and that we could hang out with them until our apartment was ready. The group of young adults that Nico borrowed a phone from happened to be a crew of international tour guides. They all worked for Fat Tire Bike Tours, the tour company I used when I came to Paris for the first time a few years ago with my Dad. Everyone spoke English or French together since those were their common languages being from all around the world. Nico and I had a great time lounging in the park with them and planned to meet up again after getting settled at our Airbnb.
The small studio apartment actually turned out to be quite nice. So was our host who I quickly forgave upon meeting. She was a student from China living in Paris to go to school. English was her third language, how could I be mad for the miscommunication? Plus, the location was very central to Paris. We were very close to Les Invalides and a short distance from the Eiffel Tower.
Activities
The first thing Nico and I did after dropping our stuff off at the apartment was meet up with our tour guide friends. We rented bikes (located all over the city, you just swipe a card, grab a bike, and drop it off at one of the many locations in the city) and ate delicious crepes. We had a fun time exploring Paris a little bit and hanging out with new friends.
For day two, Nico and I biked to the Eiffel Tower for a picnic (because of course we did). We brought a bottle of champagne, a French baguette, and some salami and cheese. It was nice to lounge around and try to take pictures that fit the whole tower in the frame.
Obligatory Eiffel Tower picnic
After our picnic, Nico and I got in line to go up into the tower. It's usually a better idea to go with a tour because you can skip the line and learn a lot about Paris and its history but Nico and I didn't plan ahead so we just bought tickets and walked up. The lines weren't too bad this day.
Views
Eating a baguette on the Eiffel Tower cause that's what French people do right?
Later in the day, we went to Montmartre, the art district of Paris. We visited the basilica, Sacré-Cœur, which I think looks prettiest from the back (where it hasn't been restored and the black discoloration contrasts beautifully with the white stone). We checked out the different art stalls set up in the street. Some artists were creating pieces right there, others were just selling work. I almost bought an overpriced painting of a cat just because it looked like mine who had recently passed away (Francis would have wanted me to save my money though I'm sure).
Sacré-Cœur
I mean, look at that contrast
For my last day in Paris and our last day together, Nico and I got a lot of walking in. We walked to the Arc du Triomphe, then to the Louvre, then to Notre Dame. That evening I said goodbye to Nico and then got on an overnight train to Milan. Nico stayed another day in Paris before heading to Amsterdam to continue his adventure. I unfortunately needed to be back in the US to go to school.
Arc du Triumphe
Just look
at this
derp.
Notre Dame
Food
I'm sure Paris has many more amazing restaurants than I'll ever be able to experience. I can say with confidence that it's easy to find a delicious crêpe (sweet or savory) almost anywhere. While hanging out with the tour guides we met in the park, they introduced us to a little crêperie close by. I'm not sure if the crêperie was part of Café Le Pierrot or if it was a separate little stand attached to the right, but either way, just look up Café Le Pierrot and you'll be able to find it. The crêpes were amazing!
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