Exploring Abroad: Postcard from Paris

Cynthia:  Where do we even start talking about our 2 weeks in Paris?

Edd:  Maybe by briefly explaining how we can afford to stay 2 weeks in Paris, as well as Lisbon, Madrid, and Bordeaux on a Social Security budget. One big money saver is generally booking private rooms with shared common facilities through Airbnb.

C:  When you think about it, what you just described is not that different from renting a hotel room, except we also have access to a full kitchen.

E:  Many times our hosts have been valuable resources for “insider intel” about the area that you don’t find online. Another money saving strategy is to book a short distance outside the central tourist area and take inexpensive rides on public transportation.

C:  Being in the ‘burbs can come with other perks like a bigger room and laundry facilities. At our place in Paris we enjoyed our morning coffee on a lovely private patio.

E:  Shortly after our arrival we jumped right in with a day at the Louvre.

C:  Yep. Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, The Raft of the Medusa, Winged Victory—we definitely did the “Greatest Hits” tour plus so much more. The enormity of the museum was unexpected and by the end of the day we were exhausted!

E:  So what did we do next? What else—climb the steep hills in Picasso and Dali’s old artsy neighborhood, Montmartre.

C:  Even though we had to go to the very top of the village to see the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, it really was impressive. Plus, we got to have an alfresco lunch and engage in what seems to be the favorite pastime in Paris—people watching!

E:  We were excited to get our first real view of the Eiffel Tower from high above the city. Thinking back it reminds me of when we saw our first buffalo at Yellowstone. We were like, “Oh, wow, a buffalo!” and stopped the car to take photos. Over the next few days we saw so many of them that they needed to do karaoke or something for us to even pay attention.

C:  You’re right. It turns out the Eiffel Tower is definitely not hard to spot as you wander around Paris. That’s a weird thing about riding underground subways when you’re new to a city. You’re always popping out of stations like a prairie dog and having no idea of where you are or what’s around you.

E:  A super interesting place we visited was the Grand Gallery of Evolution—part of the National Museum of Natural History. Over 7000 species are displayed in a stunning glass-domed building. Of course, being up close and personal like that gave me the opportunity to act like a knucklehead.

C:  (Sigh) That’s my husband, folks. No trip to Paris is complete without visiting some of its iconic districts, or arrondissements as they’re called in France. We particularly enjoyed the Latin Quarter. The architecture. The quaint little shops. The energy. It was everything we’d imagined about the city from afar.

E:  And we stumbled upon what may have been our best meal in Paris at, of all places, a tiny tapas bar on a little side street run by an Egyptian. Perfectly prepared prawns, balsamic mushrooms, and papas bravas. Spectacular!

C:  Another must-see was Avenue des Champs-Élyssées, often described as “the world’s most beautiful avenue.” Along with its western anchor, the Arc de Triomphe, a monument much grander than we anticipated. Every high-end retailer on the planet seemed to be there, including this striking Dior flagship store.

E:  Even more impressive was Galeries Lafayette. Located in the 9th arrondissement, it’s the largest upscale department store in all of Europe. Beyond beautiful is the only way to describe this place.

C:  We were fascinated that the stores display only one of each item in their current collection. The sales associate then brings your size from the back. Some of the places even had velvet ropes so you can’t just wander in. Not exactly our normal style of shopping.

E:  Superlatives apply to so many of our experiences in Paris, don’t they? Everything about the string quartet concert we attended at Sainte-Chapelle was absolutely magnificent. Those gorgeous stained glass windows depicting Books of the Bible. The enchanting classical music. Wow!

C:  And the view as we walked across the Seine afterwards was the perfect ending to a magical evening.

E:  We could go on forever chatting about Paris and sharing pics. Let’s finish with the Eiffel Tower and our evening river cruise.

C:  Good idea. What can you really say about the city’s most famous landmark except, like the Arc de Triomphe, it’s a lot bigger up close than we ever imagined.

E:  The photos from the cruise tell how special that night was much better than we can. We’d hoped there would be a decent sunset. Our wish more than came true.

C:  As night fell the scenery was even more breathtaking.

E:  Then the Eiffel Tower started sparkling and spewing light everywhere. We were dumbfounded. What an ending to a fabulous trip!

C:  But there’s something else to share before we say thanks and goodbye to Paris, because our visit to Versailles deserves special attention. Prepare to be dazzled in our next post. Until then…