When my parents told me they had booked to come and visit me in Paris, I got a little bit (a lot) overexcited and planned our time as if I was writing an itinerary for a travel guide... But having now done what I had planned, I thought I'd share it because we had a really great time and saw some of the best bits of Paris!
My dad had never been to Paris until he came to visit me, so he wanted to head to all the typical tourist destinations: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and all that jazz. So I looked at a map of Paris and came up with a plan:
1. Go to the Eiffel Tower
We took the metro to Bir-Hakeim (you can also go to Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel), came up from the station and followed the signs to the Tour Eiffel, which were fairly pointless since you turn right and can see it quite clearly! Once we found the base of the tower, dad inspected the architecture as I expected and then we carried on to our next stop.
2. Cross the Seine to the Trocadero
The Trocadero is lovely, it gives you the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower and therefore the perfect photo opportunity. There are stands selling waffles, crêpes, hot chocolate and coffee and there's the most adorable merry-go-round which has an upstairs(!).
So we took some photos and admire the Eiffel Tower and its surroundings a little bit more, then we bought some waffles and had a little sit down before continuing on our brilliant tour de Paris.
3. Take the metro to the Arc de Triomphe
We then took the metro from Trocadéro to Charles de Gaulle Étoile, which is right at the top of the Avenue des Champs-Elysées and right next to the Arc de Triomphe. We went down the stairs into the passage underneath the road, which took us to the Arc de Triomphe where you pay about ten euros to climb to the top (unless you're between 18 and 25 years old and have your driving licence or passport with you). We then climbed about ten million stairs and got to the top of the Arc, where we got to see the most amazing view of Paris.
4. Spend all of the money along the Champs-Elysées
Of course we had to walk down the Champs-Elysées! The shops are huge and the road itself is never-ending. If you're a makeup fan, the MAC store and the Sephora along this road are the stuff of dreams.
5. Tuileries
If you're feeling energetic, you can walk right down the Champs-Elysées and eventually you'll get to the Tuileries gardens. We, however, had some lunch and then hopped on the metro to the gardens instead! The Tuileries are right by the Louvre and are definitely worth having a wander around. There are a couple of cafés for you to sit and have a munch or a hot chocolate, there's a little pond where you can hire mini sailboats to play with and there are lots of chairs dotted around the place for you to sit down and admire your surroundings.
6. Louvre
Our final tourist destination was, of course, the Louvre. We didn't go inside, but dad took a photo of the pyramid on his head (don't ask) and we wandered round the museum shop before heading back to their hotel to rest our feet after a long day of walking!
7. Il Pescatore
If you've been reading my blog from the start, you'll recognise this name. Il Pescatore is the Italian restaurant I went to first with my mum and Sam and then with my Gran. The food there is so good that I really can't stay away - as soon as I have an excuse to go (aka a visitor) I'm there! The waiters are so kind, I've even befriended one of them because he recognised me when we went this time around. Its in the fifth arrondissement on Rue des Écoles.
On the following day, we went to Le Petit Quotidien for breakfast which was absolutely delicious. Its all organic and very French - pain au chocolat and delicious breads. We then walked along the Passage Plantée, which mum found out about online. It used to be a railway track but has now been converted into a lovely three mile path with trees and plants and benches all the way along - gorgeous in the autumn!
À bientôt!
Bean xx
