Paris, France Flight Path

I spent 48 hours in Paris without doing any research and here is how it went.

Nov 22, 2022

I’ve always heard that Paris in the fall is beautiful, so I decided to check it out for myself.

This previous weekend, I jetted off to Paris on Thursday evening to meet my two friends, Naia and Aubrey, who were flying in Friday afternoon. This was a last minute trip driven by the want to see the Vendredi Sur Mer concert. Naia listened to her during high school French and has been a fan ever since. Personally, I am a fan of any concerts happening in Paris.

My fatal flaw is traveling somewhere without any knowledge of the city. When I touched down in Paris Thursday night I had no idea what I was going to do for the weekend. Here is how I filled up my 60 hours in Paris.

Housing

I stayed at Le Village Montemarte by Hiphophostels which I would only recommend to a very specific type of person. If you’re looking for luxury, safety, or privacy this hostel is not for you. These rooms felt like a vacation with extended family from the shotty bunk beds that creaked when you turned over, a small locker to store your valuables while suitcases were littered across the floor, and outlets congested on one wall instead of near the beds. Honestly I loved the hostel but I think I just got extremely lucky with my hostelmates for the weekend. I was never scared they would snoop through or steal my things and they gave me tips on how to get into the museums for free. The only complaint would be the area, as Montemarte is very unsafe at night. I sat on the balcony eating a salami sandwich the first night because my hostelmates told me not to go walking around. I heard people fighting below. When I walked home from the concert a random man followed me to the entrance. The front door was very secure though and could only be opened with a key card. I appreciated the breakfast of four different types of bread for only 9 euros.

Maybe the Metro System is not your ideal “tourist destination” but getting tickets was the very first stop I made Friday morning. I got a book of 10 tickets for $12 that lasted me the entire trip (along with averaging 10 miles a day walking). I have heard Europeans complain about the Paris metro system but it is so far beyond anything in the US that I turn up my nose at their accusations. I had no problems with it and it always got me to where I needed to be.

Attractions

In my tourist opinion, the Jardins du Trocadéro is the best place to see the Eiffel Tower. The monument obviously does not see too impressive in the daylight, however spotlighted behind the fountains and flowers in the Gardens turns it into an impressive sight all day long.

When is the best time to see the Eiffel Tower, then? At night. Always at night. Lit up in all it’s glory, it’s understandable why millions flock every year to see the Parisian tower. Any view of the tower is a good one, especially on each hour. The tower sparkled for five minutes.

Maybe the Seine River is not an “attraction” per say but I have always been such a big water girl. Which is funny because I cannot swim. Early Saturday morning I went down to the river and look a little run, given my family was back home in St. Louis completing the ALD charity run that we do every year on the same day.

I will literally never say no to a concert, which means I have been to my fair share, and Élysée Montmartre has officially become one of my favorite venues. Everyone buys a cheap general admission ticket, you sit outside in a line, and the inside is just a stage and a big floor for people to stand. We were at the very front. The concert was two blocks away from my hostel and the music, Vendredi Sur Mer, was so good it did not matter that I do not speak any French.

Museums

I am listing the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur as a museum because it feels sacrilegious to list it as an attraction. The basilica was behind my hostel and then up 300 steps. I met Naia and Aubrey there Saturday morning.

Even though we strictly visited the basilica to reenact the scene that sets the Selena Gomez movie, “Monte Carlo”, into action, it is obvious as to why they were captivated by its beauty in the movie. Having been raised Catholic I’ve been to a lot of gorgeous churches, but there’s nothing like lighting a candle for your family in a famous basilica in Paris.

That little famous glass pyramid… need I say more? I heard a tour guide say that The Louvre is so big, you could walk around for two weeks and still not see the whole thing. Most famously, it houses the Mona Lisa on a 77 x 53cm canvas but the secret is if you turn around you will see “The Wedding at Cana” taking up an entire wall at 6.77 x 9.9m. Also known as Logic’s album cover.

**This is a good time as ever to admit that when I was trying to get into the museum I literally Googled “how to enter the louvre” because I couldn’t find the entrance. Turns out that’s the whole point of the glass pyramid.**

Maybe this is rude to the French to say, but I enjoyed the Musée d'Orsay more than the Louvre. From fifth grade to my freshman year of college I attended a small exclusive art school in my hometown during the summer. Two days a week, I would rise at 8 a.m. and spend the day there. We all started with pencil and if you wanted to work with different mediums you had to pass certain tests. To work with watercolors, one of my favorite mediums, you had to pass the Monet test — copy the Pond of Water Lilies to absolute perfection. The d’Orsay has an impressive collection of Monet paintings which is how I experienced the surreal feeling of finding myself face-to-face with the real Pond of Water Lilies. I stood in front of the painting for a good five minutes just staring, the same way I had the entire summer after 6th grade.

Shopping

I only made it to one thrift store while in Paris, Free ‘P’ Star Thrift, but it was one of the best I have been to. They had a basement with a giant tub in the middle (think of a small swimming pool) full of clothes. In every city I visit, I try to find a thrift store and buy a unique piece of clothing. In Paris I bought a gray t-shirt with bikini-clad surfer women and a unique looking jean jacket that my mom screamed over when I Facetimed her later.

Visiting the Shakespeare and Company bookstore was Naia’s first and only major aspiration of the trip. The bookstore was made famous when it became the first in the world to sell the entire “Ulysses” when nobody else would. It has housed world-renowned authors such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s been said that modern-day authors know they’ve made it when they have a book signing at Shakespeare and Company. For such a famous bookstore that generally has a line out the front, the books were reasonably cheap and came with a big “Shakespeare and Company” stamp right inside the front cover. I bought the Pulitzer Prize winning book “Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life” by William Finnegan.

One of my favorite spots in all of Paris was the Place du Terte. Just past the Sacre Coeur, there is a small, famous plaza filled with artists selling and creating their work right in front of you. You can have your portrait done right on the spot in charcoal, pencil, or paint. For artists to sell here, they have to submit an official portfolio to the city to be approved.

The man’s best friend is good for more than just long walks and companionship — he’s good inspiration for an art store as well. Paul Art & Design is a small store dedicated solely to the art he makes of his dog. From coasters to prints to tote bags, you see the adventures of Paul and his best friend. It was the perfect place to buy my canine-loving mother her special Parisian Christmas gift.

If you’re interested in high fashion at all, a stop at Av. des Champs-Élysées is mandatory. It is famous for having all the major designers on one avenue. I wanted to walk down the street and Naia, as a perfume collector, wanted to go into Guerlain and buy a designer perfume she had been saving up for.

Eating

I am putting “eating” last because I know this section will disappoint. I’m not a very big foodie so you should look elsewhere for food recommendation. However, I have to add in La Villa des Abbesses which appeared right when we needed it. At 12 p.m. Naia, Aubrey, and I had not yet eaten (other than my four pieces of bread) so we stopped here for the breakfast meal. For 13 euros we got coffee, orange juice, two pieces of bread, an omelet, breakfast pudding, and a special Madeline cake. We devoured all of it.

After the concert we went to Les Oiseaux, a small diner next to the venue. I ate grilled chicken and french fries and we drank white wine. There was a creepy man who kept staring at us and moving closer to our table. There was a birthday party for a little kid happening next to us. It was all very overwhelming.