Paris is one of the most beautiful Cities in the World. It possesses an electric atmosphere, in a whirlwind of fashion, beauty, drama and romance. It really is the City that never sleeps!
Upon my first visit to Paris, I was immediately drawn into its glitzy cultural haze. Everybody seemed to be ‘somebody’ in amongst the hustle and bustle of daily routine. The traffic was fierce, (Champs–Élysées especially!) and dining out on a street corner seemed an attractive way to spend a lunch hour rather than crammed in an office.
I stayed in the greater Paris area, Noisy-le-Grand, and would often catch the Metro (their version of our Tube system) into the City Centre on a daily basis. Chatelet Les Halles is the central stop in Paris that then connects other various Metro lines to sight-seeing places in the City.
I found that there’s nothing better than filling your senses with the sights and smells of Parisian life, by often taking a walk down some of the side streets off the main attraction areas. Rue de bac is a side road just off the Place de la Concorde, and down here you can really get a glimpse of french couture and culture. You can’t walk a few yards without seeing a designer boutique or fancy cafe, set in the heart of what is true Parisian life, away from the more tourist jammed places.
Side roads near the Eiffel Tower also offer more of quiet and calming back drop to the City. These are often the best places to engage with photography as well, where you can take some of the less obvious images of everyday life.
Of course, it wouldn’t be worthy of staying in Paris without ‘visiting’ (and spending quite a few Euro’s!) down the The Avenue des Champs-Élysées. One of my absolute favourite places in Paris, that boasts an array of shops and department stores – from Morgan de toi, Sephora, C&A, Naf Naf, Etam and the higher end of the scale…Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci…the list is endless!
On returning to the hotel at night, the view over Paris is simply outstanding….at Midnight the Eiffel Tower glitters for around 5 minutes, and the spotlight at the top of it (like a lighthouse)spans out all across Paris… Notebook and pen in hand, sat on my windowsill, awaiting for its next turn round where it would momentarily dazzle me through the window….ahh, bliss!
2 things to do in Paris that the guidebooks (usually) don’t tell you….!
1. Engage in French Media by looking at French magazines, newspapers and the like. Every hotel usually holds a rack of morning papers, but I recommend going in a French newsagent and scanning the shelves for some of your own interests….Whatever stage you’re at if you are learning French; this can also really help to pick out odd words and phrases you’ll remember.
2. Lay in the grass by the Eiffel Tower, or grab a pen and paper and sit and write your deepest thoughts alongside the River Seine.
All picture references – The French Connection UK
thefrenchconnectionuk.wordpress.com 