Paris

Bonjour! Je t’aime Paris!

The smoothest weekend trip to date, and in a new favorite spot of mine: Paris. Paris is a place that most people have seen in movies, TV shows, or photographs. Still, something about being in the actual city made it all the more astonishing.

Throughout this whole endeavor, I have been starting to consider moving to Europe temporarily while in my 20s. If this were an opportunity, Paris would be at the very top of that list. 

Paris was the one trip I had booked from the start. Aside from being a ‘must-see’ place for me, Hunter and I had bought Allie tickets to see Still Woozy (her favorite artist) perform in Paris. Unfortunately, two weeks ago, Still Woozy decided to postpone the concert until November. While this came with great devastation, Allie and I still decided to go through with the trip!

I arrived Friday afternoon, a few hours behind Allie. We had initially purchased our AirBnb to be near the venue, but since that was no longer occurring, we decided to stay at a cheaper hostel much closer to the center of Paris.

That night, we waited in line and grabbed dinner at “Pink Mamma,” a notable restaurant in Paris. We split three appetizers and had a flavorsome drink. We sat at the bar and talked for so long that we didn’t even realize it was 11:30. At that point, the waiter came over to us with a complimentary Limoncello shot… and then 20 minutes later with another. Shoutout Francisco, at Pink Mamma!

After this dinner, we felt pretty high on life and decided to Bird to the Eiffel Tower. We stopped and grabbed a bottle of champagne, found a couple of Bird scooters, and headed on our 15-minute journey to the most iconic attraction in France. The night was warm, with little wind, and we were allowing our spontaneity drive us. This was my favorite part of the trip. For about 3 minutes, the tower’s lights sparkle every hour. The clock hit 12:00 right when we were crossing the bridge over the Seine River, granting us the gorgeous view of the twinkling lights reflecting on the water. My ripped, dirty paper bag holding the champagne bottle really matched the aesthetic of this moment. 

When reaching the base of the Eiffel Tower, we popped open the champagne & toasted to these unforgettable memories we get to make. About ten minutes later, a Scottish boy and a French girl approached us, and we talked with them for about an hour until getting home around 2:30. Just random conversations outside of the Eiffel Tower, super casual.

Saturday morning, we fueled the day with eggs benedict, banana pancakes, and a sandwich at Loulou. The meal was fantastic and filling, just what we needed to go see some skeletons buried underneath Paris.

The Catacombs is a memorial to the roughly 6 million unnamed, deceased bodies placed underneath the city of Paris. 

In the late 18th century, officials recognized the sudden cluster of cemeteries due to the overpopulation of both the living and deceased. The solution of placing the bodies one mile underneath the city of Paris was decided. Today, tourists can see the millions of skeletons lined up on an oddly neat display and marvel at the history that they emit. It was very cool and a bucket list item for Allie!

Naturally, we got a shot glass in the book store for our Mifflin house. True tourists.

After 45 minutes, we returned above ground with the rest of the living bodies. We grabbed the metro and went to the Notre-Dame Catholic Cathedral. Notre-Dame is a large gothic building that hosted many people chilling outside in its courtyard. It is a prominent tourist attraction for Paris visitors.

The sky was blue, the sun was out, the trees were blooming, and everyone walking around seemed content. These days are much more appreciated after the Covid-19 pandemic. Allie and I walked across the Seine River and passed some amazing street artwork, the best kind. The river looked a lot cleaner than I had anticipated, and just about everyone seemed to be out enjoying the sunny day.

The Lourve was next on our tourist to-do list for the day. Due to being a student, we acquired tickets free of charge and roamed around one of the most historical museums. We b-lined to visit our good pal, Mona Lisa, with one goal in mind. This may have been one of the most famous objects I have ever laid my eyes on. A very cool moment. Oh, and we got a selfie with her, of course. A very photogenic woman.

To cap the night off, we bought some snacks and walked over to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset and have a picnic. This was, what one may call, a very “core memory.” We listened to jazz music, ate salami and crackers, drank wine, and talked about all aspects of life that two 21-year-olds would be concerned about. Such intellects. 

After the sunset, we entered through the bottom of the tower to get a better looked. 

We hopped in a tuktuk (a golf cart-looking mobile) and concluded the trip Paris style: with the best damn tasting macaroons outside of Louis Vuitton and the Arc de Triomphe.

Though I was not in Paris to fall in love with a person (sorry Allie), I did fall in love with the city. As Audrey Hepburn says, “Paris isn’t for changing planes. It’s for changing your outlook. For throwing open the windows and letting in ‘La Via En Rose.'”

Au revoir!