Flowers, towers, and color.
And so much more!
Ooh la la.
I know. I know.
People in my daily life ask me why I keep returning to Paris.
You're not alone.
Each time I return, I feel like I'm home.
Really, Paris is my Euro happy place. We have explored many cities all around Europe, but I manage to find my way back to this one, often.
We have visited Paris in the winter and the fall before, but never during the spring! So of course, it was a must {plus it came in handy that we were visiting Normandy, anyway. Not like Paris was out of the way}.
I purposely revisited some major touristy things because I wanted to see the difference among the seasons. Totally worth it. We also spent some time getting lost and seeing new things, too.
Le Marais: The Historical Aristocratic District
I've never made it to the Le Marais district until this trip and was super excited to do so!
Le Marais is host to many noble mansions from yesteryear now converted into museums, hotels, restaurants, and swanky boutique shops. The area's old charm still remains within, but now-a-days you won't strictly encounter old money wandering around in bustled skirts.
I'm kind of a dork {kind of? Okay, I am a dork}, so aside from my love of history, I wanted to visit the area because I thoroughly enjoy playing Assassin's Creed Unity and climbing the walls of Le Marais within the game.
Our first stop in this district was something I've been wanting to head to for quite awhile:
Carnavalet Museum
The museum is an interesting one, and...is a mansion turned museum.
Ha! Just like every other museum in this city!
Mainly about Paris' history, it holds random household items from back in the day, signs from around the city collected throughout the years, and of course, art.
The museum also showcases what noble Parisian households looked like in their heyday; with furniture setup as it would have been, dining tables set for a gathering, and loads of wallpaper plus gilded ceilings for days. I wasn't so much interested in this part of it, due to my being palace jaded, but it was pretty. There are cute, little garden courtyards within the property, which I was especially fond of.
The museum itself isn't on the same level as the Louvre or d'Orsay, but it was FREE. Donations are encouraged for the upkeep, so we threw a few Euro at them upon entry, for good juju.
Place des Vosges
Known as one of Paris' oldest squares, it would make sense that this area packs a lot of history and fun facts.
With the weather being skeptical, we stayed along the M1 metro route with no real place to visit in mind. Made a quick decision to jump off and see the Tuileries Garden near the Louvre {note that the Louvre-Rivoli metro station is probably the most beautiful metro station on earth. If you're ever in the area, make a stop here and try to prove me wrong!}
The Tuileries garden was not in full bloom, but we enjoyed our walk through it anyway. All the time I have spent in this city and I have always managed to walk around it, but not through it.
Jardin des Tuileries
Exiting the gardens, we found ourselves in a familiar place:
Place de la Concorde
Of course, I stopped to admire one of the two fountains. The only time I had seen either of the them was at night. During the day, I have to say that Fontaine des Fleuves {Fountain of the Rivers} is a bit more characteristic!
Fun fact: Place de la Concorde {then known as Place de la Revolution} is where Marie-Antoinette and her king husband Louis XVI were beheaded.
Creepy.
We continued walking under the safety of the right bank's trees between Champs-Elysees and Avenue Gabriel, in case of a sudden downpour. Along the way we found ourselves within more gardens.
I adored the random garden area. It was a nice slice of peace in an otherwise busy place. From there, we kept on going towards the most nauseating roundabout in Europe at the
Arc de Triomphe.
I wasn't necessarily headed to see the roundabout, but I wanted to attempt to get on top of the Arc for the first time. And that we did.
Weather is a funny thing. Tourists are scared of it and when a cloud looms, everyone seems to scatter. I'm not a fan of being rained on, but if spending quality time with less people around in my favorite city means a few impending sky sprinkles, bring it on.
We ducked underground to reach the arc, bought our tickets in the nonexistent queue for €9 per adult/kids free. The ticket lady charged us the reduced adult price, for whatever reason. Not complaining.
It's generally €12 per adult/ kids free.
With no waiting and an unexpected discount, visiting the Arc was already worth it.
The stairs in this monument are no joke.
They do make for fun images, though.
The views are amazing!
360 degrees of Paris staring back at me was a delight. I snapped photos just about every ten feet, but I'll spare you the majority.
I wished the sky would've been a more vibrant blue, but I have to admit that if the day would have been nicer, we would have waited in a crazy long line to make it to the top.
From the Arc, we jumped on the M2 and headed to Moulin Rouge; a site I have managed to miss with every other visit to Paris.
I have to say, it was worth the wait! And perfect timing. The night sky began to fall behind it, making a nice contrast to the lights. Next time I see it, I'd like to capture a slow shutter shot later at night.
Oh, and my return will have to be without the kiddies in order for me to purchase some dinner tickets for this establishment...
The photos below just about sum up the rest of our short trip to Paris.
It never feels long enough.
But it's always 110% worth it.
Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without catching a glimpse of the Iron Lady.
I am currently working on a travel project and need a night shot of her sparkling.
I have snapped photos of it before, but my resolution wasn't big enough for the print size I need.
A perfect excuse to revisit.
And I was able to get that super ginormous resolution I require!
Mission complete.
The Eiffel was also neato to see during the daylight hours {during spring}, too. The base of the tower has a pretty nice park; with pink cheery blossom and magnolia trees in the area.
It's always a great time in Paris!
I do want to mention that since the November attacks in 2015, this city has changed and feels different.
Yes, it was common to see members of the police and army hanging around major touristy areas before, but now it seems that the numbers of these people have quadrupled.
Areas we've come to love and have visited before are no longer, well at least for the time being.
The park with a grotto on the west side of the Eiffel is gated off and closed until further notice.
Trocadero and it's gardens were closed as well, which was weird to see. This isn't a daily thing, but we were told that they will section it off and shut it down with any hint of a threat. And holy heck, police were in full force around it the entire weekend. They even shut down one of the metro entrances nearest to it. Every other cop had a working dog on a leash.
The metros have a lot more police presence, too. They'll jump on and off trains at random, which actually isn't a bad idea when it comes to the common stories of petty theft.
It was normal to have bag checks at certain attractions before, but now there are bag checks at all attractions and metal detectors to accompany them.
The city has a different vibe than it did before. It's hard to put into words unless you have visited before November 2015 and after. Even five months later, folks are sitting on the edge of their seats in this city.
Can't say I blame them.
Regardless, I still adore her.
And I shall return.
Next post?
Back in Germany and enjoying 70 degree weather for the first time in months!
And so much more!
Ooh la la.
I know. I know.
People in my daily life ask me why I keep returning to Paris.
You're not alone.
Each time I return, I feel like I'm home.
Really, Paris is my Euro happy place. We have explored many cities all around Europe, but I manage to find my way back to this one, often.
We have visited Paris in the winter and the fall before, but never during the spring! So of course, it was a must {plus it came in handy that we were visiting Normandy, anyway. Not like Paris was out of the way}.
I purposely revisited some major touristy things because I wanted to see the difference among the seasons. Totally worth it. We also spent some time getting lost and seeing new things, too.
Le Marais: The Historical Aristocratic District
I've never made it to the Le Marais district until this trip and was super excited to do so!
Le Marais is host to many noble mansions from yesteryear now converted into museums, hotels, restaurants, and swanky boutique shops. The area's old charm still remains within, but now-a-days you won't strictly encounter old money wandering around in bustled skirts.
I'm kind of a dork {kind of? Okay, I am a dork}, so aside from my love of history, I wanted to visit the area because I thoroughly enjoy playing Assassin's Creed Unity and climbing the walls of Le Marais within the game.
Our first stop in this district was something I've been wanting to head to for quite awhile:
Carnavalet Museum
The museum is an interesting one, and...is a mansion turned museum.
Ha! Just like every other museum in this city!
Mainly about Paris' history, it holds random household items from back in the day, signs from around the city collected throughout the years, and of course, art.
The museum also showcases what noble Parisian households looked like in their heyday; with furniture setup as it would have been, dining tables set for a gathering, and loads of wallpaper plus gilded ceilings for days. I wasn't so much interested in this part of it, due to my being palace jaded, but it was pretty. There are cute, little garden courtyards within the property, which I was especially fond of.
The museum itself isn't on the same level as the Louvre or d'Orsay, but it was FREE. Donations are encouraged for the upkeep, so we threw a few Euro at them upon entry, for good juju.
Place des Vosges
Known as one of Paris' oldest squares, it would make sense that this area packs a lot of history and fun facts.
- It's the site of where the French King Henry II was wounded during a tournament; subsequently dying from those injuries. Before the Royal Pavilion even existed, there was another building here called Hôtel de Tournelles that was used often by the royal family, and it was there that King Henry died. Catherine Medici, his queen wife, ordered for the building to be demolished after his death {after the fact, Catherine moved into the Louvre Palace which is now the world famous Louvre Museum}.
- Victory Hugo, the famous author who wrote The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Miserables, once took residence here.
- There are 36 mansions in total within Place des Vosges, and all are identical.
- The square is perfectly symmetrical, thus a perfect square.
- The name "Places des Vosages" has changed a few times, but always one of two names at each time: Place des Vosges or Place Royale.
 |
| Accidentally wandered too far from my metro stop and stumbled across this little gem: Jardin de l'Hôtel de Sens |
The Tuileries garden was not in full bloom, but we enjoyed our walk through it anyway. All the time I have spent in this city and I have always managed to walk around it, but not through it.
Jardin des Tuileries
Exiting the gardens, we found ourselves in a familiar place:
Place de la Concorde
Of course, I stopped to admire one of the two fountains. The only time I had seen either of the them was at night. During the day, I have to say that Fontaine des Fleuves {Fountain of the Rivers} is a bit more characteristic!
Creepy.
We continued walking under the safety of the right bank's trees between Champs-Elysees and Avenue Gabriel, in case of a sudden downpour. Along the way we found ourselves within more gardens.
I adored the random garden area. It was a nice slice of peace in an otherwise busy place. From there, we kept on going towards the most nauseating roundabout in Europe at the
Arc de Triomphe.
I wasn't necessarily headed to see the roundabout, but I wanted to attempt to get on top of the Arc for the first time. And that we did.
Weather is a funny thing. Tourists are scared of it and when a cloud looms, everyone seems to scatter. I'm not a fan of being rained on, but if spending quality time with less people around in my favorite city means a few impending sky sprinkles, bring it on.
We ducked underground to reach the arc, bought our tickets in the nonexistent queue for €9 per adult/kids free. The ticket lady charged us the reduced adult price, for whatever reason. Not complaining.
It's generally €12 per adult/ kids free.
With no waiting and an unexpected discount, visiting the Arc was already worth it.
The stairs in this monument are no joke.
They do make for fun images, though.
 |
| Inside the top of the arc, it's pretty spacious! Within it one can find an exhibit regarding it's construction and a monument to the first world war. Oh, and this guy who is actually an angry lady shown above sits up inside the arc, too. She may look a bit familiar because the same bust is located on an exterior wall relief (frieze), but in whole body form. Her name is Marianne {"Hi. Marianne!"} and she and her friends together are known as La Marseillaise. She is utterly terrifying. |
360 degrees of Paris staring back at me was a delight. I snapped photos just about every ten feet, but I'll spare you the majority.
I wished the sky would've been a more vibrant blue, but I have to admit that if the day would have been nicer, we would have waited in a crazy long line to make it to the top.
I have to say, it was worth the wait! And perfect timing. The night sky began to fall behind it, making a nice contrast to the lights. Next time I see it, I'd like to capture a slow shutter shot later at night.
Oh, and my return will have to be without the kiddies in order for me to purchase some dinner tickets for this establishment...
 |
| Can you tell I was excited?!? |
It never feels long enough.
But it's always 110% worth it.
 |
| Boulevard de Clichy has some interesting things along the sidewalks. Lots of 'toy' stores and 'shows'. |
 |
| Montmartre Cemetery |
 |
| Walking along the Seine. This was on day 2, and the sky, the sun, and the city worked in perfect harmony. Beautiful light. |
 |
| Pont Alexandre bridge with Grand Roue (ferris wheel) in the background. Note: The wheel isn't always there. Last October it was gone, but the December before, it was there. |
 |
| Grand Palais seen from Pont Alexandre |
 |
| They repainted/restored this bridge since my last visit! It is my favorite bridge in Europe, so I was happy to know it's been cared for while I was away :-) |
 |
| The Musee d'Orsay clock from street view. Perfect timing? |
 |
| Pont Royal |
 |
| On Pont du Carrosel headed towards the Louvre |
 |
| She wanted a picture with a Louvre door because her name starts with L. |
Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without catching a glimpse of the Iron Lady.
I am currently working on a travel project and need a night shot of her sparkling.
I have snapped photos of it before, but my resolution wasn't big enough for the print size I need.
A perfect excuse to revisit.
And I was able to get that super ginormous resolution I require!
Mission complete.
The Eiffel was also neato to see during the daylight hours {during spring}, too. The base of the tower has a pretty nice park; with pink cheery blossom and magnolia trees in the area.
 |
| My two weirdies. They bought these odd shirts at H&M, purposely to match each other, and wanted a pic together with their shirts. Guess they couldn't find two matching shirts in solid black? |
It's always a great time in Paris!
I do want to mention that since the November attacks in 2015, this city has changed and feels different.
Yes, it was common to see members of the police and army hanging around major touristy areas before, but now it seems that the numbers of these people have quadrupled.
Areas we've come to love and have visited before are no longer, well at least for the time being.
The park with a grotto on the west side of the Eiffel is gated off and closed until further notice.
Trocadero and it's gardens were closed as well, which was weird to see. This isn't a daily thing, but we were told that they will section it off and shut it down with any hint of a threat. And holy heck, police were in full force around it the entire weekend. They even shut down one of the metro entrances nearest to it. Every other cop had a working dog on a leash.
The metros have a lot more police presence, too. They'll jump on and off trains at random, which actually isn't a bad idea when it comes to the common stories of petty theft.
It was normal to have bag checks at certain attractions before, but now there are bag checks at all attractions and metal detectors to accompany them.
The city has a different vibe than it did before. It's hard to put into words unless you have visited before November 2015 and after. Even five months later, folks are sitting on the edge of their seats in this city.
Can't say I blame them.
Regardless, I still adore her.
And I shall return.
Next post?
Back in Germany and enjoying 70 degree weather for the first time in months!
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