A Weekend in Paris

5:16 AM

Bonjour!

Last weekend two friends and I decided to get away from our life and went to Paris. We went through a student tour company called Wanderlust, which covers the transportation and accomodation. We went to take the bus from Rotterdam Centraal and spent the night in the bus to wake up to the sunny Paris the next morning. The first sight to see was Palace of Versailles, that famous former home of kings and queen, more notably Louis XIV. It was really beautiful and grand - something unlike Dutch palace architecture. It's majestic and really shows off the richness of the kings.

For your information, if you're an EU residence and have a residence permit, you can enter this Palace for free!

There are plenty of different areas of the Palace that you can see - but I just went to the main rooms because of time limitations. It was jam-packed with people so avoid coming during the weekend. There were so many Chinese/Korean/Japanese tour groups and they filled up the place quickly. It wasn't pleasant; I cannot enjoy the rooms in peace. But I do recommend coming because it's beautiful.

The highlight of the place is definitely the courtyard which was massive; it was really big. I cannot believe how lavish they lived back in the day.

The palace grounds. Oh my goodness. It's massive. SUPER MASSIVE.

Later that night, we came back to Paris and we had to see the Eiffel Tower. We're very touristy that way. Honestly, it's my second time in Paris and I still think the tower is overrated. It's just a steel structure. Media and motion picture really did build up a very high expectation towards this place. Yes, it's beautiful from a distance but up close, it's just brown and steel. It's best viewed from afar - maybe from Palais de Chaillot area. There are plenty of steps for you to sit and a bunch of stalls selling crepe, panini, waffles and other sweet stuff. The tower will light up at night, maybe around 6 pm. It was magical, I have to admit.

I came after the Paris attacks. The ambience felt normal but there were guard everywhere, (handsome looking) military officers holding guns would roam around the city. Do not be alarmed, they're there to protect you. Do you know who else roams? Rude merchants selling souvenirs for tourist. Do not engage. There are plenty of 'souvenirs' other than what's sold by these people.

The busiest roundabout, around Arc de Triomphe, suprisingly empty. A government official was passing by.

The next day, we went up to Sacre Coeur, a Catholic basillica on the highest point in Paris. Along the street towards the hill, there are plenty of souvenir shops. I found a shop selling The Little Prince merchandise and I just lost it. I kept thinking of buying everything - but I settled with a postcard and a fridge magnet. Sacre Coeur is best enjoyed on a clear day like I did or when the sun sets. It was quite crowded but still very enjoyable. Ah, it's was pretty.

We got lost a little after we searched for a place to eat. Near the Metro station Grand Boulevards, there's a famous french restaurant called Le Boullion Chartier. Very busy, but has rave reviews. We failed to get a sit (I do not want to wait for food) so we just had fries. After that, we went to Notre Dame! It was majestic. I wish I had time to go inside but the line was too long and we didn't have much time.

Our trip finishes at Musee de Louvre

The food we tried: Higuma! Surprisingly, near Rue Sainte Anne, Metro Station Pyramides, there are loads of Japanese restaurant. After days of non food meals (we call sandwiches not proper food) we ate ramen (in Paris, how fitting). I tried the Chasiu Ramen and it was delicious! For EUR 7,50 it isn't bad at all.

Travel tips!

Travelling in Paris is easier with the Metro. If you're under 26 you can get an all day access 'Jeunes' weekend ticket for EUR 3,80. It covers all modes like metro, trams and bus. You can get it from the ticket machines. The machines are pretty managable, with English option.