Paris - since May 2001
From all the countries I have been travel to, I can only confirm that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The beauty of the city is hidden everywhere: in the museums, in the parks and the monuments, in the small narrow streets, in the wine bars (#alcoholic)... Indeed, this city has accumulated inside it all the history from the world (which was sometimes stolen :P ) and the common will to preserve it (reason why there are not so many new buildings in Paris).
When we arrived with my parents in Paris we were living in the near suburbs (close to Bois de Vincennes) but my mom felt immediately in love with the city of Paris. I still remember this guide book (that I recently saw in their appartement in Sofia) she bought in Bulgaria before coming to France "Good morning, Paris" and which she was taking with her every time she was going out. During the weekdays she usually was exploring by herself (because I was going to school and my father to work) and the weekends she was taking us to the places she loved. Indeed, at this moment I thought we will need months to visit all the museums and things to see and even more considering the number of museums, monuments to see)... it wasnt wrong though because this way I visited a lot of places while still young. Now with the time, I totally understand her point of view. The image of France and especially Paris is so strong abroad that you feel like the luckiest person when you have the chance to live in the city of lights and no rushing to explore it.
However, it took me some time to feel Paris. Indeed, once you start to work everything accelerates: taking the subway in the morning, running, rushing, stressing, pushing, running again, sleeping... sometimes it goes so fast that you don't see the weeks passing by. And somewhere between those moments you start to feel it when you stop for a glass of wine and a plate of cheese with bread in the small hidden wine bar down the street... Then between all this chaos time stops, then you live, then you feel it (sometimes I am surprising myself of what I am capable to write down :) ).
Okey a small break here because I am getting also hungry while writing this article but the French baguette, Gosh, is something I can't resist and I think this is the best bread in the world. I mean really!
You also feel Paris when you go for a walk ,with or without a direction, and you get lost in the small streets and you stop in random shops and coffees or just stay astonish by some street art or a view. Those moments are priceless !
So between the rush you can always find some calm offered by the city of Paris.
It will be complicated to summarize so many years in a blog page, but here are some places I like in Paris.
My favorite places to chill in Paris are:
Paris has the 4 seasons which all have a common characteristics... no matter the season it can always rain !:) Umbrella is never an useless thing.
However, the seasons change makes it see the city under different colors and shape. Indeed, it is a lovely place for pictures. I always prefer summer (because I like warm weather) but i think that Paris is even more beautiful and romantic under snow. It doesn't happen often though, but if you are lucky to attend it, it is the perfect time for a hot wine while watching the snow cover the streets. (#romantic)
So yes Paris might be a crowded city but in the meantime it concentrates so many activities that you will never be bored. This is why I like it !
When we arrived with my parents in Paris we were living in the near suburbs (close to Bois de Vincennes) but my mom felt immediately in love with the city of Paris. I still remember this guide book (that I recently saw in their appartement in Sofia) she bought in Bulgaria before coming to France "Good morning, Paris" and which she was taking with her every time she was going out. During the weekdays she usually was exploring by herself (because I was going to school and my father to work) and the weekends she was taking us to the places she loved. Indeed, at this moment I thought we will need months to visit all the museums and things to see and even more considering the number of museums, monuments to see)... it wasnt wrong though because this way I visited a lot of places while still young. Now with the time, I totally understand her point of view. The image of France and especially Paris is so strong abroad that you feel like the luckiest person when you have the chance to live in the city of lights and no rushing to explore it.
However, it took me some time to feel Paris. Indeed, once you start to work everything accelerates: taking the subway in the morning, running, rushing, stressing, pushing, running again, sleeping... sometimes it goes so fast that you don't see the weeks passing by. And somewhere between those moments you start to feel it when you stop for a glass of wine and a plate of cheese with bread in the small hidden wine bar down the street... Then between all this chaos time stops, then you live, then you feel it (sometimes I am surprising myself of what I am capable to write down :) ).
Okey a small break here because I am getting also hungry while writing this article but the French baguette, Gosh, is something I can't resist and I think this is the best bread in the world. I mean really!
You also feel Paris when you go for a walk ,with or without a direction, and you get lost in the small streets and you stop in random shops and coffees or just stay astonish by some street art or a view. Those moments are priceless !
So between the rush you can always find some calm offered by the city of Paris.
It will be complicated to summarize so many years in a blog page, but here are some places I like in Paris.
My favorite places to chill in Paris are:
- Parcs, especially during the good days, where you can seat for a picnic or just lay down and feel the sun: bois de Vincennes (with a nice middle aged castle: Château de Vincennes), Buttes Chaumont in the 19th district, jardins de Luxembourg in the 5th district, Tuileries in the 1st district, parc Brassens in the 15th district (not so famous but really nice), Parc Monceau in the 8th district or parc Montsouris in the 14th district.
- Les quais de Seine: well, this part of the city had improved a lot recently. Indeed, the Seine's docks have slowly transformed into a great chill place for the young generation. A lot of bars and boats during the summer and the good days offer now a place to seat with a view over the river and a nice drink. Most of the nice summer places are located there by the way such as: Wonderlust, Nouba bar but you can also seat in a random bar in this area. However, what 70% of the people do is buying alcoholic drinks in the shops and just seat on the docks. It is also one of my favorite things.
- Prescription - a cocktail bar which Maxime (a very good friend of mine) has showed me in 2013 and where I like to go to enjoy an interesting drink.
- Les Niçois - the restaurant down of my building. Again Maxime had told me about... it is a great place for a brunch on Sunday. People are lovely and everything is homemade.
- Barrio Latino - it is like a Latino dancing club. It is a 5 floor building which is also a restaurant and cocktail bar. Really lovely place if you like Latino music and you like to dance.
- Grands Boulevards bars: around this station there are several Australian or Irish pubs (Café Oz, Corcoran's, O'Sullivans...) where you can have a drink for an after work and dance on weekends.
- A random terrace where you can just enjoy a wine during the winter or a fresh beer during the summer.
Paris has the 4 seasons which all have a common characteristics... no matter the season it can always rain !:) Umbrella is never an useless thing.
However, the seasons change makes it see the city under different colors and shape. Indeed, it is a lovely place for pictures. I always prefer summer (because I like warm weather) but i think that Paris is even more beautiful and romantic under snow. It doesn't happen often though, but if you are lucky to attend it, it is the perfect time for a hot wine while watching the snow cover the streets. (#romantic)
So yes Paris might be a crowded city but in the meantime it concentrates so many activities that you will never be bored. This is why I like it !
I think there are a lot of guides which can make you discover the city by a better way than me but here it is what I usually do to friends who are coming to visit for the first time. It is a walk which takes 3-4h without stopping into museums.
- Notre-Dame Cathedral.
- City Hall and walk trough Rivoli
- Louvre
- Place de la Concorde + Assemblée
- Champs Elysées
- Arc de Triumph
- Eiffel Tower
So yes, Paris is always a good idea because it can always surprise you with something new, something undiscovered, something nice.
More recently, I really hope that Paris will get the chance to organize the Olympics, i think the city is ready for it :)
More recently, I really hope that Paris will get the chance to organize the Olympics, i think the city is ready for it :)