Have you ever traveled to a city that you just know you will have to go back to? For me, that city is Paris. I feel blessed to have been able to visit three times now (2010, 2011, and 2017). There never seems to be enough time to see everything on my growing list and every time I’m there, I find something new to love about this magical city. This time around was no exception!
Where We Stayed
There is no shortage of hotels and apartments in Paris, so choosing somewhere to stay can be somewhat daunting. Some people prefer to have a good view, others may wish to be near a particular landmark. Did I want to see the Eiffel tower every morning, but also pay an arm and a leg? Or did I want to stay somewhere near the ‘action.’ Based on a recommendation from my cousin, who would also be joining us in Paris with her family, we decided on Hotel L’Antoine.
Hotel L’Antoine is located right near the Bastille and in the 11th arrondissement. My first impression upon walking through the lobby doors was that it was stylishly decorated in contemporary themes, which makes sense since it was designed by Christian Lacroix. I loved that it was near a metro station and many shops and restaurants.
We stayed in a junior suite, which provided a ton of room for our big suitcases and also had a sizeable bathroom. There was also a pullout couch and desk that was sectioned off by a room divider. Our room also came with a Nespresso machine that I utilized every morning. The view from our room wasn’t much, but I love the architecture in Paris and to see the gorgeous buildings every morning was a bonus. Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures of our room but I promise to do so next time since we will be staying there again in November! Here’s a view of the outside from our room.
Our Adventures
We arrived in Paris at around 11:00 AM from Split, but by the time we went through customs, baggage retrieval, and Uber to the city, it was about 1:00 PM. Our rooms weren’t ready, so we (me, my sister, my cousin, and her family) went to the Monoprix that is just down around the corner. The Monoprix reminded me of Target, however, I only visited the food section. We picked up some food, water, and wine for our picnic.
By the time we got back to the hotel, our room was ready so we all freshened up, packed up our goodies, and hailed a van Uber to Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel. My sister conveniently packed a beach blanket, so we all set up a spot in the shade and ate our delicious food.
The weather was hot, but bearable, and the park wasn’t overly crowded with people. I did notice one change since my last visit: nobody was allowed directly underneath the Eiffel unless you had a ticket to go up. This was obviously for security reasons with the recent threats. I took many pictures of the Eiffel Tower because seeing this iconic landmark never ceases to amaze me. No matter how many times I visit Paris, I get chills when I see the Eiffel. We took our time eating and drinking the wine; it was so nice to relax after a morning of travel.
From the park, we took an open air bus that took us around some of the sites of Paris. This was the perfect way to see the city without having to walk in the hot weather.
Next, we went on a hunt for berthillon, which is a French ice cream. This was on my list of must-haves for this trip. A search on my phone’s map showed that berthillon was in the vicinity of the Notre Dame. We disembarked the bus about a mile away from Notre Dame and finally found a cafe that served this delicious ice cream. I ordered the salted caramel and pistachio, a perfect treat on a hot day!
We decided to walk the rest of the way back to the hotel since it was about two miles away. On the way back, we ventured to the left bank of the Siene and stopped at Shakespeare and Company, a bookstore where many famous authors gathered regularly. I had passed the bookstore in prior travels to Paris but had never gone inside. We also admired views of the Notre Dame, the river, and of course the beautiful buildings.
After finally arriving back at the hotel, we were so tired but also hungry. We relaxed for a bit before heading out to a late (9:30 PM) dinner at Chez Paul. The sky was still a bit bright from the sun going down so late. Luckily, Chez Paul was right across the street from our hotel. I noticed how lively our hotel’s street was with tons of locals having drinks and eating. Even though the restaurant was packed, my sister and I managed to snag a small table. We both ordered Kir Royale, steak, and potatoes. The food was really good and the perfect way to end a perfect first day in Paris.
I love open air buses. We did it in Barcelona and saw some much. Would like to try the one in Paris.