Paris, the city of….. love?

So, contrary to what I was previously informed, I did not love Paris. 

I liked it, sure, but really, it wasn’t amazing.  Everyone talks about how it’s such a beautiful city and so amazing and everything, and quite frankly, I didn’t see that at all.

Now I have to say, Paris has never been super high on my Must See List.  Not that I doubted it’s amazingness prior to going there, just that there are other things I wanted to see first.  However, compared to every other city I’ve been to, big or small, actually, the small towns as well, there’s always a surprise.  If you look for it, if you get lost, take a wrong turn, go searching for something to eat, or just take a tip from someone else who did, you’ll find an amazing cafe, or a piece of art or the Centre of Britain (really happened.), or a park or SOMETHING.  In Berlin there’s always something new to see – someone does something crazy or the light hits something in a different way and transforms it.  In London there’s SO MUCH to see (Berlin too), in Budapest every single thing you see is stunning.  You walk a metre and then take another photo.  In Copenhagen it’s stunning and fun and interesting.  Every city or town is like that.  I’ve seriously loved everywhere I’ve been, except Paris.

Now don’t get me wrong, I had a great time there, and saw some REALLY beautiful things – the Eiffel Tower, l’Arc de Triomph, le Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House, aka my new home.  Seriously, I love it.), Notre Dame, the Louvre, the river, it was all absolutely stunning.  And Montmartre (where my hostel was) – the Moulin Rouge (did I mention I was just around the corner from it???), the Pigalle (red light district), the artists areas are all funky and cool and heaps of fun but you go to Paris with a list of things to see and do and when your list is complete there’s not much else – there’s no surprises, nothing changes, nothing’s new.  And all that in one of the most expensive cities for tourists in all of Europe!  The only thing I wanted to see and didn’t get time for was Versailles.  And one day when I’m rich I’ll go back and go to the opera there.  But otherwise, I don’t feel the need to ever return to Paris.

Anywho, enough of me ranting about Paris and it’s less-than-averageness, let’s get to the good stuff, namely, what did we get up to?

The first night we went for food and a walk – we ate at a Brasserie which had great chicken and chips, fabulous wine, and what more could you want?!  And we walked around and saw a few different things – a church, the Palais Garnier Opera, a few other things, and then headed back to hotel and hostel to sleep.  The next day we headed out for a fabulous free walking tour (I flippin LOVE New Europe Tours – without a doubt the best tours I’ve ever done.  And they’re free!  Thanks for the tip Nikki!) which covered most of the major sites, then we had lunch in a little cafe with the guide (and by golly it was a good lunch!).  Then we went to the Eiffel Tower, waited a LOOOOOOOONG time, but not too long considering what we were told it would be, caught the lift up to the 2nd floor (top floor was closed) and managed to be up there in time for sunset!  How perfect!!!  Paris, the Eiffel Tower, sunset…. how romantic!  And who did I have to share it with?  My boyfriend?  A mysterious tall, dark and handsome man?  Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant? No.  Mummy, Daddy, my brother and my sister!!!  Wow!

The next day we headed firstly to my one and only must-see – the Palais Oper Garnier, aka the Paris Opera, aka setting of the Phantom of the Opera aka AMAZING THEATRE!!!!!  It seriously was so beautiful, you cannot understand.  And you’re only allowed as a tourist on 3 levels!!!!  No fair!  There’s 5 underground levels PLUS the above ones I WANT TO SEE IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You can have no idea how much! Anyway, as we were there they were checking the set functions for the Danish Royal Ballet performance and let me tell you that set was beautiful.  For my theatrically inclined friends, I have several photos, let me know if you want them! Then we went to Notre Dame, also beautiful, and, interestingly enough, the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame is remarkably accurate in its portrayal of the inside of the cathedral, especially the altar.  So there’s a fun fact for you.  We then headed to the ENORMOUS Louvre for a VERY quick trip – we saw some Michelangelo, the no-nose Sphynx sculpture, the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa (thanks to my crowd negotiating skillz aka my semi violent pushing and shoving of several little old ladies and their abnormally huge male relatives I managed to get right in front of her!) and my new fave sculpture, pictured here.  ISN’T IT LOVELY AND AMAZING?!! Anyways, then we went to l’Arc de Triomph which was nice because by then it was sunset and everything was pretty and then we walked down the Champs Elysees and then it was time to go get my stuff from the hotel and head for my train.

Now THAT was a hard goodbye.  Seriously.  Cried a fair bit on the train and the man sharing my compartment was kind enough to pretend not to notice.  Then I got back to Hannover at 6am (oh, how I hate overnight trains) on Saturday morning, took the tram and the bus back home, crawled into bed and slept for 3 hours, before being woken by an SMS from mum asking if I got there ok, and then 2 minutes later one from Max apologising that he didn’t pick me up from the train station (I’d said he didn’t have to but apparently he planned to anyway then slept through his alarm or something!).  How lovely.