Clover in Paris
Clover in Paris! Except I don’t have my own Netflix show….yet😉. After living in France for more than 3 months, I finally visited the capital of France, and the city of my dreams. Needless to say, I LOVE PARIS. Here are some of my favorite memories from my first (and definitely not last) visit.
Bien sûr since it was my first visit to Paris I had to take a trip to the Eiffel Tower. Yes it’s touristy, but it was a magical experience to finally see the tower in real life! I’ve been learning French since I was eight years old, always seeing the iconic Tour Eiffel in videos, books, and the classroom. Seeing this world-renowned monument in person made my younger-self dreams of one day visiting Paris come true! I took two trips to the Eiffel Tower: one in the day and one at night. I 100% recommend waiting to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle, that’s how you learn to love Paris. The tower sparkles for the first 5 minutes of every hour.
Paris on New Year’s Eve is not showcased much online, possibly to gatekeep it’s splendour from the rest of the world. The firework show along the Champs-Élysées and over the Arc de Triomphe was a sight I will never forget. This firework show was spectacular; the whole night sky was lit up in all the colors of the rainbow. Just when you thought that firework was an incredible one, 15 more fireworks would light up the sky and take it’s place. The fireworks at the Arc de Triomphe were the perfect sight to ring in the new year. With an incredible start like that, I have high hopes and excitement for what this year will bring!
Next was a classic breakfast at Les Deux Magots. One of the most historic cafes in Paris, I made a reservation a month in advance to beat the lengthy wait! Not only did I want to visit this iconic cafe for the aesthetics, but it was a favorite cafe of Earnest Hemingway. In the beginning of the school year I read Hemingway’s book, A Moveable Feast, a memoir of the writer’s life as an expat in Paris. Since he frequently wrote about Les Deux Magots, the cafe must have a special charm, and it sure did! The cafe transports you out of modern times, and places you into the classic Paris of drinking an espresso and reading the daily paper. Les Deux Magots is an experience for any cafe lover!
A visit to the Louvre was also a highlight of the trip. The museum is gigantic so whether it’s your first time or 50th time, there’s always something to see! Did I wait in line to see the Mona Lisa? yes. Did I almost pass out after? yes. The wait was 30 minutes long in a packed line that’s similar to standing in the pit of a concert. If you decide on waiting to see the Mona Lisa up front, bring water! But now do I have a great photo of the Mona Lisa on my phone? yes.
And to finish off this post with a bang, steak frites at the famous and legendary Le Relais de l’Entrecôte! This is an institution which knows business. You sit down, receive a starter salad and bread, choose your meat temperature, then the steak and fries arrive. Nothing else on the menu, sorry vegetarians! Every night there is a line down the street for this restaurant. To secure my spot I arrived 45 minutes before opening. So does the steak frites live up to the hype? absolutely. The au poivre sauce is what’s to die for, and the fries are crisped to perfection. The women who run this place know what to do, so don’t bother to try to change their system. Their system is genius, the food is delectable. I recommend every steak lover to try Entrecôte at least once in their lifetime.
This is just a minuscule piece of the beauty of Paris. There’s so much to unpack from this beautiful city, I’m going to need many more trips back! While I end up loving every city I travel to, Paris has a special place in my heart because I’ve spent so long learning French culture, actually experiencing French culture in person is the icing on the cake. One day I would like to live in Paris. There’s no way to explore all the charm Paris has to offer as just a tourist, but living in a Parisian apartment for a period of time will! A bientôt Paris, but not for long…
