Reminiscing about holidaying in an artsy flat in Paris in 2013...
So yesterday I spent most of my eve cleaning up crap so my letting agent can come around to do another pointless bi-monthly inspection of our flat (does anyone else have to suffer these??!) though once done I chilled out before bed and found myself finding photos from our trip to Paris almost 3 years ago, before I started blogging. Thought I'd share our adventure in photos with you as it was really cool trip and I would love to go again!
We stayed in an apartment in the heart of Paris owned by a very artsy woman who turned out to be a judge on Strictly come dancing (Polish Version!) She was off to shoot this why we house sat for the 5 days ! I can't remember how I even found the flat online. It was before I knew of Airbnb so I'm not sure how how to link you to her if she is still renting out the place whilst shes on TV!.
I do prefer renting apartments to explore from as they are usually cheaper than hotels and you get a real experience of living in the destination you are in.
The flat was tucked away within a block and was very big brother style with themed artsy stuff everywhere and fake grass on the backs of the doors!
The first place we visited was the Montmartre district, home of the Basilica Sacre-Coeur. It was a really pretty area but do beware of pick pockets and people trying to force you to buy things. To be fair there was this everywhere but we experienced it most here. Be confident to say no thank you and walk away!
I always recommend to people to wonder around for at least one of two of the days of your break so you get a feel for the place - that and there is so much you miss if you go on public transport everywhere, the best things quite often tucked away and are not always tourist attractions!
On leaving this district we walked a short way round to a bakery and had (still to this date) the most yummiest chocolate eclair I ever tasted.
Not far from here is the Moulin Rouge which is a must see whether you choose to go and see a show or not! We didn't but did have a giggle in the sex shops opposite!
We had to make an exception for this attraction though obviously! . It was a small ride away on the subway which we got abit lost on at first but after a couple of goes managed to get the hang of it. its not as easy as London or Barcelona undergrounds to fathom!
When we visited there was some freaky weather (hail and thunder!) but here's a couple of shots from when we got up to the top of the tower and looked out at the view.
A small walk away from the Eiffel Tower is Les Invalides, a really good museum to go to if you are trying to seek shelter for the rain or have an interest in history!
It basically is a military museum for the army of France and also contains Napoleon I tomb which was really impressive. Its my most favourite museum out of any I've visited so far abroad.
My main reason for my Paris visit was to see Notre Dame (for Disney reasons!)
Again it rained when we came here as well but this worked to our advantage as we got to see the gargoyles working by draining the water from the roof and walls of this beautiful cathedral.
It's totally worth paying a little extra and going up to the bell towers as well as inside the cathedral. Just make sure you wear comfy shoes as the stairs are steep and really really small!
We warmed up in one of the charming cafes surrounding Notre Dame. a Croque Monsieur is a popular lunch choice (an incredibly nice grilled cheese sandwich) and is served in most cafes or bistros
The Louvre was also an impressive site, we didn't go inside due to that we chose to go to the military museum and the sheer scale of the place.. the buildings all around it are also part of the Louvre. You would definatly need to set a day aside to do this! it is after-all the biggest museum in the world!
Whilst we were there in 2013 the bridges across the River Seine still had these padlocks on them with couple initials or love notes on them!
These have since been removed due to the weight and strain they were putting on the bridges.
Don't just visit the Eiffel tower to take photos! there are plenty of photo opportunity's and great photo shots all around the city with the famous tower in if you explore!
To escape the buzz of the city I usually also set a day aside for chill time in a park or garden. We found our self's in the Luxembourg Gardens, which were beautiful.
I'm hoping to return one day to hopefully to see more of Paris and get better weather as we only had one sunny day and we visited at the end of May! Just bad luck I think!
Have you ever been to Paris before and do you have any recommendations on a return visit? :)
Love , Sarah x
