A Weekend in Paris
This past weekend was Valentine’s Day weekend! And what better place to spend it than the city of love itself?
That was what my boyfriend and I thought as we packed our bags and headed via train to Paris on Thursday. The train ride worked with our Eurail pass, which includes 15 days of travel over 2 months with unlimited travel on each “travel day.” The train ride to Paris from Zurich is very fast on the high-speed trains, about 3 hours total.
With so many friends studying in Paris, we had the best recommendations from the best tour guides. After our early train on Thursday, we arrived around 11 AM to Paris, where we dropped off our bags and started our trip off at Rue Cler, which is a market that is active every day of the week, lined with fresh produce, baked goods, cheeses, fish, wine, cafes, anything you could ever need. I would definitely recommend stopping in there for some cheese and bread (we took home about 3 bags of both because of how cheap it was in Paris compared to Switzerland).
On Friday, we explored some of the Parisian classics. This included the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame, and a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant before heading to the Latin Quarter to meet up with some more friends.
On Saturday, we went everywhere that required tickets. We learned the hard way on Friday that everything most touristy requires tickets in advance. Luckily for us, there was still availability on Saturday, so we were able to go to the Lourve, Sainte Chapelle, and the Catacombs. Throughout our touristy endeavors we stopped at just about every bakery and cafe we could find to try a new pastry, which were so fresh and delicious we could not get enough. The crepes on the street were also a highlight, where for about 4 euros you can get a fresh savory or sweet flavor. I tried the Nutella and banana crepe and a ham egg and cheese, and both were phenomenal.
The city was alive with street vendors selling roses, heart-shaped balloons, and the bakeries filled with Santé Valentine-themed baked goods. Musicians were on the corners and street performers entertained small crowds as we walked through the bustling streets. Just about all my Valentine’s Day dreams came true when the clock struck midnight and the Eiffel Tower lit up in sparkling white lights. I can confirm: Paris is as dreamy as the movies. (Although slightly more touristy)
Definitely a Valentine’s to remember.
Bis zum nächsten mal!
Kara