Paris

I take a train from London to Paris and spend about a week there.. when I get of Gare du Nord station I follow the crowd towards the exit and find myself in a line waiting for a taxi… this wait is extremely long… next time I reckon I would just call an Uber.. probably the wiser thing to do!

I stay at Le Marais district which is on line # 1 on the metro which gets you to the centre quite easily… Gare Du Nord is on the same line along with Champs Elyse and the Louvre and all the main tourist attractions..

The 1st thing I do once I am settled in is venture out for a walk to Place des Vosges to grab a bite and then for a walk around Le Marais to see what’s happening in the neighbourhood .. I find a cafe and witness this:

Next day

The 1st thing I do after I wake up is go for a run and then do some yoga by the river Seine.. on the way back I find an outdoor market where I go to the closest fromage(cheese) vendor and pick up an assortment of some awesome French cheeses! I stop by a boulangerie to pick up some amazing bread to have with my cheese!! Mind you this is basically my meal for the next 5 meals for breakfast lunch or dinner!! I just cannot not help myself!!!

Then I call my Parisian friend Julien who I met at Nepal in 2013 and make plans to visit him.. He just happens to throw an outdoor bush party for the weekend I come to visit Paris.. So I go to this doof and and meet some awesome local people have a few drinks eat some food from the BBQ and dance a little bit! I manage to not get too wasted and get back home safe and sound by 3 AM.

Next morning

I decide to walk to the centre… and soon enough find the Notredamme.

Keep walking towards the Pompidou which is where the Museum of Modern Art is resided (Musée National d’Art Moderne). There is a huge line of people trying to get inside.. so I decide to just avoid that and keep walking..

Art installations behind the Pompidou

Since I am a little hung over from the night before I decide to get back and go out for dinner.. I go to Cafe de Flore in Saint Germain and have a nice dinner there and then decide to walk back to my room.. I witness this adorable band playing on the street:

Next day

I go to meet Emmanuel who hosts Air BnB experiences introducing people to the Eiffel Tower which is basically his neighbourhood.

He takes me and another guy for a walk and we talk towards the Eiffel Tower and go on the bridge which is the same bridge where the movie Inception is shot. This bridge is called Bir-Hakeim – I feel a little excited to see this bridge in real life.. then we go towards the Eiffel Tower..

He takes us for a walk around the neighbourhood to show us these hidden treasures:

After this I make my way to Hotel Costes to have a nice dinner and to catch up with an old friend Sara who I met at a yoga retreat in Rishikesh…

The Next Day..

I go for another AirBnB experience with Taf to discover Iconic Montmatre which is on top of the Hill from where you get to see amazing views of all of Paris!

Before he takes us to the Montrematre monument he takes us to a chocolate shop which has really amusing statues made from chocololate..

Yes.. these are all made from chocolate…

Then we walk all the way up to the Sacré-Cœur basilica which is not the easiest walk if you are not really fit. But it is totally worth it once you make it to the top! You don’t have to walk if you don’t want to .. there are electric carts which can take you up.. so don’t worry 🙂

What is really special about the Sacré-Cœur basilica is that all artwork on the dome is actually mosaic.. it is absolutely mind blowing.

View from top

Besides the Montematre the neighbourhood itself is very picturesque and has a history of being a residence for some of the most legendary artists such as Dali and Picasso… Montematre according to me is the most artistic part of Paris.

After this we take a tour around the neighbourhood to explore all the local graffiti ..

After that we go to the very famous wall of love where I love you is written in all languages:

The Wall of Love

After this.. we keep walking .. This tour is never ending isn’t it?? Montrematre is just full of things to see… next is the Moulin Rouge! I am sure you all know what that is…

After this I go to Bastille to check out some wicked bars … here are a few awesome suggestions:

1. Moonshiner – this one is a real hidden gem…. from the road it looks like a Pizzeria … where people are just casually sitting down eating pizzas but you have to go past that and open the back doors and go through a 2nd round of doors to enter this amazing bar.. you will really thank me for this one once you get there… enjoy!
2. Le Calbar – listed as one of the top 9 cocktail spots in Paris is a good one to check out if you fancy a nice cocktail..

After a few rounds of cocktails – I am absolutely knackered and need to find my way back to my bed!!

The next day

Is dedicated to an eight course meal at a Michelin star Restraurant called Le Cinq

After which I have a tour booked with Paolo to see the main masterpieces that the Louvre has to show…

My time in Paris has flown really quickly!! Before I know it.. it is now time for me to leave Paris for my next destination in South of France where I meet my sister..