Five things you have to do when you go to Paris -my edition
For almost my entire life, I have dreamt of going to Paris. It has been the ultimate place for me to visit. In this post, I will tell you about the five things that “made” my trip.
A lot of activities and sights
When I turned 40, I told my partner that I wanted to go to Paris — no place else. This seemed fair enough to him and I finally was able to travel there.
What crosses your mind now? Taking photos at the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Notre Dame? Running along Champs Elysées and buying expensive things? I think all of these things are great things, but not for me this time.
Paris is a huge town and there are many things to see. It is necessary to make some plan before you go about what to see. We spent three days in Paris and I think we saw about 15 % of the town. OK by me, we did see the things I wanted to see.
We rented a studio flat with a separate bedroom for my kids. It provided an optimal solution where we could cook our own meals. And you know what, all of my dreams about Paris came true and all my expectations was realistic. I felt like coming home.
I did go to the Eiffel Tower because my kids wanted to go. We did not end up climbing to the top of the tower, as there were far too many people waiting in line. But besides the Eiffel Tower, we hardly went to any of the above touristy sights. I am not fond of waiting in line with tons of people, nor am I fond of just looking at things I have seen before in photos just because they are “famous.” If there are certain special things that appeal to me, then I make a point to go there, but not because I have to.
I began this hub with telling you what we did not do in Paris… Now, I will tell you what we did do, and some activities that I will recommend for your trip.
Don’t miss these things on you Paris trip
To help you out before you go, here are my five favorite things that we did on this trip to Paris. I hope it is for some help if you are going there some day.
Number one: Visit the local bakery in the morning. Every morning, my daughters and I went to the bakery to buy croissants and a baguette. The aroma was stunning from all that fresh bread! This is the thing we miss the most now that we are back home. The feeling of walking down the streets in the early morning. All the sounds, smells, and the amazing morning light.
Number two: Stroll the streets of Montmartre. This is probably something that many people do when they visit to Paris, but it is awesome. Some smaller streets a bit further away from the crowd and seem like streets from some small town in the south of France. You see wonderful old houses, narrow streets, some cats here and there. Enjoy all the architectural details: chimneys, windows, doors, walls…
Some photos I took in Montmartre:




Number three: Enjoy the views over Paris from the top of Montmartre. Go up to Sacré Coeur. It is crowded with people, but it is worth the effort. The church is awesome and the views over Paris are breathtaking. The walk up to the top is nice with many wonderful houses and cafés on the way. If you pass the Church and step a bit beside it, there are not as many people; the most crowded places are in front of the church and on the stairs traveling up.
Views by the Sacré Coeur:



Number four:Watch people running from one point to another. From the window at our apartment, I could sit for hours watching the street below. I saw couples kissing goodbye, I saw families, tourists, and beggars. Everyone was in the middle of living out their lives which is a great way to spend some time. It hit me that many types of people are represented in a big city. You can always find a place, independent of what kind of person you are. In smaller cities like mine, there are so much “mainstream” trends, where you have to act like you are supposed to, or else you are left out in the cold. On the other hand, there are a lot of lonely people in big cities as well… All of these thoughts moved around in my head, just from viewing the street below.

Number five:Take a coffee break! There are so many cafés and restaurants in Paris. All of them with chairs directly on the sidewalk. It is a great way to take a rest from walking. Here, you can take an ice-cream, a glass of wine, some coffee, and just relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
So, that is what I did in Paris and what I hope to do again when I return. I hope you all are able to go there one day to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere of Paris. During the beginning of the trip, we did see the Eiffel Tour and also Sacré Coeur, but ultimately, the goal with the trip was to enjoy the life in Paris and to be able to take some part of it. We did, and I will definitely do it again one day.
Original article on Steemit, written by me.
