Paris: The End of the Road
by Céleste | June 14–18
Paris was the very last leg of our trip in Europe. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle, took an Uber to our hotel (thank god we missed the riots), and arrived at our hotel, the Best Western de Weha. Here’s a brief recap of what we did in Paris. I honestly wasn’t as diligent in writing down what we did, so this is really just a list of highlights. Yes, my secret is meticulously writing down impressions, what we did, and thoughts and feelings about the day. And it was the end of the trip, so I got lazy. Give me a break.
June 14
The first night, we were exhausted, so all we did was eat at Viet Thai and then go to bed. Our hotel was in the 13th arrondissement, which is basically the French Chinatown. We were excited, as we love Asian food. The food at Viet Thai was pretty good, and we were so tired that we went right to sleep that night.
June 15
The next morning, we visited the Arc de Triomphe. Paris is busy. And there was a clown, which freaked out my sister.
Next, we explored, seeing the Seine, the bouquinistes (the booksellers), the Conciergerie, and a view of Notre Dame. In the afternoon, we headed toward the Eiffel Tower for our trip to the top. This was my third visit to the Tour Eiffel, and honestly it was my favorite. It was so much fun to see my family visiting places that I’ve been to and loved before.
They added new see-through floors in the tower, for a nauseating and terrifying view of the ground below.
And last, we chilled and ate crepes!
June 16
After a breakfast at the only bistro we could find in our neighborhood, Dudule, we headed into Paris proper. We explored Notre Dame with our former French exchange student from 2006. We’re old. We also did a lot of shopping for souvenirs and gifts for those back home.
Next, we headed to the science museum, but — oh no! — it was closed. We still had a blast exploring the gardens.
Last, we headed to the Jardin du Luxembourg for a wonderful picnic, courtesy of our French friend’s family. They are a wonderful and kind family, and they have been so helpful and gracious to us every time we’ve been in Paris. I think we’ve actually visited them in Paris three times now, but this is the first time my mom and sister have met them. I was so glad that they finally got to meet.
June 17
This day was a bit more scattered because we split up several times. In the morning, my family went to the Louvre. Vincent and I decided to sit it out, because we’ve both been, and I’ve been multiple times. Yes, I know it’s big. But I was all museumed out. We hung out at Starbucks, it’s underneath the Louvre. Also, if you need to use the bathroom under the Louvre, it’s 1.50 euro. Ludicrous! The most expensive pee I ever took.
After, my mom, niece, and aunt went back to the hotel, while the rest of us sought out Frenchie’s-To-Go, an amazing sandwich place. When we arrived, they were all out of food! Boo. Instead, we found an Indian place called Bolly Nan. It was amazing. You could choose two items, plus a side. So delicious, and really good naan and dal!
At this point, I was tired and headed back to the hotel. Vincent, my sister, and her husband continued back to the science museum that they had missed before.
June 18
We took a cab to the airport and headed home! Here’s a sign that was on the visor in the cab. No baguettes allowed!
And that’s the end! The plane ride was uneventful and smooth, with little to no sleep and lots of free food. We landed in the US and couldn’t help but celebrate. Yes, we went to Chipotle.
