34 Days in Europe – Day 02 PARIS
The jet leg is the worst part of any trip, especially when you have a 9 hours difference in time. Result: woke up at 7am. Nice for a breakfast close by where my friend took us. We stopped at Hure to get some croissants and at Terres de Cafe for a coffee…Starting the day in Paris like a local. Body energized for a powerful day of tourism. Sneakers on. Camera on hands. And streets started to be small for our walk.
First stop: Museé Dorsey: To me, the most beautiful museum in Paris. Why? First because I really appreciate impressionism. Second, the architecture of the museum is astonishing, unique, and not as classic as Louvre Museum. And third, the perfect size. Highlights in the Museum: The restaurants (The Café Campana and Restaurant of of the Hôtel d’Orsay – beautiful!!), the glass clock with the Sacré Coeur view, the balcony where you can see the whole museum from the top and the fifth floor where most famous paintings are located.
After a long audio guide tour we ran for the bikes, the famous Velib, to ride through the city to go to our next tourist stops. If you go to Paris don’t hesitate taking a bike. I promise you that the ride will be more exciting. The Paris’ breeze is special. And I meant it!
Second Stop: Les Invalidesfor a quick look of the beautiful building and to check the Napoleon tomb.
Third Stop: Museé du Quai Branly: One of the newest museum (Marcella talked about it in here). The building is beautiful all surrounded by plants and has a special view of the Eiffel Tower, our Fourth Stop. We didn’t get inside the museum but for sure it is in our list for the next visit to Paris.
Fourth Stop: La Tour Eiffel, as we all know, it is an i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e monument in the middle of Paris. When you actually see the tower, mixed with all other buildings and the history of the city, you just open your mouth and make the sound that we are all familiar with: wow! Or you just get speechless. The only problem when you get closer to the tower: too many tourists. Impossible to visit the Tower without a prepaid ticket; otherwise you will stay in line for-e-ver. Not our idea, so we kept going to our next destination, now with our own feet.
Fifth Stop: Food at the popular L’Entrecot de Paris (The first one in our list of Top Restaurants in Europe). Simple as the name says: entrecote et frites. What is not simple is the taste: Delicious!
Sixth Stop: Filled with french fries, we walked up the Champs-Elysées until the Arc de Triomphe, another beautiful monument in the middle of Paris. What is intersting about this Arc is that its perfectly aligned with Arc Defense, Arc du Louvre and the Obelisk. If you visit Arc Defense and look toward the Champs-Elyseées you will figure out the alignment that I am talking about. Crazy!
Seventh Stop: Needing a rest, we decided to take a metro to the Jardin des Tuileries to enjoy some minutes of shadow feeling the wind coming from bright threes full of green leafs. From there, we walked towards the Louvre, and then… home.
Dinner was at Comptoir de L’arc with a group of friends. Still tired of the time difference and the long walk, I couldn’t enjoy much the restolounge with loud music and cool people. Time to sleep.
Au revoir, Bonne nuit!
Adorei o cafe Campana!