I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! My boyfriend and I arrived to Paris yesterday afternoon, but I was not initially impressed.
When we arrived to where we are staying, I was fine with the room- it was safe and clean, my two requirements- but the streets were a bit dirty. I soon learned that all of the streets are a bit unclean, as that is a by-product of being in an urban area. We settled in, unpacked, and then headed to the Basilica at Sacre-Coeur. My boyfriend had told me about con artists who will tie string on your wrist and demand money, but I was not prepared for the aggressive hassling we endured while walking to the Basilica. My boyfriend is not a small man, so I assumed no one would mess with us. He is actually 6 feet and 3 inches tall, so he towers over many people here. This did not matter. We were approached by a large man holding string, so we immediately knew he was a con artist. When we tried to continue walking and ignoring him, a group of his fellow con artists, roughly 10 of them, started to gather. Then this man touched my boyfriends chest. That's when we had a big problem. No one touches my boyfriend. I grabbed his wrist and dragged him away from the group of men. I know this sounds very cowardly, but I tried to be shrewd. We were overwhelmingly outnumbered in a foreign country. I chose flight over fight. After more moderate hassling, we made it to the Basilica. I sat in the cathedral and tried to calm down before seeing the interior. My boyfriend and I opted to pay to take the lift down the hill to avoid the con artists. I didn't feel safe, and I was beginning to panic about being in Paris.
My boyfriend, who has previously traveled in Paris, led us to the Arc de Triomphe and down Champs-Élysées, one of the main road in Pairs. Here I found the largest Sephore I'd ever seen, many designer shops, and the Louis Vuitton headquarters. While I enjoyed this area, I was still not feeling Paris so much. My boyfriend then led me to Place Vendome, where luxury brands such as Hermes, Chanel, and Van Cleef & Arpels have stores. The best part was when my boyfriend read it as "Van Cleef & Apples." I've found a keeper.
We took the metro at peak hour back to our room- a terrible mistake. I was smushed into a metro car with way too many people. When I got back to the room, I was relieved. I spent the night in hanging out with my boyfriend, as we were tired after a long day of travel.
I woke up this morning unexcited and very nervous about my second day in Paris. I did some research about these "string men" con artists, dangerous places in Paris, and general safety for this area. I learned a few reassuring things. First, that these string hustlers largely populated the Basilica, but have little presence else where. I also learned that Paris is relatively safe, but traveling alone at night as a woman should be avoided (duh. boyfriend and I travel together and get back before dusk every night). My boyfriend encouraged me and we devised a plan- always hold hands. Simple enough.
We began our day with a pain au chocolate and taking the metro to the Eiffel Tower. The tower is as beautiful as it is in pictures, had a obligatory selfie in front of it, and found that there were few hustlers in the area. The most common thing was men selling little Eiffel Tour trinkets, but were not aggressive or confrontational. We walked around the area, I photographed the tower from various angles, and then had lunch. I had a Nutella crepe (nutritious) and boyfriend had a hotdog, except the bun was not a bun, it was a baguette.
We then walked by the Seine River for about an hour to Notre Dame. We caught an English Tour at Notre Dame, which was very informative. I learned about the history of France, then Cathedral, and what the statues and stained glass depict.
After our tour, we walked back down the Seine a bit and went to lovelock bridge. This is a bridge over the Seine where couples from all over the world come to declare their love. Legend has it that if two people in love put a lock on the bridge and throw the key into the river, their love will last forever. My boyfriend and I did this, and it was surprisingly meaningful. It was sweet that he agreed to do this with me, and it was a nice time to reflect on the time we've spent together. Okay, I'm done being mushy. Sorry, I guess that's just what happens when you stay in the city of love.
After lovelock bridge we went to the Tuileries at the louvre to sit and relax before dinner. We could see the Eiffel Tower from a distance, the louvre behind us, and lots a big fluffy clouds in the clear cyan sky.
For dinner my boyfriend and I ate at a restaurant on Ile de la Cite. I had a chicken panini, which was far larger than I anticipated and very filling. My experience in London and large cities is that the portions are often much smaller than in my hometown. I understand enormous portions are an American problem, but I've gotten some pathetically small sandwiches while in Europe. This was not one of them. For dessert, my boyfriend ordered us chocolate cake, and it was delicious. It was warm and fudge-like, surrounded by chocolate sauce. That was the splendid end to our first full day in Paris.
I am glad I have travelled to Paris, as I now realize that it is a bit gilded, as many large cities are, but is also a historic city with many beautiful areas. I look forward to my next two days here, and can't wait to share my adventures!
xo
BJordan
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