Sister Trip to Magical Paris
I am finally back tracking and catching up on old blog posts. It is so hard to know where I want to start! But I have been dying to share the amazing time Emily and I had in Paris. I mean, 2 sisters, together, in Paris?! It doesn't get much better than that! Our trip was December 19-21, 2016.
We had the whole 3 days planned out meticulously, but that doesn't mean we didn't hit a few bumps. That said, we had an absolute blast and will cherish the memories forever!
We woke up super early on December 19th and Michael dropped us off at the K Town train station. Bundled up, packed and ready we were bright eyed and bushy tailed! The 2 1/2 hour train ride wizzed by and before we knew it we were stepping into the train station in PARIS! We purchased our metro cards and were zipping through the metro headed for our hotel. We were able to leave our bags and quickly found a place to stop and eat. It may have only been about 11am but we were already ready for lunch. We popped into a “cheap-eats” restaurant that Trip Advisor said was a yummy local joint. It did the trick for our first Parisian meal- sustenance more than anything at this point because we were really just ready to explore!
Of course our first order of business was: find the Eiffel Tower. I had already seen this beauty in person when I went to Paris just a few weeks before with my mom, but it was Emily’s first time and there is nothing more exciting than laying eyes on the Iron Lady for the first time. She was spectacular as always, even if it was winter and she was surrounded by equally grey/brown trees. From there we boarded the Hop On Hop Off bus for our tour of Paris! (Like I have said before- these things are the epitome of “touristy” but really get the job done- and there is nothing more exciting than seeing the city from the top of a double-decker bus, hopping off at whichever main sights interest you.
Of course we would be hopping off at the Arc de Triomphe. Emily has always had a love for the replica arches that sprinkle the states (DC, NY etc) and makes a point to see them- but now she was seeing the real deal! We made the journey underground through the tunnel that connects the outside of the roundabout to the inside where the Arch is. From there you can buy a ticket and journey up inside one of the legs of the Arch all the way to the top via 284 steps! I must say I did not have high expectations for this view, and boy was I proven wrong. It was one of the best views of Paris you can imagine! You can of course see the Eiffel Tower, but you get the most linear views of all the avenues that branch out from the Arch, including the Champs Elysees. What’s better is since we went so close to Christmas- the Christmas market was set up all along the street including a Ferris Wheel at the Place de la Concorde which you could see in the distance. If it weren’t for my feet going numb I could have stayed up there for hours just gazing out at the view and all the beautiful white and grey buildings below, traffic circling round and around you.
After the Arch we took a little stroll up and down the Champs Elysees popping into a few basic stores… you know, Louis Viton, Tiffany & Co… after which we hopped back on the bus to ride by a few more of the sites before we sniffed out some delicious macaroons and champagne and headed back to the room to enjoy a little pre-dinner dessert. Because when in Paris… one must consume ones weight in macaroons. That evening as we walked to another Trip Advisor gem for dinner, we stopped to see the Eiffel tower completely alight with its hourly twinkle show. No matter how many times you see it, it never gets old. It’s just so sparkly! For dinner we chose a little hole in the wall joint family owned and operated just a stones throw from the Eiffel Tower. From my NY experience I at first assumed that the closer you got to the Eiffel Tower (aka Times Square) the more touristy everything is. This is somewhat true to the North and East of the tower, but due south near where we were staying, it is much quieter and not as touristy at all (win!). We were feeling adventurous so we tried everything from escargot to mushroom foam (it had a fancy French name that I now cannot remember and Google is of no help), warm oysters, pig shoulder, and the catch of the day. Ok so our main dishes were nothing too crazy, but the way they cooked them and how it was all presented was very exciting to two southern girls. Luckily Emily is also a foodie in the making and willing to try some of the more unusual items. And while we my have had a fair share of macaroons earlier, dessert was still on the menu for these two chicks. Because, #vaca.
After dinner we walked along the river, just admiring the beautifully lit up Eiffel Tower. We stumbled upon the Grand Palais (VS Fashion Show anyone?) where they had it decked out as a skating rink! We were headed to the Christmas market but decided it could wait for an ice skating detour. And this was not just ice skating- there were crazy lasers lighting up the arena, music blasting, French teens whizzing by- the venue was just breathtaking. Then there were these really neat Samsung virtual reality things set up that we got to play with before we left. Afterwards we had about 30 minutes of Christmas Market time before everything shut down.
The next day we had it all planned out- starting with heading to the Opera House to buy tickets for the morning tour. We got a little behind that morning getting ourselves ready to go and Em woke up with a headache so we popped into a Pharmacy to get something for it. Once we made it down into the Metro we headed to a vending machine to buy a water. Being the nice sister I am, while she was getting out the meds I went to purchase the water for her. The machine did not work and my coin went right through to the coin return. I promptly stick my fingers in the coin return only to find a thick, cold, liquid of sorts. I pull out my fingers and they were covered in a slimy, greasy oil! (!!!!!!!) My mind starts running a mile a minute and I literally come to the conclusion that this is some terrorist attack and I have just been poisoned with only moments left to live. (Too much Alias and Blacklist I guess...) After I realize that I am not in fact poisoned I have to stop myself from gagging over this nasty goop that is covering my fingers. Luckily for me, Emily is Mary Poppins and is basically prepared for a zombie apocalypse at all times and has everything imaginable in her bag we could need to get this cleaned up. A pack of tissues and a bottle of hand sanitizer later I am finally convinced this is not how the good Lord intends for me to exit this earth and calm down enough to go to another machine and attempt my water purchase again. This time it worked. Emily went to take her pill and literally gagged on it so bad she could not even take it. WOW. So much for my harrowing journey in the Paris Metro- she couldn't even get the medication down. This ordeal should have been our first clue our day would NOT go as planned.
We eventually got to the Opera house, waited in line for tickets, and then guess what? It was already sold out. (Grrrrrr) so we opted for the afternoon tour knowing this would mean cutting it very close to get to our Eiffel Tower tour later that afternoon. But it was either the afternoon tour of the Opera House or none at all, and if you know Emily you know she needed her moment with the Phantom or all was lost. Not to worry though, we were headed to the next stop on our busy day that would not work out as planned: the Louvre Museum. Fun fact- the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. It was Tuesday. Through all of our extensive research and planning we somehow missed this small detail, and now it was too late because tomorrow we would be off to Versailles. So, we took some pictures of the outside and Emily would have to wait for another trip to Paris to meet Mona. (sigh) This DID however give us time to go back to the Christmas market to check it all out.
This is me smiling before I realized just how awful these macaroons were...
We found the most adorable Paris ornaments which made for a great souvenir of the trip. We also found some not so hot Macaroons. I have since learned- fest macaroons are NEVER a good idea. Just stay away. In any case after the market we zipped back via the metro to the Opera House for our 2:30 tour. It started late because some late coming yay-who’s couldn’t get it together and the tour guide was running back and forth trying to get their ear pieces etc. Needless to say we needed to leave NO LATER THAN 4pm to get to our Eiffel Towel Tour by 4:15. I notice mid-Opera House tour however, that we aren’t supposed to just get there by 4:15 we are supposed to get there 15 minutes early! Uh oh. We have no way of just dipping out at this point and want to make it to the end where you get to see the actual auditorium- My mom and I did not get to see it on our trip because it was closed for a special rehearsal. So once we made it to the auditorium I told Emily I would wait for an “appropriate” time to turn in our ear pieces and tell our tour guide we are late for another tour we need to get to. This was easier said than done and ultimately we ended up having to cut her off to scoot out of there all the while my heart is pounding because I think we are most certainly missing our Eiffel Tower tour and then this day will REALLY be a total loss! We ran out of the Auditorium trying to find the way out, then realize we both need to pee so we dart back UP the stairs to the bathroom, then once we are done and finally find the way out they make you maze through the stupid souvenir shop that is about 3 feet wide, bursting with expensive merchandise completely jammed with people. I was about to start throwing bows. We could not get out of that place! Finally out we darted across the street and a zillion cross walks between the Opera House and the metro stop in the concrete island in the middle of the street. Down into the metro, hopped on a train and then crossed our fingers nothing would be delayed. Once we got to our stop we still had a good 20 blocks to go to get to our meeting place near the tower. I had called ahead on the train to let them know we were on our way and they said “get here by 4:15 and you will be okay. If you don’t the tour will leave without you.” Oh sweet thanks that is SO helpful. In any case, we got out of the metro I swear at 4:10 and literally sprinted the last 10 blocks to make sure we got there on time. We flew into the relaxed crowd waiting on the street corner like bats out of hell at approximately 4:16pm. The tour guide was calm as a cucumber “we wouldn’t have left you!” “Oh really? Because that is NOT what they told me on the phone!”. In any case- we made it. We joined the group and started making our way to the tower, Emily in a coughing fit, me stripping down layers laughing at out hilariously stupid we looked sprinting down the streets of Paris so as not to miss our Eiffel Tower Tour that we apparently wouldn’t have missed anyway. But here we were and we were so jazzed to go up the beautiful Iron Lady and experience her amazing views that we quickly forgot about our stressful journey here. Up we went and as you can imagine, the view was spectacular. We stayed up after the sunset to wait for the hourly light show which did not disappoint. Then we bought some delicious if not completely overpriced macaroons and ate them while looking at Paris from above as it came to life in the darkness of night.
After we finally made our way back down to ground level, we found a delicious place for dinner serving classic French fair. We both enjoyed the duck. Then it was back to the hotel to freshen up and throw on some heels because we were off to a show at the Moulin Rouge! Our budget for this trip was primarily focused on two things: a splurge to see a show at the Moulin Rouge and eating a crap ton of Macaroons. #priorities
The show itself was dazzling and entertaining, although I do not think I would go again. I would spring for a more professional ballet, Opera or Broadway show. But I will say the experience was unlike any other. You sit at tables and chairs and get a bottle of champagne with your ticket. The costumes are insane and each scene is more colorful and dazzling than the one before. The dancers and singers are pretty talented and make for an overall entertaining experience.
The next morning- our last day in Paris- we boarded a train to Versailles! I am so glad we decided to do this, even if it was dead of winter, because it was so unique and absolutely beautiful! We did a tour of the private rooms, got to see the famous Passemant astronomical clock, and walked the gardens and fountains. Even though the fountains were turned off and the statues were covered for the off season, you could just imagine how beautiful it would be in its prime. You truly cannot appreciate the magnitude of the estate until you see it in person.
Our day was quickly coming to a close, so we rode the train back to Paris to pick up our bags, see one more Eiffel Tower light show, and then head to the train station to board our ICE train home. It was a quick 3 days in Paris, and we didn’t get to see quite everything we set out to, but we had some delicious food, saw some amazing things, and made memories we will remember for a lifetime.
