Paris, March 2017

In March I finally managed to get across to France and visit Paris and to be honest I'm not sure why it took me so long as I've lost count of how many years this had been on my to-do list. Luckily it lived up to my expectations after all that time, and the short flight time is a big bonus! Despite the rain (and the fact I couldn't feel my feet about 80% of the time due to a bad choice of some very non-waterproof shoes) I loved my time there and wouldn't hesitate to go back.

The city is much bigger than I imagined and unfortunately, we had to rely on the underground train system more than we would've liked due to the miserable weather. I normally like to spend as much time as possible above ground when I visit new places as I think it's a great way to get a feel for everyday life in a place, as I think that if you get the underground train from A to B, you might end up missing out on spotting some good restaurants or shops. My Mum and I still made the most of our trip, but I would like to go back again, maybe in the summer this time to try and get more reliable weather.

Once we arrived in Paris we used our afternoon well and visited the Catacombs, which was an experience like no other. The website for this attraction is very helpful as it tells you how busy it is at peak times, so if you can I'd follow that advice (or pre-book your tickets if you know what time you'll want to visit) as otherwise, you'll find yourself queueing for quite a while.

The skeletons were moved here between the late 18^th century and mid 19^th centuries due to overcrowding in graveyards, causing a risk to public health. Seeing the bones arranged in bizarre patterns is definitely leaves an impression. On a cheerier note, for dinner that night we visited Le Comptoir restaurant which was actually advertised at the end of the Catacombs tour as it's just down the road, and I can't speak highly enough of the restaurant. Well priced along with a great menu with plenty of vegetarian options, we even visited on our second night here too and I'm genuinely still dreaming of the gnocchi I had there.

On our second day in Paris we, of course, did the obligatory visit to the Eiffel tower, and we visited the summit by lift. The glass floor, as shown above, isn't for the faint of heart! The cloudy weather meant the view from the top didn't stretch as far as normal but it was still a highlight of the visit, and I would like to do it again on another visit. After spending the morning visiting the Eiffel tower (and eating lots of Macarons) we then visited one of my more anticipated attractions of the trip - the Notre Dame Cathedral. The building really is breathtaking and the rose windows are incredible especially the iconic Rose South window. Definitely a photographers paradise.

During our visit, my Mum and I visited also both the Musee d'Orsay (see picture below) and the Louvre. Both were worth the visit and due to the sheer amount of things to see, I could easily go back and discover more. In fact, we spent the whole day at the Louvre and still barely touched the sides, so if you have a list of things you'd like to see I would make a plan and stick to it.

We did see the Mona Lisa, and although iconic it is slightly underwhelming trying to spot the small painting over the large crowd of people in front. The Louvre also has free entry on the 1^st Sunday of each month between October and March and we actually fell on this date when we visited. It's great if you're on a budget trip, however, be aware that the queues are massive due to the free entry, and during this time the queues are left open to the elements so it's not particularly pleasant in the rainy season. (Once we finally got in, I had no option but to try and dry my shoes under a hand dryer in the museum toilets haha)

The Angelina cafe is worthwhile to visit once inside the Louvre, offering a chance to refuel, and I opted for some amazing hot chocolate and beautiful pastries which proved (if proof was needed) that food can cheer up an overcast day.