Explore Paris, The City of Love
Paris, the city of love, fashion, lights and great food has always been in my bucket list for quite some time. So around February last 2018, I was able to finally visit the French-Capital for the very first time. Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to visit this city, because it’s in everyone’s bucket-list as well as being one of the top-rated cities when it comes to everything; from architecture to fashion. As a photographer, those are just some of the major factors which has made me decide to include it in one of the legs of my first-ever Northern-Europe itinerary.
I arrived in Paris From Belgium on the fourteenth of February, -yeah, I know! It’s valentines day! Quite Ironic to be spending valentines day in the city of love ‘alone’. But it didn’t matter, I enjoyed my own company anyway.
When my bus approached the city, I can say that there is some serious problems with trash on the outskirts and it has given me a bad impression towards the city, initially. ‘Maybe Paris is not only the city of love, but also the city of trash’, I told myself. Well, I cannot actually judge yet as I haven’t seen and explore the whole city yet. Well, at least it’s not as dirty as my home country’s capital.
So, basically, I spent the next day exploring what the City has to offer. I visited some of their famous landmarks. The Eiffel tower, The Louvre Museum and The Arc Of Triomphe are just some of the few. Honestly speaking, I was very impressed with these structures, they are truly a work of art! Also, since they’re pretty much situated near each other, you can pretty much access them conveniently through Paris’ metro lines.
What fascinates me about Paris is that it is home to the most beautiful avenue I’ve ever seen in my entire life, the Champ De Elysses. The Champ De Elysses is an avenue stretching from the Arc of Triomphe roundabout to the Louvre museum. A walk on this avenue is a must whenever you visit Paris. Aside from the beautiful Avenue of Champ De Elysses, you can pretty much discover stunning streets wherever you go in Paris.
Arc De Triomphe
Before visiting Paris, I was told by people who has visited the city that it’s one of the most expensive cities to visit. I totally disagree to that! In fact, you can pretty much save a lot when you try to make the most out of public transportations like the metros and buses. Trust me, Paris has one of the most organized metro lines in all of the cities I’ve visited. One great saving tip, try not to eat in restaurants near touristic areas such as restaurants near the Eiffel tower. They are pretty much more expensive compare to like eating in a restaurant located at least two train stops away from these areas. If you’re staying in a hostel, try to buy some stuff to cook or some ready made stuff to eat from the supermarket, it’s pretty much economical rather than eating in restaurants or cafes. The key to not be spending so much in every city you visit is to avoid popular places.
Also, some people warned me that some residents in Paris can be quite rude. Well, for this, I have to agree. But don’t stereotype, cause there are also some residents which are very hospitable and kind. One proof to this is that I stayed with a very hospitable Parisian Host, and he is one of the most wonderful people I’ve met in my entire life. Basically, I think every country or a city has a share of rude and unfriendly people. You just need to learn to spot and avoid them as much as possible.
To summarize my Paris experience, I was disappointed with the scene which has welcomed me when I was entering the city. But after exploring deeper into the city, I’ve discovered that there are lots of really nice places to appreciate. You know what they say, we need to dig deeper to see all the great stuff. Now, it’s one of my favorite cities in the world.
Basically this experience has made me realized that we should always try to look and appreciate the beautiful things about something, somewhere or someone and not instantly judge and jump into conclusions because of what we saw initially. That basically is the same with every places we go to and people we meet in this journey called life.
“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.” – Thomas Jefferson.”
Update: I’ve been to Paris for like around 5 times now, and I still feel as if it’s my first time visiting this city. The vibe, the atmosphere, and the excitement are still the same! Looking forward to my fifth visit!
Have you been to Paris? How was your experience in the city of love? Share it with us through the comment section below.