It has been a dream of mine to go to Europe…
I started reading Jean Plaidy’s books of the Kings and Queens of France and England when I was in high school. The books brought me back to the times when Plantagenet’s ruled Kingdoms and Marie Antionette lost her head. So much incredible history and it made me want to see the places they once walked in person.
London was always my first choice to visit but Paris ended up being where I finally got to go! My daughter and niece are graduating from college and it was decided a trip to Paris to see EuroDisney and the city itself would be a memorable trip for the girls.
I planned the trip and then we settled in until it was time to leave. I was so nervous! I only knew a little French and that was from years ago in high school! And I had heard that the French were not overly friendly. So, I was getting worried that this would not be the wonderful trip we envisioned. I was so wrong!
I have always loved the Eiffel Tower, so I thought a view of it from where we stayed would be wonderful.. and it was! We rented an apartment from My Maison in Paris-Invalides. Where we could see the tower from our balcony. The apartment was spacious for Paris, with one bedroom, and a pull-out sofa. There was also a small kitchen, but I had no plans to cook!
The apartment was close to Rue Cler, and if you have not heard of this street, you should look it up! It is a short pedestrian street with tons of lovely shops and restaurants. We ate breakfast twice at L’Eclair which had some of the best eggs I have ever eaten. Besides being beautiful to look at.
While in Paris we saw tons of beautiful cafes, many of which had flowers decorating the outside, and many times the flowers also beautified the inside too. Besides being lovely to look at the food was usually delicious as well!
I found the French people to be very friendly… I always greeted them with a “bonjour” and a big smile. Most of the time just hearing my greeting would let them know that I was an American and a tourist, and they would smile and switch to English. We always said Merci, sil vous plait, and pardon when necessary. Not everyone spoke English, but we still managed when they did not. I think as with any city, being polite and friendly goes a long way… as well as greeting them in their own language.
We walked all over Paris, and used an uber when we got tired. We visited the Musee de la Orangerie as I always wanted to see a Monet painting. Monet wanted his work in the museum to be observed in silence. So, if visitors get loud, there is a person there to “shush” everyone. A professional shusher! There is also one at Saint Chapelle too! The paintings in the museum are large and curved along the wall. And you have to admire Monet’s talent to create these masterpieces up close but knowing how wonderful they would look when admired from a distance.
We also visited the Christian Dior Museum, and the dress displays were incredibly creative. If you enjoy fashion this museum is worth the trip. Dior loved the woman figure and wanted to make a woman feel wonderful… and beautiful. The displays show his beginnings and the work he did to become an icon. And the rainbow-colored staircase with fashion accessories and small dresses is a sight to behold!
Back to Saint Chappelle… this is a gorgeous stained-glass chapel, gothic style. You enter a smaller gothic room, where they sell souvenirs of your visit. I was a bit confused at first but soon found the stairs on the side which bring you up into the bright chapel. It is full of vibrant stained-glass windows that reach up high, illuminating the chapel. There are shushers here as well, and they were earning their pay during our visit as many people were excitedly admiring their surroundings.
There are tons of places to visit and things to do in Paris and five days is not enough to see it all. But we did enjoy our time and I cannot wait to go back!
After our time in the city, we used BT Transfer to get to the Sequoia Lodge at Disneyland Paris. I am also a Disney nut and the Paris Castle is my favorite of them all… and after seeing it in person, it still is! The castle is inspired by the Sleeping Beauty movie and even has the sculpted trees shown in the film. Instead of walking just through the castle there are two gift shops, and an upper level. The upper level has colorful stained-glass windows throughout depicting the sleeping beauty story. There are also two slumbering knights and a spinning wheel. The middle of the castle is open, with tall columns that are topped with carved tree canopies. It is all stunning to see. And if that is not enough there is a dragon slumbering in the cellar… It’s just incredible!
We enjoyed our stay at the Sequoia Lodge, an easy walking distance from the parks. Nestled in a grove of hemlocks, they have bird sounds piped in everywhere so it feels very nature-like and relaxing after a long day at the parks. It is a nice hotel but needs an update which I heard they are doing in the fall. What a bummer we missed the update!
Overall, the park is lovely full of lots of whimsy and beauty. It is smaller than Disneyland, and I would say can be done in about a day and a half. Unless you have little ones, then I would suggest two days. If money is no object, I recommend staying at the Disneyland Hotel! To enter the park, you walk under the hotel, but if you stay there you take an elevator down to enter! Also, if you stay in a room at the back, it overlooks the park… and the castle. What a view!
So there you have it, the short version of a wonderful first trip to Paris. If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you!
I loved my trip and cannot wait to go back!
Art and Musings by Marnie 