je t'aime

“Love is Us.” After 293 winding stairs, you reach these three words etched on the walls of the Sacré Coeur dome. The first time I saw these words, I was 15. Starry-eyed and standing with my Dad, I never knew the meaning these three words could hold. In the city of love, I am finally realizing why they call it that.

Paris is magical, that goes without saying. From the unique French architecture that leaves you in awe, to corner cafes lined with flowers and Parisians enjoying their cigarettes with wine or un cafe, or maybe both, it is a sight that must be seen. There is no place on Earth quite like it. If you ever find yourself in the city of love, the city of lights, here is my best advice, stories, and must make stops.

Tip #1: when someone says there is a possible “early check-in” simply do not believe them. We spent the hours of 11-4 in our airport attire and 60 lbs of luggage on our backs. Don’t worry about your scent though because for the French, B.O is their favorite form of perfume. Glamorous, I know. But, tip #2: Zara’s exist overseas and if push comes to shove and you are stuck in the rare freezing rain of June, make a trip and buy a blazer, you’ll fit right in.

Love is parading through the rain.

Spend your first night watching the sunset at the Arc de Triomphe. Why wait in line to go up the Eiffel Tower when you can see it from here? As you walk around the arc, you can finally see the hill of Montmartre, the wedges that divide the whole city up into perfect little slices, and the hustle and bustle of Parisian life below you. They don’t stop for anyone, and will hit you with their car. For dinner, avoid any and every restaurant in the 10 block radius from here. It will be overpriced and mid. To get a goooood French meal, you must go away from the heart of the city. 

As you wander your way home, stop in one of the many natural wine bars and be met with French enjoying their beloved treasure, wine. Get a bottle and head home for a nightcap like no other.

Love is the joy of a good glass of wine.

As the second day rolls around, there is no better way to start than with a hot cappuccino, French yogurt, and an egg and ham croissant sandwich. Sit outside on one of street-side tables and enjoy the view of the French on their morning runs, walking their fluffy white pomeranians, and smoking, even at 10 am. 

Take a stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens as you head to Sainte-Chapelle. I don’t care if you have to wait in line, suck it up because you’re doing it. The sky-high ceilings are filled with rows of stained-glass that tell the story of the Bible. Beautiful in a way that makes you question how something so intricate and creative could be invented, enjoy the fact that you get to simply be in a place this amazing. Treat yourself to a glass of wine and a croque Madame with pomme Frits as you recoupe from your morning and head to Notre Dame. No fire can stop the beauty of this place. No matter how many cranes and construction men lined the back of this church, people stopped to sit and appreciate the beauty of the two towers that remain.

Love is appreciating the beauty of intricacy.

In the Latin Quarter of Paris, this attractions aren’t all you will see. Gardens of roses lie opposite the Seine and the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore is perfect for your inner nerd, or my inner nerd at least. A charming little hole in the wall lined with books, new and old, and reading rooms for you to truly embody your inner ~Parisian nerd~.

Love is exploring and taking joy in the mundane

Okay, if you take anything from this story of Paris, France, I want it to be the beauty of Montmartre. Lying on the hill atop a million stairs that will leave your calves absolutely jacked, is the most magical thing in the world, Sacré Coeur. Locks fill every nook and cranny of the gates surrounding the church on the hill. With the most beautiful hilltop view of Paris, you never realize how small you are in a city so big. If you’re lucky like us, you may just get to see the entrance of the Sunday service. Priests, children, nuns and people galore walked upon the steps and gathered together to celebrate the Lord’s day. The last time I was here, I had just lost my great grandmother. If angels existed on our Earth, I was proud to be related to one. As the gloomy sky filled with light that day, I knew she was with me. And now, 5 years later, history repeats itself. 

The sun decided to shine for the first time in 2 days and without a second thought, Izzy looked at me and said, “she’s here with you P.” There’s nothing you can do but cry at a moment like that, and rest assured, I did. As we enjoyed the music that surrounded mass, we made our way up to the infamous dome. Those 293 dreaded steps later, you are might with the most pure form of joy there is. We both spent the next 20 mins calling people we love to show them the beauty we were witnessing. You can’t go to Montmartre without coming here.

Love is Us.

Speaking of things you can’t go to Montmartre without doing, let’s talk. Spend your evening walking by the artists in the streets, exploring moulin rouge, having (another) glass of wine on a rooftop over looking the Eiffel Tower, and a dinner at Pink Mama. Tip #3: when making reservations here, make sure you make it to Pink Mama, not Ober Mama, not like that happened or anything… but… anyways. I half expected this to be overhyped, I was 100% incorrect. The pistachio mortadella pizza with burrata was so good we debated sneaking the leftovers pieces home in a napkin. And the infamous truffle pasta in its own little home of a copper pot was something I will drool over just typing this. 

After your 10/10 meal, head to Lux Bar for the full local experience. A complete hole in the wall with wine and snacks, what more could you need. Make friends with the bartender, Luke, and meet his friends who single handidly keep this bar alive. Have Hugo take your Polaroid picture for the wall and enjoy a night of pure entertainment. Tip #4: drinking the amount we consumed here will result in a hangover, tread with caution. Tip #5: buy a metro PASS, not single tickets. The combination of wine and 12:30 am will result in you spending 86 euros on a monthly pass.

Love is Montmartre

Despite my warning, I’m sure you have now woke up hungover. I hope you didn’t, but know that you aren’t alone. Whenever you can, crawl out of your tiny flat’s bed and make your way to The French Bastards for a pain au chocolate that will heal a part of soul. Perfectly flaky and buttery, again tears are forming in my eyes. If you can hold your composure for a 7 minute walk to La Galerie, this could now become dessert for the life changing sandwich you are about to have. The BD from this small mother-daughter owned shop consists of a

sesame bun filled with a layer of cream cheese, prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, mesclun (which is apparently mixed greens, the more you know), a thick ole slice of mozz, and pesto drizzle. I mean, come on now, don’t play with me. Me and izzy had a combined out of body experience here before looking up and realizing we had 30 mins to get to our Louvre ticket reservation. Tip #6: make sure you buy tickets in advance because we just got to sit and laugh at the people waiting in the 2 hour line outside, it was awesome.

Love is yummy food ate in a hungover silence.

As you walk around the never-ending Louvre, you will be in absolute awe. Is it a place for the recovering overindulged, absolutely not. Does that mean it was any less amazing, only slightly because they really need to install some AC. But, enjoy getting lost in countless rooms filled with ornate gold, paintings galore, the Mona Lisa (overrated let’s be honest here), and sculptures titled “fat kids fighting over grapes,” I could not make this up. After your hours inside, enjoy the much needed fresh air of the Tuileries Gardens. Sit in the iconic green chairs and enjoy people watching in the most prime form. Tip #7: don’t try and lie and tell someone you speak Spanish, not English. They will become trilingual and you will end up doing some kids history homework interview about the UN, humbling experience to say the least.

“we are sitting in the iconic green chairs at the Tuileries gardens, hungover, thirsty, and with throbbing feet. but i wouldn’t change a thing. it blows my mind that i am here with so many other people from places i may have never heard of, to do the same thing. to sit, observe, enjoy the sunshine and enjoy watching humans be humans. i may have extreme brain fog from the pool of alcohol i drank at Lux Bar last night, but not enough to distract me from this moment.” - peyton circa 2 days ago

Love is laughing at yourself.

As you wander over to the 10th for a stroll along the river, stop by a bakery to pick up a baguette for dinner because, if you’re anything like us, you are hangry. We got on the metro, baguette in arm, and made friends with our block. Izzy took a left for some, much needed, fruit while I went right and met the coolest butcher ever. It amazes me when people are shocked that I am American and this man, he was baffled. Where he thought I was from? I’m dying to know too. When enjoyed our jams, Parisian meats and cheeses and impulsively bought tickets for a sunset boat ride on the seine.

Love is making impulsive choices.

This boat ride was all we wanted. There’s nothing quite as amazing as the view of Paris while floating on the seine. We learned the hard way to never sit at the front because you will in fact be soaking wet, but when you’re view is Notre Dame at sunset, it doesn’t matter. After the ride, we ran to the top of the lawn to catch the first sparkle of the Eiffel Tower. When I was 15, my Nani was here in this very moment with me and said that someday, a man will love me enough to take me here. Well, five years later, I’m just glad that I love myself enough to do it with my bestie.

Love is starting a new adventure with someone you love.

If you’ve read this far, I throughly applaud you! I could talk forever about every aspect of life here, but I think the wise person who wrote on the dome of Sacré Coeur said it best. In a place as beautiful as this, how could you not be aware of love everywhere you look.

Love truly is Us.

Xoxo, P