Bienvenue à Paris!

I’m kicking off a 3-week tour de France (not that one) with a few days in Paris. The last time I was here was in 2009, backpacking through Europe with the boys. We hit all the big landmarks (e.g. climbing theEiffel Tower, Mona Lisa, Versailles, Notre Dame...) so this time I could explore at a more relaxed pace.

I always get travel anxiety the night before a trip and during the flight, but upgrading my seat made the red-eye a little smoother. I landed at Charles de Gaulle around 10:30 AM and took the train & bus to my hotel in the 2nd Arrondissement (which is north of the Seine, below Montmartre, and not far from the Palais Garnier). My hotel (Joe M) was a charming little spot with classic, tiny Parisian rooms (the shower was tiny... and I’m 5' nothing!). I had mentioned it was my 40th birthday trip, and they surprised me with a room upgrade (double bed!), chocolate, and a sweet birthday note.

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann

After a quick jet lag nap, I set out to explore the neighborhood... basically anything within a 15-minute walk. A few people recommended checking out Galeries Lafayette: a grand, 7 floor department store with an absolutely stunning domed ceiling.

Founded in 1894, it also boasts a panoramic rooftop view of Paris. From the top, you can see the Eiffel Tower and Palais Garnier. Best part? It’s free! (Which also means: very crowded.)

After my not-actually-shopping trip, I grabbed dinner nearby at Café du Mogador, my first of many cheese-based meals (an open-faced goat cheese toastie with tomatoes and herbs). As a mostly vegetarian/occasional pescatarian, I’m predicting a three-week diet of cheese, bread, and eggs. I also stood out as a tourist by eating at 6:30 which is early by Parisian standards.

To walk it off, I wandered around the Palais Garnier (inspiration for Phantom of the Opera, my favorite musical!). Fun fact: there is a lake (actually a cistern) underneath the opera house, though no masked men kidnapping ingenues from behind mirrors.

Space Invaders – Gotta Catch Them All

That night, I started hunting for Space Invaders in my neighborhood. Invader is a French street artist who creates pixel mosaics inspired by the classic video game. His art is scattered across cities worldwide and he calles them "urban acupuncture... little playful disruptions in the city to make you pause and smile". I used this handy map to track them: Space Invaders Map

The next couple of days were a blur of museums, art galleries, and jet lag. I’ll save Rodin & Musée d’Orsay for another post, but here’s how I filled the rest of the time:

Eiffel Tower Picnic

Even though I climbed it back in 2009, I still needed that classic Eiffel Tower moment. So I grabbed a baguette and coffee from a boulangerie and chilled on the lawn in front of the tower. I think I nailed it.

Hôtel des Invalides – Napoleon's Tomb

On my way to the Eiffel Tower, I passed this imposing building with a giant golden dome and decided to check it out. Turns out, it's the final resting place of Napoleon. The 107-meter-high golden dome sits atop a mausoleum that houses a hundred different prominent French figures in history (such as Marshal Foch, the allied commander in WW1). Like a Russian nesting doll, Napoleon is entombed in 5 different caskets with his heart and lungs in separate vases. Then those caskets are in a giant brown marble sarcophagus. What an ego, this dude. ;)

Hôtel des Invalides – Army & Liberation Museum

Though I was starting to fade, I couldn’t miss this museum focused on my favorite historical subject: WWII. It was incredibly interesting to learn about the liberation angle since I haven't been to many exhibits on that slice of history. It had exhibits on Charles de Gaulle’s efforts in Britain, and artifacts from the French Resistance: hidden suitcase radios, carrier pigeons (sent over with hopes they’d fly back with intel), cyanide capsules, and propaganda leaflets. One of my favorites was a drawing of Hitler with a guillotine, parachuted down to German troops to demoralize them.

 

They also displayed tiny sabotage manuals. They were 100-page booklets with harmless-looking titles, dropped by the British for the Resistance. Clever.

I could honestly talk WWII for hours (and I will, after my upcoming D-Day beaches tour... stay tuned).

Quick Restaurant Faves

• Land & Monkeys (Grands Boulevards): Stumbled into this vegan bakery and had an incredible apricot tart (apricots are everywhere here and I’m obsessed). Wish I had gone back for a sandwich.

• Mopa Sentie: Another vegan spot, great when I got overwhelmed trying to find veggie options hidden on French menus. Had a delicious, elevated vegan version of bangers & mash.

• Ma Cocotte du Faubourg: Huge salad topped with deep-fried brie. €6 wine at happy hour. Enough said.