We're so Paris 😍
When I and Martin met, a little bit over 5 years ago, I told him my wish...I told him that I dreamed of going to Paris. There is a saying ''be careful what you wish for'' and it couldn't be more true. Of course, Martin fulfilled my dream, and shortly after, we went on our awaited Paris adventure. It was so beautiful, it was spring, everything was blooming...every city is beautiful during spring but Paris took my breath away.
Later on, it was already sort of tradition to visit it every year. And believe it or not, every time we went there, we experienced a sort of magical feels. I know that people tend to have a ''love/hate'' relationship with this city, but I think, it all depends on what you expect from it. You know, it is possible to see Paris (or any other city) from so many angles, that's why very possible, that two different people experience the same city in a different way.
We found super cheap tickets (two persons, roundtrip below 50€ total) and marked in our calendars 16th of November. This trip was extra special this time because I had my birthday on the 15th of November and we decided to celebrate it in Paris. Since it was Ryanair, and Ryanair is famous for having airports in the middle of nowhere :), we needed to pre-book also bust tickets to get to Paris center. Flight from Tallinn was a little bit over 2 hours and bus drive a little bit over an hour. That's the journey to actually get there. The bus stopped at the bus station around midnight and we were surprised how difficult it was to get a taxi (Bolt, Uber). It took us a few attempts to actually get one, and my best tip, if you stop at the bus station, try to walk a little bit towards the city streets and try to order a taxi from there, it will be even a little bit cheaper. Because when the bus arrives at midnight, everyone is trying to order a taxi through their phone.
This time we stayed at Bonsejour Montmartre hotel. The location was fabulous, the hotel was clean, we had a nice view. It was literally less than 5 minutes away from Moulin Rouge. Since we do not book the hotel itself as a part of the experience, meaning, we are not booking it to lounge in and have our personal butler, then this hotel fulfilled our basic needs- have a good, clean, comfortable location to stay in. If you are looking for something fancy with extras, then keep looking, this is not the choice. Last night we spent at La villa royale. It was located in the same area and we were pleased to find out that reception decided to give us a free room upgrade, in the end, we had a room with a huge jacuzzi, which, of course, was a nice bonus after a long day of walking. :)
During the first afternoon in Paris, we were strolling the streets and feeling like getting lunch. Stumbled across a cozy cafe, checked Google rating (we do it always and I recommend you do it always before visiting the new place) and by seeing all the positive reviews we just knew that we must stay there for a lunch. The cafe's name is La Bossue and we enjoyed every part of it. Cozy, homey interior, friendly service, and very tasty food. They had lunch offers, containing various food options, the set price was 11EUR per person, but if you don't feel like taking a set, you can take also only one position. For example, in pictures you can see Tabbouleh salad, it was so fresh and delicious. Together with a fresh peppermint tea, it was a very enjoyable lunch break.
It was so delicious, that no wonder we came back also next morning for breakfast. We found out that they had as well breakfast menus, the price per person was 10EUR and we got a fresh croissant, Madeleine, coffee, fresh orange juice, and brioche.
One of the dinner places we visited was Le Bookie pizzeria. One of the reasons why we chose it was because of the atmosphere- every table had candles and it created really cozy atmosphere. And, of course, again checked reviews on Google which were very good too! The pizza was delicious, 15EUR, but definitely not the best one we had. Would we come here again? Definitely. This restaurant was special also with the fact, that next to us was sitting old couple, holding each other's hand and they just looked like us after 50 years :)
One of the highlights of the trip was Musée Rodin. The entrance ticket was 13EUR per person. The museum is set in the Hotel Biron, an 18th-century mansion with a garden that covers nearly three hectares. It was very spectacular and the art was so beautiful. The museum showcases work by Auguste Rodin, and was recently renovated with a newly designed layout focusing on the artist’s creative process; the garden, laid out around monuments by Rodin, is a heaven of peace.
This time we enjoyed Paris by walking! Every day we walked more than 10 kilometers and simply enjoyed the coziness of Paris. It was the best idea because that way we saw all the atmospheric shops, restaurants, street vendors, flower markets. By the way, if you are visiting the Eiffel tower at the dark hour of the day (which we highly recommend doing) then it is sparkling every round hour ( 19:00, 20:00, 21:00 you got the idea...) for 5 minutes The light show is spectacular.
We already can't wait for the next trip to Paris. As always it was amazing. The best part about Paris is being able to share it together with a best friend!
Jusqu'à la prochaine fois,
Sandra and Martin 😍
