Paris Part 1

We returned back from Rome on Monday and were headed to Paris on Friday. Nothing, not even coming down with a bad cold was going to stop us from spending new years even in the city of Lights. We wanted to take the speed train to Paris (2 hour 15 min ride), but with expensive ticket prices for the holiday weekend, we decided to make the drive ourselves. Admittedly I was a little nervous about driving into Paris, as I had heard a few horror stories from people who had done it in the past. However, we came to find that the drive was a piece of cake and actually much less stressful than driving down I-95 on a holiday weekend. The drive from Ramstein to Paris is basically a straight shot; we get on the A6, which turns into the A4 as we cross into France, and just take the same road all the way into Paris. The only thing we didn’t count on was the tolls. The interesting thing is the lane to pay with a credit card was empty and the cash lines, had huge lines. On the way we passed through the Champagne Region and found it only fitting to stop and buy a bottle of Champagne for our holiday celebration. As we made our way along the Seine River as the city neared, the signs of Parisian culture started to emerge. We rented an apartment in the Latin Quarter, just a block from the Pantheon. We met Miguel, our host and made our way up to the 7^th floor via the small elevator. The apartment was a loft apartment on the 7^th floor of an old Parisian apartment building. Our first ride in the elevator would unfortunately be the last. The elevator stopped at the 6^th floor and we got out and entered into another apartment. We then made our way up a small spiral staircase to our Loft for the weekend. There would be another group renting the main apartment, so we would have to take the stairs directly to our 7^th floor loft for the rest of our trip. As we got settled in, we made our way to the loft within the apartment and gazed out at the Eiffel tower from our bed. Looking over the rooftops of the city, we had a picturesque view of the incredible symbol of the city.

Wasting no time, we dropped our bags and went out exploring our new city. Our first task was to find a tobacco shop that sold parking cards, which were needed to pay the meters on the city streets. After passing one closed tobacco shop, we eventually found another, purchased our cards and made sure our car wouldn’t be towed during the weekend. We quickly discovered our neighborhood was full of shops, cafes and people enjoying the afternoon. We found a café and grabbed a cozy table. We began our meal with a local wine for Tiffany and a Kronenburg (French beer) for me. We then both had a Favorite French dish, Steak Frites. Meal was delicious and much needed after our drive in snack had consisted of Roasted Chicken and Thyme Potato Chips.  After our lunch, we began exploring the city streets on foot. The city was alive and bustling, despite the rainy weather. We found a small market with a shop full of fresh produce, another with incredible fresh seafood, a third with more varieties of cheese then we could count; the next one with countless bottles of wine, a pastry shop that looked incredible and lastly a butcher with beautiful cuts of meat. All of this in a row, only a few blocks from our apartment. Continuing on with our walk, we passed churches and statues, the buildings all around us, typically French with historic and modern touches. We then came to (what would be Tiffany’s new found favorite food) an incredible chocolate shop that sold these bright colored, delicious macaroons. The bright colored little treats are two small “cake-like” halves filled with a small amount of a filling (think Oreo cookie meets oatmeal cream pie). The selection came in an assortment of flavors only rivaled by gelato, and like gelato, Pistachio is hands down the best. Unable to decide, we picked up a variety pack for snacking later. From there we walked through the streets, stopping to look in windows and admire the city around us. Paris is unlike any other city either of us has ever been to, and we were excited to experience it in every way.

Walking around the city as the sun set off in the distance felt like something special. Something about Paris has a magical feel to it. It’s hard to describe but it’s found walking around the cobblestone streets, winding through stalls and cafes. We stopped for a Strawberry crepe and enjoyed it on our walk back to our apartment. Back at our abode, we climbed the 7 floors and lay back, relaxing after a long afternoon of exploring. We opened the box of macaroons and became instantly addicted. We lay on our bed, looking out our window over the rooftops and admiring the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Then all of a sudden, the tower lit up and lights started to flash, the tower looks like it was sparkling in the distance; a very cool sight to behold. Later that evening, I ran out in the rain to grab a quick kebab for the both of us to enjoy as we listened to music and the sound of the rain as we relaxed, enjoying our dinner and majestic view.