Paris - for a first timer

I am starting this blog with one of my favorite cities in the world, Paris! Also one of my biggest friends is travelling there in a few months and asked me for some tips so here we go: 

Paris was the first place I ever travelled outside of Portugal by airplane. I was about 4 or 5 and I spent a few days with my parents in the city. Of course all I remember from this trip was walking around a lot, eating at McDonald’s because I found the food strange and going to the only place that will overshadow Paris for any child (and even some adults) - EuroDisney! You see even a current travelling lover had to learn how to travel at some point :)

Many years passed, I have been to Paris another 5 times and I can say, without a doubt, that the more you go to city of lights, the more you love it! Every time you visit there is something new to do…a new shop, a new trendy restaurant, a new bar, a temporary art exposition you simply must see! And then there are all the timeless things of Paris that you always feel happy to revisit…the neighborhoods you heard about, the Notre Dame and the Sacré Coeur you’ve seen in pictures, the Eiffel Tower popping up everywhere, and a million other things and places that make Paris unique and eternal.

There are uncountable things to do in Paris and one blog post is simply not enough to tell it all. It is impossible to do or see everything in the first visit, unless you stay for a month. But then again, that’s what’s fun about Paris, going back a lot! 

So I compilled a group of thing that felt most exciting about Paris for a first timer to experiment!

Walk along the Seine there are little barricades with people selling old magazines and postcards, there is music playing, the view is breathtaking and the city couldn’t look more lovely and romantic from this sight! Cross the many bridges along the way especially the Pont des Arts, where people go with someone they truly love to put up a locker. 

Cross to the Notre Dame and visit the wonderful cathedral that seems older that the city itself (if possible visit at night…the candles lit give it a special look)! 

Go to Saint Germain or Saint Mitchel for dinner go down the road which starts right in front of the Notre Dame, across from the river. Both these cool neighborhoods are packed with young people. You can find a wide variety of restaurants, not just French but also Greeks, Italians, Moroccan, etc (and it’s also the place where the restaurants are the cheapest if you are travelling on a budget). You can also find nice bars to hang out! 

Marais is the coolest neighborhood to go for drinks, food and shopping. It is known for being home to the Jewish community and a also a “gay district”. Go for a Saturday or Sunday stroll and check out people selling flowers on the street, the open markets selling fruit, veggies and bread and catch the sweet nice pace of the city there! Or just hang out at night and find a trendy restaurant or bar to dance.

The Eiffel Tower up there or even from a distance is a special picture 

Pont Bir-Hakeim (old Pont Passy) it’s the bridge that shows up in Inception and the Last Tango in Paris - simply lovely, you will feel like you are in a movie.

Louvre and Musee d’Orsay are a must go but, if you have a counted time in the city I would leave museums for the next time and explore the streets. However go by the entrance of Louvre to see the exterior part of the museum which is inside the old royal palace of France and enjoy also the great glass pyramid. 

Centre Pompidou is simply a must go. The construction itself is beautiful and the rooftop view as well the way up on the tubes is totally worth it!

Walk up to the old Moulin Rouge and try not to get kinky at the several sex shops nearby! 

On the way down stop at the famous Galleries Lafayette for some shopping or at least to see how big is the line of Chinese tourists to buy Channel and Louis Vitton purses!

Go to the Sacré Coere. It’s a church on a high top neighborhood where you can have a beautiful view of the city and enjoy a nice walk nearby or a coffee in one of the lovely cafes where local drawers make portraits and play music. Very Paris!

Bites:

A Chévre Chauvre salad is a green salad with melted goat cheese on roasted bread. Each place adds its own extra special ingredient and its one of my favorite things to eat in Paris! You also have croissants and mille fleurs pastries to try everywhere! Each typical restaurant in Paris will have a variety of typical dishes that won’t disappoint you, from potatoes with eggs and sausages to the famous boef bourguignon, just be creative and adventurous! A must go restaurant (it’s not expensive and the food is delicious) is the mythical Pollidor, open since 1918. It’s the restaurant where all the celebrities meet in Woody Alan’s Midnight in Paris. With an old style decoration that involves open roof toilets and a very fat house cat walking around, this place couldn’t be lovelier. The environment is relaxed but very much alive! Friends get together talking and laughing out loud while enjoying a delicious meal and a bottle of wine! –the food is all great but I recommend the chicken with mash potatoes and a pick of their yummy deserts! 

Last but not least...

Marché aux Puces it’s a street flee market very famous happening every Sunday. You can buy pretty much everything from vintage clothes, furniture, and jewelry or just have a good time exploring it!

Tip not to forget: the best way to get around is using the Metro, which takes you about anywhere or walking. Taxis are expensive. 

Paris; Lisboa; Viajar; Travel; Lisbon; Cristiano Ronaldo