A Long Weekend Exploring Paris
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I first visited Paris in 2018, and it’s fair to say it was a humbling experience to be staying an hour’s walk outside of the centre with a very small travel budget for the three day trip.
We saw the key sights and enjoyed our time there, but that small budget meant awkward encounters in restaurants. I distinctly recall the look on a waiter’s face when we asked to share a French onion soup with two spoons, and then asked for our one euro in change.
My second visit was different, another long weekend at a similar time of year, but this time with my mum and armed with a more realistic travel budget knowing that city prices are higher than ever.
Looking for somewhere more centrally located to stay, I settled on Hotel Etoile Maillot, a boutique hotel located near to the Arc de Triomphe that ticked every box for our mother-daughter trip.
Day one
We flew out of London Heathrow Airport at 8:10am and just 50 minutes later we were descending into Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Our first day was spent exploring some of the top Paris tourist attractions, starting with the Arc de Triomphe and winding our way through the Parisian streets lined with designer stores until we reached the Eiffel Tower.
Not that you can really call this lunch, but we devoured pistachio cream filled crêpes at La Pistacherie, fighting off a few confident pigeons in the process, before arriving at the foot of the tower.
After the early start we were lacking energy, so ventured back to the hotel for a quick rest before dinner at Le Coq. Later moving across to a cosy table inside Café du Trocadéro, we sipped on cocktails with a view of the Eiffel Tower as it glittered in the drizzle.
Day Two
The day started with a slow wakeup in the comfort of my marshmallow duvet, Nespresso coffee in hand, planning the itinerary for our remaining two days in Paris.
First on the agenda was breakfast, a quick croissant and cappuccino in a nearby boulangerie, before arriving at the Eiffel Tower in the hope we could buy some last-minute tickets that claimed to be sold out online.
Luck was on our side, as we found ourselves on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower fighting the biting winds and seeking shelter from the iron structure. It’s a view that doesn’t disappoint, even on a grey day.
Next we began the long walk down to the Notre-Dame Cathedral, hopping into Le Parisien for a croque monsieur to warm up and peeking inside various fromageries and wine shops on route.
Finding ourselves alongside the River Seine in a fleeting moment of sunshine, we passed the Musée du Louvre and black and white pillars of Domaine National du Palais-Royal. In desperate need of somewhere to sit and thaw, we joined the lengthy queue of Angelina to taste their famous hot chocolate.
In the evening we revisited the Eiffel Tower for the final time, finding a table in nearby Chez Ribe for red wine, cheese, and French bread. It’s not a restaurant I’d recommend as such, but after a long day of walking we were desperate to get off our feet.
Day three
Feeling the effects of the distance we’d already covered since arriving, we soaked up all the little luxuries of Hotel Etoile Maillot for one last morning.
Our final breakfast was enjoyed at The French Bastard, a quirky boulangerie not too far from the hotel. Fuelled by coffee and warm bread, we set off in search of Montmarte.
Set upon a hill with a view spanning the city, we circled Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, browsed the local shops, and enjoyed a glass of champagne in the square as tourists and locals flocked past in huge numbers.
It was time to head back to London, but having racked up almost 80,000 steps in those few days, we were ready to return to our home comforts and reminisce on what had been such a lovely time spent together.
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