Day 3 in Paris was by far the BEST day of my trip. Looking back on it now, I didn’t realize how perfect this day was going to turn out. Isn’t it funny how that works sometimes?
I woke up and got ready. Once I made my way down there I figured I should have breakfast before the day got busier unlike the day before. I quickly found a café and ordered some croissants, coffee and juice. This was their breakfast special and it was about to end soon. Travel tip: Since I was a bit tight on schedule, I forgot how much slower the service can be in Paris, especially if you want to grab something quick. I took my time when the food arrived regardless. I realized I have not sat down in a café since I got here.
The waiter got aggravated with someone and literally kicked him out of the restaurant; no pun intended. That part surprised me, even if he was bothering customers for money. I didn’t realize Parisians can have a temper.
I got lost (again) looking for Atelier des Lumieres. I really wanted to see their art installation on Gustav Klimt but now I was wasting too much time looking for this place. I told myself not to get too cheap in situations like these. Even though I knew I was close by, I hailed a cab and gave them the address. After a couple of twirls through the rues, she dropped me off in front. I was so grateful.
The security had a line for tickets, but I did not have one. I could not understand what was going on or what he was saying to people coming up to him, but once it was my turn, he told me to go inside. I got the tickets from the ticket booth and walked through the door they told me to go to. I must have missed something but the lights were on in the room. There were people everywhere but I looked around to see what was going to happen.
Then, out of the blue, the lights shut off. It did scare people a bit, but the lights quickly turned back on, with the opening credits of the installation. I found a spot to watch everything. It was basically set up in a warehouse, but the visuals were amazing. The whole thing lasted about 45 minutes, but I loved every minute of it.
I browsed through their gift shop and then realized I could knock something else off of my itinerary. I wanted to see the Sainte Chapelle de Paris. I found the train and headed back towards Notre Dame. I knew I was nearby again, but this time I walked up to two police officers and asked them where it was. They were helpful and told me to go down the street. I found the line forming and waited for a bit to get inside. I didn’t realize once we got around the corner that there was another line to get in. Here we had to pay for a ticket to get inside which I found odd. I didn’t realize how much smaller this cathedral was compared to the other ones I have visited in Paris. You had to climb up a narrow stairway to get inside, but once you did, the beauty of the stain glass overwhelms you. People would stop dead in their tracks! I took my time inside and admired the details.
I didn’t take as long as I thought I would because of how small it is in size. I had always wanted to check out the neighborhood of Trocadero. Since I knew it would be close to the Eiffel Tower, I decided to head towards that direction via metro. I entered the directions through my phone and was pleasantly surprised when I rode the train above ground. I caught the stunning view of Paris and grew excited to get to my destination. Btw, there were a TON of people in the Trocadero neighborhood! It was a little overwhelming at first, but I managed to find the infamous platform in no time. I grabbed a baguette sandwich while I walked around. I enjoyed people watching too. Everyone just loves the Eiffel Tower!
At that point, I wanted to head back to my hotel and freshen up since I was out in the sun all day. I also wanted to get my suitcase together since I had to get up in the morning. My flight was at 1pm but I knew I had to be at the airport a lot sooner.
My friend was waiting for me at a café. It was officially my last night in Paris and I needed to make the most of it. For my commute, I had to catch a bus outside of my hotel. It was nice looking out the window and seeing the passing streets. A half hour later, I got off my stop and walked down the street. I found my friends at the café and we enjoyed a glass of wine. We decided to walk around and find another café and there we ran into Le Dome. It was a happening place, and luckily they seated us right away.
In the end, it was bitter sweet leaving Paris. I didn’t expect to enjoy my last day so much. The morning was a bit chaotic. I’m glad I got to the airport early again, because there was another backup, and this time people were yelling at the employees in French. Not good on my nerves, but I caught my flight back to Iceland. This time, my layover was 6 hours. I figured I could make arrangements to go to the Blue Lagoon, but no such luck. They told me right then and there that they were at capacity. Oh well. I found a spot at the airport used their WiFi to catch up with my friend in Italy. I even had dinner there at the airport since I was going to land in Chicago later in the evening.
Recapping my stories have made me miss Paris all over again. It’s funny that a place can leave you feeling that way…
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