WOW - where do I even begin with Paris. It was my first time here, and it's a city that I've purposely tried to avoid going to because of the over-tourism, crowds, it's expensive, etc. I definitely had to give it a chance at some point, and this trip presented the perfect opportunity. I spent 7 days total in Paris which wasn't nearly enough time to cover everything...it's just so insanely big with so many beautiful places to see. I'm from a rather large city, but I was definitely overwhelmed with the size and the crowds in Paris. It was still incredible in every way though. I met up with my friend Sarah from Germany for the first 3 or 4 days in the city, and then covered the rest alone for the remaining days. To sum it up, I hit the Picasso Museum, the Louvre, an exhibition at the Grand Palace, the D'Orsay Museum, the Architecture and Heritage Museum, the Basilica of Sacred Hearts and Montmartre, the top of the Arc de Triomphe at sunset and watched the Eiffel Tower light show from the top, the Eiffel Tower and surrounding grounds, Luxembourg Gardens, Tuileries Gardens, Buttes-Chaumont Park, Bastille, Saint Chappelle church, Notre Dame, the Palace of Versailles and the chateau, explored Marais, Babylon, Vaugirard, Belleville and ate at some amazing restaurants all over the place. I think I covered it all! Though Paris is known to be over-crowded with tourists, Parisians come off a bit unfriendly, and it's expensive, I really loved being here and exploring this amazing city. It has so much to offer in terms of art, architecture, history, music, night life, the list goes on. There is really something for everyone here. This city also made me realize how difficult it is to interview people for this show sometimes. Having true locals of a new city on this podcast probably means that they don't speak much English, or rather, I don't speak the language of their country. It was challenging trying to find people for this episode because Parisians are notorious for disliking English, but I did manage to interview Beatriz, a photographer and painter from Spain. She and her husband own the Aux Arts Etc. Cafe by Notre Dame and Paris is essentially her playground as far as photography goes. She has lived all over the world, but Paris kept pulling her in which is why they have now settled there. Beatriz gave me great perspective into what makes Paris beautiful in her eyes, and I hope it comes through here...enjoy!
