Welcome back, y’all! So, I recently took a trip (2023). Well, this trip was pretty exciting for me since it was my first time in Europe. I spent my days (and nights) wandering the streets of Amsterdam and Haarlem, shopping, exploring, and trying out different kinds of cuisine. Then, in a moment of why not?, I decided to hop over to Paris with a friend.
You know what’s interesting? It was Valentine’s weekend, and that was the busiest time in Paris because every lover wanted to visit the city of love for their ultimate romance fantasy.
Sit down, grab a bowl of gumbo, and come along with me as I detail my recent trip to Paris!
So, for this blog post, I’m going to break down my trip day by day—where I went, what I ate, and all the little moments in between. I was in Paris for a total of three days, but the bulk of my activities took place on two of those three days.
Let’s get started!
Saturday in Paris
My Paris trip began on Friday, with a more than 5-hour drive to the city. I really didn’t know what to expect. I packed that morning (classic me). Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always packing at the last minute, so it’s a miracle that I had everything ready to go before I left for school at the RNTC that morning. If there’s a Guinness World Record for last-minute packing, I might just win it.
Before I left, my instructor, Joe, suggested five must-visit places in Paris: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Seine River, Notre Dame, and one other location that my brain has conveniently erased. Oh well, I ended up visiting three of the suggested spots and added a spontaneous trip to the PSG Stadium—because Lionel Messi might just be waiting for me, right?
My friend speaks French and a little bit of English. I speak English with no French. So the moment we got in, we became best friends with Google Maps to locate the nearest hotel. Joe had also advised me to get a metro ticket upon arrival to assist me in getting anywhere within 24 hours. The time was 6:15 a.m. We located two metro stations nearby, but they were closed. We stopped a Parisian lady to inquire why the metro was shut, and she mentioned they went on strike that morning. We finally found another metro station, and I got my ticket for 22 euros. It would take me anywhere on the metro for 24 hours.
Pro tip: Get one. It’ll save you time and frustration.
The Hotel Struggle Is Real
By 7:45 a.m., it was hotel check-in time. And here’s a little piece of wisdom: BOOK YOUR HOTEL IN ADVANCE.
The first hotel we walked into was Ibis Hotel; however, check-in wasn’t until 2 pm. That’s a lot of wait time. Next!. We ordered an Uber, and this lovely and fun French guy showed up. He spoke 100% French. Zero English. We walked into 5 other hotels, as they were all situated near each other and were all fully booked out. Then we saw another fully booked Ibis and another that said check-in was at 2 pm. By now, it was past 9:00 am. I knew the best option was to explore the city and return. So they handed us the option to drop our bags, get a tag, and freshen up in a bathroom. I took it. In that room, there were other bags with different name tags. At least 15 of them. It turns out so many of us were trying to check in. I freshened up and it was time to grab breakfast.
We didn’t even need to walk too far, as there was a Chinese restaurant adjacent to the hotel. I ended up having breakfast and dinner at this restaurant throughout my stay. The first meal we had here wasn’t bad. We spent a total of 45 euros. I had stick meat with gizzard, a bowl of noodle soup with spinach and beef, and paired it with a mocktail that cost about 9 euros. Not bad for my first Parisian meal!
As we prepared to head downtown, I noticed the warmth in the air and the sun shining brightly overhead. But I took my jacket anyway. Unfortunately, my friend didn’t and would suffer it later on. The weather was so unpredictable because, even though it looked initially like we wouldn’t even need a sweater, my jacket was a lifesaver 6 hours later by the time the sun went down.
Bonjour, Louvre Museum!
With our energy levels restored, my friend and I set out for de Tu Eiffel (because the French pronunciation is just superior). We took the underground metro and—whoops—got off at the wrong stop. But plot twist: We accidentally landed at The Louvre Museum!
Let me tell you, I was not prepared for the sheer beauty of this place. I even have a video of myself saying, “I’ve never seen anything this beautiful.”
We spent some time taking in the grandeur of the buildings, snapping endless photos around the glass pyramid, and picking up a few souvenirs. There were so many tourists. OMG, so many.
After a long bit of strolling around, we waited for a bus to take us to the Eiffel Tower. Realizing it was taking forever, we spotted a romantic-looking carriage and hopped in for a ride. It was straight out of a movie! The ride cost around 15 euros, mainly because we didn’t bother to haggle.
I had a clear view of the city as the carriage moved slowly. It gave me the perfect opportunity to capture videos of the city. Oh, I had so much fun.
The Eiffel Tower
It’s hard to mention a Paris trip without mentioning the iconic Eiffel Tower—or as the French say, “Tu Eiffel.” But I was super surprised to see that many people. It was almost impossible to get a picture without a stranger photobombing. Case in point: Some random guy is forever immortalized in my Eiffel Tower photos.
Weeks later, I saw a friend post a picture of an empty Paris street, and that’s when it hit me: I had visited Paris during Valentine’s weekend. Of course, it was packed with lovebirds! Paris is, after all, the top destination for couples during Valentine’s week.
Y’all, remind me never to visit Paris at that time again.
No wonder the hotels were fully booked, and finding a free one was like searching for a needle in a haystack!
My Favourite Things About Paris
- Fashionable old couples—elderly couples strolling hand in hand, dressed as if they were heading straight to the runway—such grace and style!
- The kindness of every single person I encountered. I have never seen people so willing to help. I left Paris thinking Parisians were the sweetest people in the world. (Although my friend had a very different experience—she even got arrested! So, clearly, mileage varies.) Maybe mine was a single story, but everyone I met was incredibly kind. They gave me directions, recommended great food spots, and even paused their day for 5 or 10 minutes to help me navigate the metro. Speaking of which, Paris has one of the most complicated yet incredibly efficient metro systems I’ve ever seen.
- The street food. You bet I tried it. I had stick meat and another street dish whose name escapes me now. But I can’t wait to do it all over again on my next visit.
- The Eiffel Tower at Night. Have you seen that beauty? Even though I was at the Eiffel Tower before sundown, I knew I wanted to experience it at night. So, my friend and I hung out in the Lover’s Garden until dusk, and when the lights came on, it was nothing short of breathtaking. The street music added to the charm, and you bet I taped it all. The nostalgia of that night is something I’ll carry with me for a long time. It was serene, beautiful, and enchanting. If you ever find yourself in Paris, make sure to experience the nightlife at the Eiffel Tower and Lovers Garden.
- The Metro. Honestly, as complicated as it was, I love that you can go everywhere in the city using the metro. What a way to rid the city of traffic jams and gridlocks! From accidentally stopping at the Louvre Museum to taking the underground metro to PSG, and everywhere, I loved the comfort of sitting or even the discomfort of standing and getting to your stop fast enough. P.S. I took the metro 14 different times in Paris. LOL. I was a tourist, remember?
- The Diversity. Since it was Valentine’s weekend, I got to see so many races represented. Some French people are Black anyway, so I wasn’t entirely surprised. But it was beautiful to see.
Sunday
On my last day in Paris, which was a Sunday, I visited the PSG stadium—aka the home of my imaginary bestie, Messi. The aesthetics were stunning, and I took some of my best pictures of the trip here.
I also checked out the PSG store and ran into Achraf Hakimi. My ticket out of town was at 11 PM, so I had ample time to move around the city until it was time to go home.
The next trip I take to Paris, I’m staying for at least two weeks. Or better yet, moving there permanently.
