Travel: Paris and the City Landmarks

Despite the great subway systems, Paris isn’t exactly the most stroller friendly city! 

We had decided to take things a little easier today, partly because we’d planned to go to Versailles and went there without tickets – only to get there and informed that the ticket machines were actually out of service and they wouldn’t be able to print us any tickets. After a hasty discussion, we decided to spend the day at the city instead, and it was probably a well-made decision. 

The weather turned out to be absolutely beautiful and we had a leisurely stroll and lunch down past the Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral is amazing, and I didn’t expect it to be right by the Seine, which made it very picturesque. Apparently it’s considered one of the world’s most famous examples of French gothic architecture, and with the imposing façade, one can really see why.

The beautiful Notre Dame, as seen from the river.

A lot of Paris’s more well-known landmarks are easily seen from the river, which explains the easily available river cruises that you can actually take to get a good overview of the city. 

We headed out to the district of Montmartre, which is probably more well-known for being the backdrop of movies such as Moulin Rouge and Amalie, but the hill actually offers a beautiful view of the entire of Paris, being the highest point of the city. The Sacre Couer basilica, which is both a political and cultural symbol, sits right at the top – a pristine looking white structure amidst blue skies and green hills. 

You get up using the tram, which is inclusive of your normal daily travel tickets, which takes you right up to the level of the basilica’s immediate steps. On any given day, there are always a group of people sitting on the steps and enjoying the view of the city, and your occasional street performing wowing the crowd with some tricks.

On top of Montmartre, at the Sacre Couer.

Just down the road was the infamous Moulin Rouge – and although I really wish I had the budget to watch one of its cabarets, the combination of our morning shopping and the unplanned splurges I’d made actually an unlikely option. 

We ended up at Trocadero almost at sunset to catch the sight of the Efifel Tower – iconic as always. Trocadero is one of the lookout spots for the Efifel Tower, and is a beautiful view for both the day and the night. 

We managed to stay a little bit, just before the sun set, and we watched the rays of the sun catch the tower and lengthened its shadows. Who would have thought that the Efifel Tower was only meant to be a temporary structure? Sometimes you just have to dream. 

Dream big. 

At Trocadero.

Happy times!