PARIS THROUGH MY EYES

If you follow me on Instagram, you’re probably sick of my Paris posts. Allow me irritate you one last time please.

I really really didn’t want to come here and say I love Paris, like I was full on dead set against liking Paris because I’m the girl that likes to “not like” what everyone else likes because I have to be different. But this one didn’t work, Paris seriously STOLE my heart!

Forget everything you’ve heard before, let me tell you about Paris.

 1.     Paris is so full of life. Not anything I’m unfamiliar with (thanks Lagos), but it was such a great vibe.

 2.     You will never in your entire life eat a croissant that tastes better anywhere else than in Paris. Infact, let me rephrase that. The best croissant you will ever eat can only be found in Paris. Like, literally every Cafe will serve you mad croissants, don’t stress yourself by going far. To be honest, Paris gets pastries right. If you think croissants aren’t your thing (like I did), have a bite in Paris and thank me later.

3.     Of the 4 European countries I visited, the people in Paris were hands down the warmest, friendliest and the most helpful/polite. I’d been told about how rude the French are. Sis, not to me. Every single time I had to climb the stairs with my 2 big boxes, someone would always take them off me. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. One time I couldn’t find the platform I needed to be on to catch my ride to Brussels; a stranger followed me round the station checking the screens until we found it. I started feeling bad at some point, like what’s all this niceness for; this was the point that I realized that being Nigerian has made me extremely suspicious and non-expectant of good civil behavior. Too poor.

4.     There’s so much amazing history...from the popular stories of the Arc de Triomphe de l’étoile (where the brave soldiers are honored) and the Eiffel Tower to the Shakespeare and company, the bookshop that’s been in existence since 1951.

5.     Parisians don’t joke with their air kisses; everywhere I went, I’d see friends kiss in greeting...kiss left cheek, kiss right cheek and throw in a hug. Thank God I’m not French because all that kissing will make me dizzy.

Places

 Palais Royal

Taking this pictre was a mad struggle; I put my bag on the floor and set my iPhone in front of it with the 10 second timer on. The twenty something pictures almost like this one can attest to the difficulty in self-timer shots but I pressed on until I got this one. Not sorry though, it turned out really well.

Jardin du Palais Royal

Did you know that quite a number of scenes from Mission Impossible: Fallout were filmed in Paris, especially at Trucadero square, Palais Royal and its garden, and also at the Arc de Triomphe. After watching the movie, I knew I had to visit these spots.

Galeries Lafayette

Notre-Dame de Paris

 Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile

View from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

Musee du Louvre

Yeah, let's pretend my finger aligns properly with the tip of the louvre.

Carousel in  Jardin des Tuileries

Jardin des Tuileries

Eiffel Tower (view from Trucadero Square)

Shakespeare & Company

Food 

Cappucino and People watching at Bob's Bake Shop (Shakespeare & Company)

Belgian Chocolate and Caramel Ice-Cream from Jeff de Bruges

Breakfast at Angelina

If the only thing you eat (drink in this case) is hot chocolate at Angelina, then you're ok. This is the literal best hot chocolate you will ever have in your life. I'm not kidding you.

 Dinner at some restaurant on Champs Elysees



 Gyoza at Kintaro

Yakisoba at Kintaro

I fell in love with Japanese food on this trip and Kintaro is to blame; I love how the restaurant is no fuss or drama, no fancy plating either, they just served my meal quickly and let me eat. The portions were very generous and the food was tatsy. I am now obsessed with Yakisoba.

Would you like me to share anything about my Paris trip? I'm considering putting together a post on how I planned my trip, hotels I stayed at, transportation and costs. If this is something you would be interested in, let me know.

Have you been to Paris? What was your favorite memory? Share with me.