Day One In Paris

C’était Rapid (That was Quick)

The eight hour flight this time around (from MIA To CDG in Paris) seemed to breeze by.

One reason could be the time my travel partner & I spent catching up.

Air France was the airline of choice (through Delta).

Now that I had a European trip under my belt, I could make airline comparisons.

Royal Air Maroc was hands down a better flight experience. From customer service to the taste of food.

The pre-paid airport transfers in Paris were not worth it financially. So I figured Uber or a taxi would work.

CDG’s signage was a little confusing but we eventually found the taxi queue. I couldn’t figure out where to wait on Uber so I canned that idea.

*Make sure to agree on price if taxi.

The airport’s dim lighting was not conducive to great pix either!

Sou les Ciel des Paris (Under the sky of Paris)

Did I mention it takes about an hour to exit CDG?

That’s ironic considering they have a self-check customs system in place. No interrogations there!

The US “would never”, LOL!

The taxi’s fare varies based on which side of the Seine you’re traveling going to. We were going to the seventh arrondisement near the Eiffel Tower and paid €60.

The airport area gave “any city” vibes.

As we got closer to the center, the Gothic style architecture came into view. That’s my idea of Paris so I started recording. 

I saw the famous Eiffel Tower and dismissed it because I was expecting a larger edifice. It’s only huge up close.

We checked into our cute boutique hotel.

The room was a tight fit but we made it work. I loved the large open window.

Hotel De La Motte Picquet had a colorful Moroccan themed lobby that was very inviting. The staff, even more so!

We spent about an hour freshening up and changing.

The hotel was nice enough to loan out umbrellas considering rain was in the forecast (not unusual for Paris).

Umbrellas are part of fashion statements too!

Le Tour Eiffel, Paris (Eiffel Tower)

We still walked the 20 mins to the Eiffel to catch the Batobus.

I’m not a fan of the “hop on/hop off” bus tours but I thought the Batobus would be a much better version. (I was right!)

It would also be a way to include the Seine in our travels without having to spend additional money. The cost was $19 for two consecutive days (unlimited).

There were mixed reviews about the Batobus we had no complaints.

The sights were in close proximity to the stops. By the time we finished touring,  we had time to catch the next boat.

I purchased tickets in advance and used screenshots to board the Batobus at its Eiffel Tower stop.

I didn’t have a visual before planning this trip. But the tower is in the middle of a park named Champ De Mars (along the Seine River).

Soft sand surrounds the area closest to the tower so it could get quite messy in the frequent Parisian showers.

The Batobus has nine stops. We started from one end and had the extra day to complete the other.

The Batobus runs every fifteen minutes. There’s a small outdoor area towards the back that great for pictures.

As far as the tower, all the blogs said to skip the top and do the Arc De Triomphe instead!

I stayed in close proximity simply for the FREE photo opps!

Notre Dame (Our Lady)

Notre Dame was our first stop.

It’s still being repaired from the fire and is completely blocked off. I could barely catch a glance of the mid to lower facades.

There’s a statue of Charles the Great ( former emperor AKA Charlemagne). Charlemagne et ses Leudes, (generally translated as Charlemagne and his guards) & The Madonna & child.

The wet weather conditions and time restraints hindered us from strolling any further. Even in her state of disrepair, “Our Lady” was a beauty.

With stomachs on “E”, we stopped at a cafe nearest the Batobus stop: Cafe Panis.

If you look quickly, you would think it’s Cafe Paris. It would’ve been cute to have our first French meal there if that was its name.

Good thing it was “cute” anyway!

I went the safe route and got a sandwich.

It was loaded with cheese on top (of course). I scraped most of it off.

It reminded me of a grill cheese and came with salad and French fries (another first). I prefer mine skinnier.

My friend ordered beef and potatoes and it was seasoned really well. If it had bone- in, I may have totally regretted my sandwich.

Our chocolat chaux (hot chocolate) to-go was nothing to write home about! You can tell Paris is just getting into the to-go concept because the quality of the lids suck everywhere!

Next we caught the Batobus to the start of the next end which was Jardin Des Plantes. This was the longest walking distance to a landmark.

Tout Premières à Paris (All Firsts in Paris)

Check hours before visiting because I had forgotten they closed by the time we arrived.

The walk was through a busy park (not sure if they’re connected).

The rain wasn’t going to make walking around a botanical gardens worth it anyway.

Since the weather didn’t let up the following day, we skipped this altogether.

We moved on to Hotel De Ville (Paris’ City Hall square).

By this time, it was also closed. But the outside was a marvel all on its own.

The Olympics logo for next year already adorns the outside. The building is so massive that you can only capture it in panoramic view.

It’s a huge square (Europe is famous for them). Many restaurants surround it (like Micky D’s) where I went to use the restroom.

Bathrooms are scarce in Europe do when you find one , you “make it do what it do”.

Paris has these “porta-porty” house structures literally at intersections. The guy manning it was doubly discouraging.

Please keep watch of the time while you’re out if you’re using the Batobus. It doesn’t run all night.

We almost missed the last one.

Thankfully we were able to catch the sight of the Eiffel Tower all lit up along the Seine. What an iconic beauty!

Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill)

We got lost taking another route to hotel but eventually found it. Now it was time to get ready for The Moulin Rouge.

I was hoping the “cheesy touristy trap” reviews were exaggerated.

I wore a long velvet gown with a high split. My statement pieces were a netted black leather beret and long black satin gloves.

Frankly, I could’ve saved my $100 and just took pictures in my outfit. Mind you this was the first day.

I was already jet lagged. Can’t recall when I fell asleep but my name might as well have been sleeping beauty.

The show was accurately cheesy and the top-less nudity too excessive for my American tastes.

The costume designs were top rate. No photographs or videos was allowed once the show began.

The package included a whole champagne bottle which I hardly touched in my state of rest. Alcohol makes me sleepy so the few sips hadn’t helped!

All things considered, I would not recommend The Moulin Rouge.

I loved the Cabaret Tropicana in Cuba. They were pros.

The night ended with a cab ride back to the hotel. I felt a little more refreshed after my lengthy nap!

Considering the reason for my trip and its length, I still applaud myself for the thorough itinerary.

You win some, you lose some!

Keep an eye out for day two to four in Paris!

~Poof…Bee Gone

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