A Visit to My Dream City – Paris, France

Ever since I was still a little, Paris has always been my dream destination and it’s actually on top of my travel bucket list. Every girl’s dream as they may say. I used to collect stuff like Eiffel Tower miniature, dreamed of being a Parisian girl, and I even considered moving to Paris to pursue my dreams. It may sound so cliché but who doesn’t want to dream big, right? I’ve been saving for my future travels ever since I started working because one of my personal life goals is to travel as much as I can while I am still young. New places excite me, new cultures enlighten me, and new experiences fulfill me. This trip was actually my first out of the country trip; I have never ever been to any other countries besides Italy, of course, where we migrated. To be honest, going to Paris wasn’t in my plan yet since I know I still haven’t saved a lot, but I’ve realized that I just need to have just enough. Also, hearing the word PARIS electrifies me and makes me really excited.

The first time I stepped my feet in the city, it made me really really happy. I thought to myself, “Wow! I am in my dream city.” You can’t blame me, this is my all time dream. But seriously, it amazed me. The feeling was so magical. We planned our adventure ahead of time, but it’s so overwhelming to the point that it has been a real challenge in deciding where to start or where to go first. In the end, we explored the city in the most unexpected way.

Anyway, let me try to tell you the story of our whole trip in the most summarized way that I can. We spent our day guessing French word pronunciations and feeling like a Parisian; taking cute photos, of course; and unfolding and discovering its beauty. When we arrived, we passed by our hotel to drop our luggages off. The location of our hotel’s pretty good and has an easy access to the metro, the bus stop and there are some good restaurants nearby too. Then we headed straight to Notre-dame to give thanks to the Lord; first things first! We took more than an hour just staying in one place because seriously, everything is picturesque. We ate our quick lunch at a local shop in the side street; and ran to Saint-Chapelle after, where we haven’t had a chance to take a glimpse of the inside because the line was too long, so we just decided to visit another place.

We took a walk to the Pont Neuf to reach the Louvre, only to be amazed by its amazing features and hidden treasures. I swear it’s more than just a pyramid that we see online. We spent the rest of the day taking the longest walk. From the Tuileries Garden, we passed by the Grande Roue located at the Place de la Concorde, and then we stroll around the Champs-Élysées avenue — where all the shops are located — until we reached the Arc de Triomphe. I finally got to experience taking photos in the middle of the road with the Arc as a backdrop, and vehicles passing by. A bit scary but fun, lol.

 And finally, we took a metro going to the famous Eiffel Tower. I remembered the very moment I first saw the tower from the metro; I literally had an “aww” moment. It was such a magical feeling, and my heart eyes started to pop out, and I had mixed emotions. My tears of joy wanted to come out, but my big smile took over instead. Gaahd! I can’t take my smile off my face. The more we got close to it, the more my heart beat fast, really fast. And then it happened. I was standing right in front of it. I couldn’t believe dream is right in front of me and I couldn’t seem to pull myself away from it. And the lights started to illuminate, and it even made the scenario even more beautiful and more romantic. It was perfect. Also, I am more grateful that I was in the city of love with my love. That night was one of the best memories of my life! That was our last destination of the day and we ate our dinner near our hotel after.

The day after, we spent half of our day at the beautiful and iconic Palace of Versailles. It’s a bit far from the city so we decided to make it on top of our list. It’s worth it. I instantly knew it was a place I needed to see in person. It was such an incredible experience to visit the palace and learn the rich history that it holds but to be honest, I don’t see myself living in it. It’s a little crowded, but we can’t blame people, it’s a place people should really visit.

After Versailles, we took our lunch near the area and came back to the Eiffel Tower during the golden hour. Who says we’re in love with it? This time, we chill by the Champ De Mars with the view of the Eiffel Tower. I could stare at it all day. When the sun went down, we went to the Moulin Rouge, the most famous cabaret in the world. We didn’t have a chance to watch any show, but you could feel the spirit, even just by being outside it. We ended the day with some Filipino foods at the place of my Uncle’s cousin.

The last day was a little bit hassle for us because we have to carry our luggage while roaming around plus it was raining. We visited the Sacré-Cœur first and I was surprised by its amazing panoramic view of Paris. It was gloomy but its beauty still shone. I felt really blessed. We also enjoyed walking around Montmartre and buying some souvenirs from the side street shops.

We went straight to the Pantheon — a Roman temple, now a church — after; we also passed by the Luxembourg Garden, but we didn’t have a chance to roam around it since the rain started to pour again. We decided to head quick to the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, and took some quick photos. We also passed by the Pont Alexandre III and Invalides, where we also had a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower’s tip for the last time. We just spent our last hours in Paris at a restaurant near Le Palais des Congres.

I swear I didn’t want to leave the Paris, but I have to. This trip, indeed, is one of the most memorable moments of my life. I will definitely bring this memory for the rest of my life. It was extraordinary. I will surely come back. I fell in love with Paris. No doubt. Au revoir, Paris, until we see each other again. Je t’aime.

P.S. It’s so hard to select photos, lol. And feel free to watch the video diary that I did!

P.P.S. check out some woman long blazer at dresshead.com!