So I just got back from Paris, France…and let me tell you…I’m in love! It’s my new favorite city in the world. It was one of those pretty spontaneous trips I’m notorious for. I won’t bore you with all the dirty details. But here are some highlights:
After a quick 6-hour overnight flight, I arrived at Charles de Gaulle ready to explore Paris. I hopped onto the train into town and promptly got lost trying to find my way to the street from the Chatelet Les Halles metro stop, which happens to be attached to a ginormous underground shopping center. I did finally find my hotel on a small charming little side street near the Palais Royale.
I met up with Tawal and we walked around a bit, by the Louvre, Opera, and made our way over to Marais, the “gay” area of Paris. We bar-hopped a bit and met some pretty friendly (and cute) locals. I did meet one nice French boy at the last bar we ended up at. I saw him dancing and he saw me looking at him and smiled. We started dancing and turns out he and Tawal knew each other back when Tawal was living in Paris years ago. Kevin barely spoke any English and I don’t speak French but we did manage to flirt a bit. He was such a sweetie; he even escorted me back to the hotel and showed me some true hospitality *wink*
Saturday I spent the afternoon wandering around…by the Opera, and up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. I strolled back down the Rue Saint Honore back to Marais. Tawal took me to the Quartier Latin up these little streets filled with shops, restaurants and food stands. We found a little restaurant Tawal used to frequent, but it was closed. The owner was still there and he opened up the place for us and cooked us a lovely meal. So generous of him! It’s these experiences that make traveling so wonderful.
My last full day was spent doing the real “touristy” things. How could a visit to Paris be complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower? We strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries and crossed the Seine over to the Parc du Champ de Mars. Of course the Eiffel Tower took my breath away. An engineering marvel. After the requisite pictures, we hopped on the Metro and headed over to Montmarte, home to the Moulin Rouge.
I had to party it up my last night so we headed over to Queen on the Champs-Elysees. Queen is an institution in Paris, much like Studio 54. The party was called Overkitsch, the best of 80s and 90s. Love it! Those Euros…they do love their diva party anthems…lots of Madonna, Whitney, Kylie, Cher, Anastacia, and don’t forget Robin S…lol. Tawal and I danced our asses off! The perfect way to end a whirlwind trip.
Paris is one of those cities where you can just wander the small streets full of character and find many interesting and beautiful scenes. I love just exploring without an agenda. The architecture has so much character I literally felt I was on a movie set. And yes, Paris is best enjoyed as a couple. There were couples everywhere!  LOL. No, it's true. It is a well-deserved reputation.
Thank you Tawal for being a great host. It made my trip so memorable. *big hugs*
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