When I fell in love with Paris

Imagine 3 siblings conquering Paris together. All with completely different personalities. We will start with my younger sister. An introvert most of the time, intelligent and the kindest soul. When it comes to family, she is the middle man, the rock, and everyone’s savior. I am the middle child, and I am super outgoing. I am super OCD, like things to go a certain way. I try to be go with the flow, but fail. My older brother likes things a certain way as well. He is a history buff, medieval times nerd, and very serious. We do have many things in common: We are foodies, we all love traveling, and we all have a good sense of humor. With the "needing things a certain way," my sweet sister and some lovely french wine helped.

We took the train from Frankfurt to Paris. The entire way there, all of us looked out the windows. French villages surrounded by grassy fields, and creeks galore. It was out of a fairytale. Although we have so much of the same climate and vegetation as Western Europe, there is still something so sacred about their countryside towns. Something so artistic, so simple... You feel the calmness of life. In the USA, you don't feel that, plain and simple.

We arrived. The Gare du Nord could've passed for an art museum. With romantic lamps beautifully illuminating the station, and the sweet pitter patter of the gradually falling rain, it was the perfect Parisian ambiance. We took a few minutes to breath it all in, and eventually made our way outside. This was our first time in a city, (my sister and I especially,) have been dreaming about going to. We eventually found an Uber. It is such an excellent and easy source of transportation that we used only a few times throughout our time there, mainly because my dumbass brought an ungodly amount of luggage.

Our hotel was absolutely stunning. It was exactly what you'd expect in a Mariott in central Paris. Modern, chic and simple. There was a wall of plants from floor to ceiling, that immediately gave the trendy vibes. It was like walking through a time machine. From outside, hundreds of year old buildings surrounding, to this new age hotel. We got to our room, which overlooked the Siene River. From afar, we could see the Eiffel Tower. Two of the major landmarks I dreamt about ever since learning about Monet in grade school.

We dropped our stuff in the room and immediately began the trek. We arrived to our hotel around 12 pm, so we had much of the day to explore. I vividly remember walking in slow motion and taking Paris in with all of my senses: It was in mid November. The sunshine was coming out after a massive downpour. The streets of narrow cobblestone were glistening, and the sound of the non chaotic hustle and bustle was magical. We passed by many bulongeries with a rainbow of macaroons in the windows, baguettes stacked a mile high in bread baskets, cafes, and flower stands. It was fun to stop and look at menus posted out front of cafes, to hype ourselves up about the french fare.

Our first monument we got to see up close and personal was the Notre Dame. It had been only 7 months, since the massive fire that almost took away Paris' fragile lady. You could feel the heaviness in the air around us. The crowds seemed more quiet as we all surrounded to see the rebuild, the damage, and what was left. It was stunning, even with cranes, construction walls and machinery around. The size, antiquity, and architecture was breathtaking.

We stopped at St Regis Cafe on 6 Rue Jean du Bellay. It was quaint, quiet, and takes you back in time. It is exactly what you'd want in a cafe in Paris. The smell of fresh baguette, espresso, and wine filled the air. The sweet waiters and waitresses were kind and efficient, and were quick to get us wine, and for myself, a tangerine aperol spritz-garnished with bright gooseberry. We had a few rounds of drinks and took in the ambiance. The coffee and drink bar were copper, black, and white. Plants, mirrors, and photos helped create a gorgeous atmosphere. Their cheese plate and french omelette is to die for.

We grabbed a bottle of red wine and walked through the city. We laughed, hugged, and took silly drunken photos. It was a night I will never forget, and wish I could relive it again and again. A magical bonding time with my siblings. We had slight hangovers the next day, nothing some coffee and walking 20 miles couldn't fix.

After a sluggish wake up, a fire was lit under us knowing we had so much to see in so little time, we got on with our day. We walked to the Louvre Museum. It was surreal. We all had a deep admiration for art and were excited to see all of the different exhibits. Walking in, we seriously had no idea how big the worlds biggest art museum would be. It is ENORMOUS. Almost overwhelming with where to start. Venus de Milo, The Raft of Medusa, The Mona Lisa, The Great Sphinx of Tanis, and the Islamic art wing were some of the highlights of our adventure at the Louvre. It is a place we spent hours studying and adorning the art pieces, yet could've spent days at. We will definitely be going back.

The Eiffel Tower. We are walking the squares, tall buildings of older apartments, shops and cafes line the streets. Finally, we are walking down one of the side streets, practically out of breath because of the anxious excitement of seeing this monument brought. Finally, its wrought iron tower peeks through. The clouds and hint of blue sky are peeking through the gaps, and it is right there in front of us. My sister and I start running, as my brother takes the opportunity to finally act like he doesn't know us. It is so much bigger, so much taller, and so much more beautiful than we ever expected. It is the architectural wonder that we knew and hoped it would be. There was so much beauty and history intertwined into this great masterpiece. We stayed from mid afternoon, watched the beautiful November sky turn from grey-ish blue, to pink, to deep navy as the Eiffel tower lit up at 20:00 on the dot. The light show was magical, and because of the non touristy season we chose, we had perfect spots to watch in awe. It was the perfect show to end out our time in Paris.

Our final sleeping spot was a french apartment turned air BNB, complete with a spiral staircase. Again, I will mention, my dumbass brought too much, so Thank you to my brother for carrying my stuff and helping me. Whoops. Anyway, It was adorable, and nestled in a quaint outside area of Paris, right near the metro station so we were able to hop on and be in central Paris in a few minutes. We would stop and get a baguette and cheese, and of course dessert to munch on. My sister and I stumbled to a late night cafe to get a croque monsieur with brothy onion soup. It was the best late night munchies I've had to date.

I miss Paris. I get made fun of by talking about it, posting about it, and making references to this place weekly. It is hard not to when you've fallen in love with the romance, the scenery, the art, the cobblestone streets, the bakery, and just the damn air. I can't wait go back one day to explore all of my favorite spots, and stumble upon some incredible new places. I love Paris, and i'm not afraid to admit it.