All those quotes about Paris such as from Audrey Hepburn “Paris is always a good idea” or Honorè de Balzac “Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never be elegant” and on and on it goes so you have an idea how Paris is revered and a must visit recommended by all.
So in 2019, peak of summer off I went to Paris for a whirlwind less than a week trip .
Yes it was Paris and I was looking forward to seeing all these famous places and indulging in some good retail therapy ( it’s at this point I let you know that I’m an unrepentant shopaholic) 😃 .
Left Accra via KLM so yes transited through one of my favorite cities in the world : Amsterdam! Can never get tired of going to that city although it was the first city I experienced subtle racism ( another story for another day )
Abena Yalley on her way to Paris
Ok are you wondering why I had to go through Amsterdam when I could have just done Air France ? Well if you are an African reading this, then you know our issues with visas and all the modalities that comes with it . Sigh 😔.
Went through Amsterdam because I got my schengen visa from the Netherlands embassy in Accra and per the rules, you must first go through the issuing country before entering other member states so that’s how or why I went with KLM but returned with Air France .
Ok back to Paris! The connecting flight from Amsterdam was bumpy , very scary and boy was I glad when we landed.
And oh I had read up the weather and even though I knew that day was cold, I didn’t expect the icy blast wind that hit me when I got out of the airport. Lol nearly run back inside because hey isn’t this supposed to be sunny and peaches ?
One thing for sure is that CDG Airport is at the outskirts of town so took about 45min drive to my hotel which was supposed to be in town (Hyatt Regency).
And yes it was at the peak of the Women’s World Cup so the vibe was good.
Got to my hotel and as a solo traveler freshened up and went looking for food since I was really famished and the hotel choices weren’t looking so appetizing.
Found a really cozy restaurant just across the street and got down to eating.
Now here’s the thing, I was yet to catch on to the Paris joie de vivre that’s promised to travellers.
And oh my room had the beautiful view of Eiffel Tower and it was everything to look forward to waking up
View from Abena Yalley’s room in Paris
The next day, did the usual toouristy activities of going to the Eiffel Tower first ! You should have heard how I caught my breath when I caught sight of it, it was breathtaking!
Wanted to do ride up but the queue for on the spot ticket purchasers snaked all the way and I really didn’t see the need so off I went to Louvre and again , you could only do a tour inside with pre purchased tickets.
This was quite disappointing so moved on to the Arc De Triomphe and Galeries lafayette for some much needed retail therapy .
Remember I said I went during the Women’s World Cup and my hotel was one of the official hotels of FIFA so spotted a few stars sitting in the foyer just letting off steam.
The hotel food wasn’t all that so did a lot of dining outside which was great experience going the Parisienne way of dining by the side walk cafes.
On my third day , with pre purchased Louvre tickets, i did the Louvre tour and it was interesting indeed but my favorite time there was my dinning experience at Cafè Marly, the balcony restaurant overlooking the Marly. Their salmon literally melted in your mouth .
Also went to Moulin Rouge and more Galeries Lafayette for you guessed right, shopping ! Haha.
I also discovered the most picturesque and rustic restaurant inside the Palaise des Congress, I was truly lost in that restaurant and all though their food of different cheese platter wasn’t my favorite, I still went there twice !
Abena Yalley Inside the Rural by Marc Veyrat in Paris
I could spend the whole day here just soaking in the ambience
Abena Yalley inside the eclectic The Rural in Paris
My five day trip to Paris had come to an end and I had to head home.
It had truly being whirlwind barely catching a breath but it had been wonderful experience too.
Now here’s the verdict:
Did Paris live up to the hype ? Unfortunately no , yes I had fun going to all these historical places , I was very disappointed with the Paris trip. I missed the Paris je ne sais quoi that had been so touted and reading reviews on twitter, I wasn’t the only one .
The food was bland, yes I wanted to do the culture of the people but it was quiet difficult with the food.
I think Paris should be a one day trip , nothing more nothing less. Certainly lacked a certain luster .
Did I regret going ? Absolutely not ! I enjoyed my time there so much because travel makes me happy no matter what.
It’s True You Never Really Forget your First Trip to Paris
Should You go to Paris ?
Absolutely, how else would you say Paris is always a good idea so go ahead and book that trip to Paris .
Hope you enjoyed my Paris chronicles, kindly let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
Are you still very interested in going to Paris ?
More pictures from Paris
Abena Yalley Enjoying the view from the Windo Skybar at the Hyatt Regency
It was summer but the Paris weather was definitely chilly too
