Blog

21 - 23 June : Fete de la Musique

Free Music is Great Music

Trippin'.
Every trip to Paris, by car, plane or train, the ritual is the same: purchase a metro pass and head straight for the hotel to stash our luggage before heading back out into the streets of Paris in search of a grec stand, where I order, without flinch, un grec avec frites (a gyros stuffed with fries). Simple enough; nothing utterly worldly or new. I'm not even sure it's entirely French, let alone Parisian. And yet, the feeling is instant total gratification the moment it's all wrapped up and nestled between the palm of my hands.

So this trip was no different. We checked in, dressed and headed out towards the Pompidou area for some lunch and shopping at a 3- story H&M in Les Halles. We both bought new sweaters and wore them out into the cold city.

For the rest of the day, we wandered the streets of Paris hitting up tourist landmarks such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. We also took a boat tour down the Seine which highlighted all major landmarks as well. It was a bit slow but a different way to see the sites. While in the Latin Quarter, we shared a crepe snack before continuing. On our way back to the hotel, we stumbled upon a small patisserie shop selling miniature bite size pastries. We couldn't choose just one, so we bought a little bit of everything-- heaven!

Oddly enough, as the day went on, we kept running into live music bands playing all over the city. It's Fete de la Musique-- a lively street music festival held every year on June 21st! And guess what day it was? Lucky us. It lasted into the late hours of the night. While hanging out in St. Germain Des Pres, we stumbled right into a live jam fest that felt like an outdoor club-- loud music and dancing drunken Parisians-- so fun!

Next morning we hit up the Louvre. Lucky for us. No lines! And while the Mona Lisa will remain supreme, there is a new hype in town-- the inverted pyramid made famous by Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. After the Louvre, we hit up the Arc de Triomphe as well the Luxembourg Gardens. Since it's towards the end of our trip, we decided to splurge on dinner at Buddha Bar. My martini alone was 30+ euros. That's euros!

Sleeping: Hotel Plessis. Not the best two star in Paris; there are hundreds to choose from in any Arrondissements.
Eating: Another Parisian classic-- une crepe au sucre (a crepe with sugar). Sometimes, less is more.
Attraction & Destination Checklist:
Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower
The Louvre
Notre Dame Cathedral
Luxembourg Gardens

More Photos.