Paris, Paris...how I love thee Paris

Sacre Coeur
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I met Patrick in Paris for the weekend.  He had spent the week in Lyon and I couldn't wait to be in Paris with him.

We met at the train station and went straight to the hotel to drop off our stuff and start touring.  There is a lot to see and we wanted to make sure that we saw all of it in our three days.

it only took one day for Patrick to fall in love with the city

The hotel we stayed at was in Montmartre, a great location.  The hotel however was not great.  The gave us a twin room instead of a double and they only reserved us a room for two nights and not three.  This happened to at least four other couples while we were there, and we were forced to spend our final night in the dodgiest hotel I have ever seen.

Moulin Rouge
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From the hotel we were able to walk to the Sacre Coeur.  This is a site that I missed on my last trip here and it is definitely worth making the time for.  It is located high on a hilltop overlooking the city.  Unfortunately we were not able to climb to the roof top dome because it is only available on weekends, but even the view from the front steps is pretty amazing.

We then walked around Montmartre, an area where historically artisits and the underbelly of society would have hung out.  We went past the Moulin Rouge, but decided not to spend the money this time around.  I would love to see a Can-Can but the Moulin Rouge is pretty pricey - it just didn't seem worth it.

Arc de Triomphe
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After our walk through Montmartre, Patrick decided that he really wanted to see the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffle Tower.  He said he didn't really want to wait until the next day, so we set off to the Champs Elysees.  We had a quick visit at the Arc - there isn't a whole lot to see.  The Arc itself is huge and beautifully constructed, but that's it.  We didn't climb it because we knew we were going to the Eiffle Tower and it has way better views.

After the Arc, we set off for the Eiffle Tower.  You can take the metro from point to point, but part of the fun of Paris is walking around and seeing the different architecture and the true essence of Paris, so that is what we did.  Patrick was so funny, as we got closer and closer, he was getting more and more excited.  I really thought that he might cry when we finally got to the Trocadero - which has the best views.  But I shouldn't poke fun since I did cry on my first trip to Paris.

Paris
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We spent about half an hour at the Trocadero taking pictures and just watching the Tower...like it was going to do something.  And then we went to get in line for tickets.  We really wanted to go up the Tower at dusk, and as it turned out we timed it perfectly.  When we got the top there was still enough light to see the major points in the city, but by the time we were ready to head back down it was pitch black and the Tower was completely light up.  We both had so much fun at the Tower, despite it being absolutely freezing cold.

Eiffle Tower
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After the Tower we decided to go for dinner and warm-up.  We knew January was the coldest month in France, but neither of us were prepared for how cold it got in the evening.  So instead of seeing a whole lot more of the city, we took part in a wine and food tour of France.

Overall, our first day in Paris was perfection.  I have always loved Paris and am I pleased to report that it only took one day for Patrick to fall in love with the city.