Paris: 4 Days in the City of Light & Love – Day Three & Four

After exploring day one and day two in Paris in my earlier blog posts, I’ll finish off the series with this final post about our final 2 days.

On our third and fourth days in Paris, we did a lot.  And when I say a lot, I mean pictures taken of me by day four had me looking 10 years older. No amount of sleep at night improved how I looked. lol. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy, but the bags under my eyes were so large, they rivaled the ones I had used to pack with. 

So what did we do, you ask? Here’s the run down:

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Boat ride on the Seine

As you can imagine, a boat ride on the Seine was high on our list of activities for this trip. We wanted to experience this during the day AND night. The Batobus Paris was an easy way to accomplish both without incurring the additional cost of a second ticket. The Batobus Paris is a highly recommended hop-on-hop-off boat ride that docks at many of the scenic areas of Paris.  We jumped on at the Louvre in the beginning of our day using it as our Uber on water. It took us to the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, and at the end of our day, back down the river to the Eiffel Tower. The past two days we ended our day at the Eiffel Tower, so we decided to make it a ritual. It was a leisurely and peaceful way to see the city and it offered a different look at the city. We loved it.

Visit Shakespeare & Company

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Shakespeare & Company has always been on my bucket-list. It is an old, eclectic bookstore in the Latin Quarter, and was not what I was expecting at all. Small, bookshelf-lined rooms were filled to the brim with all types of books. The store had old cushioned chairs – none matching – so that you can pause a moment to read or weigh your decision on which book to buy.  Upstairs a window at the front offered a beautiful view of Notre Dame. Also on the second floor, there was a cork board where tiny messages were tacked by visitors from all over the world. Avery bought several books and I left with a playing deck of cards illustrated with characters from Shakespeare’s plays. I love them.

Notre Dame

Unfortunately, due to the recent fire at Notre Dame Cathedral and the current progress of its restoration, we could not go into the cathedral.  We could, however, still admire the stunning exterior of this beautiful monument to French Gothic architecture. A fence restricted us from getting too close, so I’ve decided that a visit to the interior of Notre Dame will have to wait until my next trip to Paris. 😜

Stroll down the Champs-Elysees and window shop

After hopping off the boat at the Eiffel Tower, we decided to once again, rent an electric scooter.  It was early still – around 9pm – so rather than head back to the hotel, we set off on an adventure. Riding across bridges and along city streets, we made our way back to the Place de la Concorde and eventually down the Champs Elysée.  There, we paid homage to Chanel, Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton. The streets and sidewalks, even at that late hour, were still bustling with locals and tourists alike. At the end of the Champs-Elysees we came to . . .

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The Arc de Triomphe

Like Notre Dame, we were unable to get close to this structure. It had recently been wrapped in fabric in accordance with the late-artist Christo’s posthumous wishes. It was to pay tribute to him as well as his wife, the artist Jeanne-Claude. When we arrived at the monument, the fabric had been removed, but barriers stood at the base of the monument.  It was still amazing to see and a must see for anyone traveling to Paris.

Visit the infamous Moulin Rouge

This was a quick stop for us.  After leaving the Arc de Triomphe, we scooted along the streets of Paris, heading back to the hotel.  At one point we stopped to look at our phones to make sure we were headed in the right direction.  We were but found that just around the corner was the world-famous Moulin Rouge. We arrived just after the conclusion of the show to watch everyone stream out of the familiar building dressed smartly. It made me think that maybe when I returned next to Paris, I might like to go to a show. But for now, I was just happy to have stumbled across it to snag a picture.

Go Shopping!

We pretty much spent our fourth day shopping. As you can imagine, the streets were lined with beautiful storefront displays so we decided it would be nice to return home with something purchased in Paris. I was happy with just a coat, Avery however, came home with a bit more than that. 🤪 

Eat (and drink!) in a Café

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We ate most meals in Cafés. The weather was amazing while we were there, so we sat outside at various sidewalk cafes and enjoyed our meals. Despite what I feared, the food was always reasonably priced. They all had their own personal charm and allure, but my favorite was probably the one in the Latin Quarter. It was eclectic, like the quarter itself, and was a comfy, spot to sit, enjoy lunch, and people watch. The café’s we chose were always based on convenience and their menu. Next time I’ll be a little more strategic with my choices.

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So that pretty much covers it – in four days, we saw a lot – but there is still so much more I would like to go back and see. My thought is this – if you have a short amount of time and want to go to Paris, GO! It’s totally doable and you will see nearly everything you’d like to see.  BUT, the city really deserves at least a week. Maybe even more if you want to go to Versailles or venture out into the countryside. 

For me, I was just so happy to make the trip with my daughter.  It was such an amazing journey to share with her and it’s something I would like to make a tradition. October in Paris.  Why not! 

Sometimes I think because there are so many other cities that I haven’t seen, how can I justify going back to Paris? All I can say is that it is that kind of city. Even though this was my first time visiting, I already know that Paris is destined to be a long love affair for me. C’est la Vie. ❤️

– Darlene

(haven’t read our DAY ONE in PARIS? Click HERE: DAY ONE )

(haven’t read our DAY TWO in Paris? Click HERE: DAY TWO )