So, as I was saying – it was bucketing down with rain when we arrived in Paris! I’d seen the forecasts, but I refused to believe it would actually be true.

But… c’est la vie!

Fortunately, by the time we arrived at our gorgeous Latin Quarter hotel, the rain had stopped – thank goodness, because check-in wasn’t until 3pm. We got changed in the hotel bathroom and headed out to start the day, beginning with a little planning session at a nearby café (we didn’t have to go far because, let’s face it, they’re all gorgeous around here).

“Do You Know Fat Freddy’s Drop?”

Our lovely waiter asked where we were from, and when we said New Zealand, his face lit up:

“Ah! Kiwis!”

We braced ourselves for a kia ora or an All Blacks! reference… but instead, he said:

“Do you know Fat Freddy’s Drop? I love them.”

Honestly? Not what we were expecting. But it made our day.

Hop-On Hop-Off

We were still pretty tired, so we decided a Hop-On Hop-Off bus would be the perfect way to kick things off: seats, some Paris history, and a great view. It took us past all the classic sights:

• Arc de Triomphe

• The Louvre

• Notre-Dame

• Place de la Concorde (fascinating and gruesome history—it told us the last guillotine execution was in the ‘70s… then the audio cut out. Cliffhanger much?)

• Musée d’Orsay

• Petit Palais

• Grand Palais

• Champs-Élysées

• The Eiffel Tower

I’ve done HoHo buses before in London and Singapore, and to be honest, those were better – this one was pre-recorded and a bit cheesy. But it was perfect for filling in time between patches of rain (which eventually drove us to the lower deck) and conserving energy.

Room With a View (and Baileys)

At 3pm we were finally able to check into our room – and oh my goodness, it’s gorgeous.

There’s a little terrace where we can sit with our Duty-Free Baileys, looking out over beautiful rooftops and the charming street below. Not bad at all.

Dinner + Eiffel Tower Magic

After freshening up, we headed to dinner before our Eiffel Tower booking. Our Uber driver was extremely animated, telling us all about Paris and even giving us a run-down on the restaurant we were headed to for dinner – Chez Francis, a bistro I picked purely for its location and view of the tower.

We weren’t super hungry, but Craig had his first beef tartare (not something I’ll ever try, personally), and we both ordered French onion soup – which I first tried last time I was in Paris and then unsuccessfully attempted to recreate at home.

This version? As delicious as I remembered.

A Glass of Möet at the Top

We walked down to the tower, which is now surrounded by glass walls thanks to protests and security measures, and lined up for our 9pm booking. I’ve been up the Eiffel Tower before, but this time I booked tickets to the very top, with a glass of champagne included.

From the ground, it doesn’t look that high… but you feel it once you’re up there.

The view was absolutely incredible. Watching the sunset with a glass of Möet in hand? Magical.

…If only the kids next to us weren’t spitting off the side.

We spent a decent amount of time pointing out all the landmarks. Then we walked back down from the second level – just in time for the tower to light up and start sparkling. The crowd below erupted in cheers.

It was pure magic.

Lime Bikes and Rooftop Bars

We decided to take Lime bikes back to the hotel – what a fun experience! The bike lanes here are fantastic, and lots of people were out riding… although no one wears helmets, which made me a bit nervous when a tourist accidentally drove down the bike lane.

When we got back, the Lime drop-off zone outside our hotel was full (you can’t just park them anywhere like in NZ), so Craig went off to find another one while I waited and hoped it wasn’t too far. Thankfully, he didn’t have to go far at all.

We decided to end the night with a drink at the hotel’s rooftop bar.

We just made it before last orders at 10:55pm – pretty sure the barman wasn’t thrilled… until he realised we were just ordering a couple of bottles of beer, and then he warmed right up.

The view from the rooftop is stunning – you can see both the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame.

We’ll definitely be going back up during the day… if we can find a dry window in the weather.

Day One: Done and Dusted

Our first day in Paris is complete, and we’re so excited for tomorrow!

Bon soir!

❤ Laus