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A weekend in Paris
a:Paris
r:Paris
My last visit to Paris is many years ago and when we started talking about a business trip to Paris, I got excited and we decided to spend the weekend ahead of our trip in the city of love to explore. We went in August and it turned out to be a great idea because the city felt calm and relaxed. We just missed the biggest heat wave and visited Paris during a time when the Parisians were still on holiday, many tourists were in town along with those few locals, who still had to work. We stayed in a lovely hotel in Montparnasse, climbed the Eiffel Tower, drank a lot of Rosé, walked 20km in a day, took a million photos and fell in love with this fabulous city that really is worth a visit time and time again. Read on below for our experiences and tips for a great weekend in France´s capital city!
Paris - Hotel Tip
a:Paris
r:Paris
It took me a while to find this one, (link: https://en.hotelvillam-paris15.com text: Villa M) in Montparnasse. I was looking for something cool, centrally located and a hotel that would break the bank. So we decided to try this one. Designed by Philippe Starck and ideally located right next to the Metro stop "Pasteur". The outside of the hotel is almost entirely decorated with plants and it looks fabulous. The Front of House Team was very welcoming and accommodating and made us feel right at home. We love the hotel for its cool and modern design, its central location and lovely atmosphere. Service in the Restaurant could have been more attentive but they were busy with everything else but serving their guests. We would have loved to try the rooftop (with direct views of the Eiffel Tour) but one night it rained, then we had other plans and on a Sunday night, it is closed. Overall we enjoyed our stay and can recommend this hotel for a weekend.
Paris Activities
a:Unknown Address
r:Paris
From our hotel, it was an easy 20-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. We had breakfast on our way there (Café Au Lait and croissant of course)and then arrived at this magnificent building. I have been to Paris before but actually never to the Eiffel Tower. As it was Saturday, it was busy and we realised we should have booked tickets to go up. Tickets were available for the next day, so we quickly booked them for Sunday morning to be able to climb the stairs to the second level. It was well worth it and should absolutely be on the to-do list for any trip to Paris. Loved it and felt very special! From there we walked along the Seine, up Avenue George V towards Arc de Triomphe. We took a lot of pictures on the way and then bought tickets for the metro to travel to Montmartre. After a coffee break, we climbed the stairs to Sacre Coeur, enjoyed the view, and watched the people and the artists before treating ourselves to lunch. (Read the below article for our restaurant finds). After lunch we spent the afternoon around Montmartre, shopping, drinking Rosé wine, watching people and just really enjoying being in this city full of life and beauty. Sometimes that is all it takes to make you fall in love with a place... A weekend gives only a glimpse of a destination and by walking and taking part in the local life you get to be a part of it for a while.
Eating in Paris
a:Unknown Address
r:Paris
My favourite place to eat during our weekend in Paris was a vegan Bistro called "(link: https://g.page/urbangreener?share text: Urban Greener)" close to Sacre Coeur. They have indoor and outdoor seats and offer a set menu with a few options. We tried a few different versions and loved all of them, sweet and savoury, all tasty! Go and try if you are in the area, the perfect lunch spot. In Montparnasse, we dined at (link: https://goo.gl/maps/5J8ehi5J8wGs7gK67 text: Cafe Le Bonaparte) which served all French Classic. Rosé wine, Salad Nicoise and tasty tartines, we enjoyed it and went there twice. Also in Montparnasse, we had to try the Crepes from (link: http://auptitgrec.com/ text: Au P'tit Grec), so tasty and yummy!! And then we had ice cream and Pizza by the Seine and more wine... A fabulous culinary and inspiring weekend trip!!
Marseille
a:Marseille
r:Bouches-du-Rhône
During summer 2018, we watched the Netflix series (link: https://www.netflix.com/title/80037278 text: Marseille) where Gerard Depardieu plays the mayor of Marseille. We enjoyed the show a lot and we enjoyed the pictures of the city even more. We both hadn’t been to Marseille and so we decided to go on a long weekend break to the south of France for my birthday. Easyjet flies directly from Berlin in under three hours and we chose to stay for four days in France’s second-largest city. And let me tell you, we loved it! We were lucky with the weather, which was a good start but everything thing else was well worth this trip. What a great city, what a great destination. Do read on for our personal recommendations for a hotel, food, and drink and of course sightseeing too! Plus we took a day trip away from Marseille and visited the university town of Aix en Provence. It is easily reachable by bus from Marseille in under an hour and there are regular connections between both cities. It is a very picturesque town with just under 150.000 inhabitants and it was home to the famous french painter Paul Cezanne. Beautiful cobblestone streets, stunning old houses, and buildings offer a lot to explore and see. The inner city is a shopping heaven and you will find inviting cafes and restaurants on every corner. A very charming, very french feeling town with a lot to offer! Overall, we can wholeheartedly say that we were so very happy we visited. This city offered everything we were looking for. Sunny weather, a true sense of place (as this city is very unique and unlike any other city I have visited before), great options for things to do, a fabulous choice of restaurants and bars, shopping and just a great place to be. It is easily accessible, good to navigate around, and perfect to explore and see something new. Marseille, you have two new fans!!
