Paris 2022: Day 1

It was November 2021. We had just bought our tickets to go back to NC at Christmas, which is to say that normally this isn't the time to plan another trip. But when the airfare and accommodations for a week are less expensive than your four day Christmas trip, you just make things happen. Plus, we had been starving to get out and travel, much like most people who were ready to move past COVID closures and limitations. Full disclosure: we were already vaccinated and boosted and were following all the precautions from both American and French authorities the entire time leading up to, during and after our trip.

So fast forward to mid-March. We are finally headed to France. Like any trans-Atlantic crossing (or flight over 8 hours) we were tired, hungry and yet--ready to hit the ground running.

We walked around the neighborhood we were staying in Le Marais, located in the heart of Paris. We found a great unsuspecting cafe that had a wonderful pizza and salad. The vibe of Paris was so different--so many people wandering around outside. The weather was incredibly cooperative and averaged around 65F with clear skies (aside from pollution and remnants of Saharan dust clouds). After our lunch/dinner we pressed on, at this point with about 24 hours of no rest...but who cares! We walked along the quays fronting the Seine admiring the city and its rhythm.

We walked over to Notre Dame, which is still under construction in the wake of the tragic fire of 2019. We couldn't get close enough to the church to really appreciate its detail and story, but the place itself was abuzz with activity. We walked around a bit more, gaining a basic understanding of our immediate area and in true Parisian fashion stopped where necessary window-shopping or a refreshing al fresco cocktail. We decided that we would try and adjust to the time difference by just staying up as late as we could. We took the metro out to see the Eiffel Tower light show and had some crepes for dinner. Remembering the first night's activities is basically remembering how tired-yet-excited we felt. While we were super exhausted, we were compelled to take in as much of Paris as we could!