Week 16: Paris and Barcelona

After wrapping up saying goodbye to people in Copenhagen, I set off on my final trip in Europe which was to Paris, France and Barcelona, Spain. I went to meet my cousin that lived near Munich, Germany, and met her for the first time.

It was very exciting since we were both going to Paris for the first time, and getting to know each other there. Initially, I didn't take much interest in going to Paris since I heard many negative things about the city, and France in general. However, I ended up just booking Paris to experience how it truly it without the negative perspectives of the city.

For the first night, we grabbed dinner and I got to eat escargot for the first time! It was very good, I would compare the taste to mushrooms with garlic and butter.

The next morning we went over to the Louvre, and got to see the museum for the first time. It was relatively early in the morning, so the line was not too bad, however, we still had to wait for a little while before entering the museum. Even yet, the crowds were very intense and the museum was packed. Tip: If you go to the Louvre, book tickets ahead of time, and make sure to queue up prior to your time slot by at least an hour. The lines can get pretty long.

In all honesty, it was really hard to enjoy the museum. There were so many people there and the museum was as packed as it could possibly be. Seeing the Mona Lisa was the worst of the crowds, people would flood towards the painting and topple each other just to get a photo of it. Reflecting on this experience, I understood why the workers as of recently went on strike. The museum workers likely couldn't handle a surge of people like this constantly.

Here are some photos of the Louvre:

Afterwards we walked around Paris and got to see some various sites like the Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Pont Alexandre III, and more. Although the weather was not the greatest, I still felt like Paris was one of the most beautiful cities that I had been to. This was by far one of my most favorite trips in Europe.

Here are some more pictures of that day!

(p.s The food in Paris is incredible! So good from things like pastries to meat dishes if you're going to the Louvre and need a place to eat nearby I recommend Cafe de la Regence. This place was very good, I got a duck leg here as seen up above.) Aside from this, make sure to see the view of Paris from the Arc De Triomphe, ideally close to sunset since the light hits the city very beautifully.

The next day I went to Sainte-Chapelle and the Notre Dame. While both were very beautiful, I highly recommend going to Sainte Chapelle and seeing the interior. Afterwards, had some excellent Chinese food after at X Lagrange, and after we went over to the Pantheon. My cousin and I found the Pantheon to be very interesting, since many historically significant people were buried there. People like Marie Curie and her spouse, as well as Louis Braille were buried there. Overall, the Pantheon is very beautiful, and I highly recommend going there if you have the chance.

I don't want to include pictures of these since it will spoil what the interiors look like. But here is the food!

Afterwards, we went over to this very popular neighborhood called Montmartre. Its a very beautiful and hip neighborhood with cafes and restaurants to go to. There is also the famous Basilique de Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. Very beautiful as well! This place was definitely a must go neighborhood in my opinion.

To cap off the night, me and my cousin went back to the Eiffel Tower to see the Eiffel Tower at night. Every hour after the sun sets the tower sparkles for five minutes, and its so beautiful!

Eiffel Tower!

The next morning my cousin and I went to Hotel des Invalides for one final stop before parting ways. This place is also interesting because it was the burial place of Napoleon Bonaparte. His tomb is very lavish and made beautifully, so if you have time, it might be cool to check out.

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Barcelona

Barcelona was one of the cities that I regret not spending more time in. I seriously regret not spending more time in Spain in general since there are so many beautiful cities to see and great food to eat.

Upon landing in Barcelona the contrast from other cities was stark, it was extremely hot. Make sure you pack for the weather if you are heading close to May/June!

Barcelona was also extremely beautiful, the architecture of the city was very unique, the streets were clean, and I found the culture to be different compared to other parts of Europe.

Here are some pictures!

While in Barcelona, met up with a friend that I met in Copenhagen and we got to hang out for a good chunk of the trip! We had a great time and we had so much fun!

Here are some sites that you should consider going to if you go to Barcelona:

• La Pedrera - Casa Mila

• Casa Batllo

• Playa de la Barceloneta

• Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau

• Hospital de la Santa Crew i Sant Pau

• Park Guell

• Placa de Catalunya

• Basilica de la Sagrada Famila

• Ciutadella Park

• Basilica de la Sagrada Familia

Food spots:

• Can Paixano

• La Cova Fumada

• Orxateria La Valenciana

• Granja Dulcinea

• Mercado Santa Caterina

• Can Remonet

Here is a Youtube channel that I recommend watching for Spain related content as well: Spain Revealed

Also here is a link to a local's recommendations: https://solstice-wizard-5b2.notion.site/Barcelona-ab5aff55bf2d4756850a02db8928170b

While I happened to be in Barcelona, there was also a Formula 1 Race that was going on which was very cool to know. If you're ever in the area make sure to search up if there are any unique events like that going on.

Overall, Spain was one of my favorites and I had an amazing time, I hope that I can go back some day. Maybe to cities like San Sebastian, Seville, or Bilbao.

Thank you for reading! :)