This issue, the lucky winners of our reader competition were friends and flatmates, Carla and Syreeta. We sent them to the City of Light for two days of French fabulousness!
Day 1
11:00 flea market
Once checked in to our very glam hotel, we headed straight to the Marché aux Puces, Paris’s largest and oldest flea market. We strolled down the long corridors of antiques, eating pains au chocolat and wondering how we could get an 18th-century table back to our flat in England!
12:30 Sacré-Coeur
After walking up an exhausting flight of stairs, we made it to Sacré-Coeur (“Sacred Heart”). Built in 1873, it’s now a landmark in the infamous Montmartre district, once home to the Moulin Rouge and artists like Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec
. It’s worth the trip for the spectacular views over Paris. www.sacre-coeur-montmar.tre.com
14:00 gardens
Hopping on the art nouveau metro, we headed into the centre of Paris for a stroll around the Jardin des Tuileries. These gardens, outside the Louvre (www.louvre.fr), are a more easy-going alternative to spending the day in the vast galleries. The sun came out as we lost ourselves in the crowds of people enjoying the day.
15:30 tea time
After such a nice walk it was high time for tea at Paris’s most famous tea house, Mariage Frères (www.mariagefreres.com), where handsome young waiters greeted us with smiles. We happily relaxed over two enormous pots of tea (“Earl Grey French Blue” and “Fall In Love”) but there are hundreds to choose from.
18:00 shopping
Time for shopping! With the boutiques on the Champs-Elysées a little out of our budget, we stopped at a vintage store in the Marais district (8 rue St. Croix de la Bretonnerie, tel: +33 (0)1 4276 0372). Rummaging through piles of clothes we came out with armfuls of treasures for very reasonable prices. Can’t wait to go back here!
20:30 bar
Time got lost in our shopping-induced tizzy. Wandering into the bustling Marais district, we settled at Bar les Philosophes (28 rue Vieille du Temple, tel: +33 (0)1 4887 4964) for a glass of wine. We sat on the patio, happily nibbling on a cheese plate and watching the city go by. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
Day 2
10:00 Ste Chapelle
We’d been told about the breathtaking stained glass windows at Ste-Chapelle (http://sainte-chapelle. monuments-nationaux.fr/en), but were unsure whether or not to go. But when we entered the chapel, with its intimate size and sky-high walls of glass, we knew we had made the right choice. If you only go to one cathedral in Paris, make sure this is it.
10:45 The Seine
The best thing about Paris (aside from eating crêpes of course!) is walking along the Seine. We stopped several times to enjoy the view and take loads of photos.
11:15 Musée D’Orsay
Once a train station, the Musée D’Orsay (www.musee-orsay.fr) is now a spectacular gallery housing a collection of Victorian and art nouveau treasures. We recommend stopping for raspberry tart in the top-floor café – which is beautifully situated under a giant clock.
13:30 say cheese!
We couldn’t return to the UK without filling our bags with cheese. Our last stop was at a crèmerie on Ile St-Louis (La Ferme Saint-Aubin, 76 rue St.-Louis-en-l’Ile, tel: +33 (0)1 43 54 74 54), where we chose a few tasty looking cheeses to remind us of our wonderful time in Paris.
got a passport and a digital camera?
Want to be in an upcoming issue of yeahbaby? We’re looking for two people to take to the streets of a bmibaby destination for 24 hours and keep a record of their adventures. If you’re handy with a camera and happy to tell our readers what they should see and do, we want to hear from you! Please email bmibaby.ed@ink-publishing.com with a photo of you and your travel buddy, tell us why you’d like to be our next guest writer, and let us know where you live. We’ll organise return flights for two from your nearest bmibaby UK hub to one of our destinations (to be decided), plus one night’s accommodation and £100 towards transfers, meals etc. Good luck!
