Paris Travel Diary: Day One

I arrived in Montmartre a little past noon, on Monday. My hotel check in wasn’t until 2pm. So I left my luggage at the hotel and decided to explore the neighborhood.  I purchased some groceries from Monoprix; the local grocery store, took a few photos of Montmartre. I mean, the buildings in Paris, I’ve never seen anything like it. I could literally spend hours look at them. So beautifully designed. The first thing I noticed upon exiting the metro was the Moulin Rouge.

 I debated between getting an apartment through Air BnB or a hotel for more security, since I was travelling alone. So, this apartment hotel was perfect. It had about everything you could need. The hotel has a roof top lounge from which you could see the Bascilica of Montmartre. It was a perfect place for quiet moments; I wish I would have utilized it more.

After checking into my hotel, I was now hungry but my desire to explore Montmartre was more pressing than eating, so I wore my flats and headed out to the Sacre Coeur. I had seen photographs of the Sacre Coeur and the amazing view of the city from the top, but seeing the view in person left me stunned. There was six dollar charge to visit the Dome of the basilica to get the best views, and I did just that.  It was there I first saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time, see photograph below. I believe I may have spent over four hours walking around Montmartre, exploring the little shops and cafes. With the beautiful architecture, its not hard to get lost in the neighborhood for hours.

linking up with Rachelle and Lauren today!