A 48 Hour City Break in Paris: Days 2 and 3 

I went on a 48 hour city break to Paris with two friends way back in October. We’d all been there before so we had a pretty laid back itinerary, yet we still seem to have covered so much.

To read all about our first day including the fab central hotel we stayed in click here.

But now, to Days 2 and 3 in our Parisian Adventure.

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Day 2

This was the only full day that we had in Paris so we had to fit as much in as possible! Since I had lived there a few (cough, twenty two, cough) years earlier I was self-appointed tour guide. The girls didn’t complain. Thankfully, the weather was great again, blue skies and some white puffy clouds and despite it being October it actually felt warm.

We walked from the hotel away from Notre Dame and through the quiet (nearly deserted!) streets around the Sorbonne University to the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens). The Luxembourg Gardens are special to me for two reasons. Firstly, I spent many happy hours there as a broke stagiaire in the 1990’s drinking cheap vodka from McDonald’s cups with my friends, before heading to our favourite Irish pub in the Latin Quarter. Secondly, and much more memorably it’s where. having swigged vodka from McDonald’s cup my husband got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I hadn’t been back since. This time I didn’t cry. but I smiled at the happy, happy memories. For people without those memories they are still a really beautiful place to visit, and perhaps sail a toy boat.

From there we walked to the St Sulpice church (Remember Da Vinci Code?) and after all that walking and looking we e sat and had a coffee at the famous Deux Magots Cafe in St Germain De Pres. It’s expensive but iconic, and feels like an incredibly Parisian thing to do. We sat outside bit the salle inside is worth a look.

After our tea we crossed the Seine to the courtyard of the Louvre. After some ridiculous posing and giggling outside the museum (we’d all been inside before so decided we could walk on) we sat in a cafe in the Tuileries gardens (one of my favourite places in Paris, where I spend my first afternoon as a student there) and ate galettes and drank cold beer. Perfection.

We took photos in Place de la Concorde with the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe as backdrops before  heading to walk back along the lower banks of the Seine towards our hotel . We had a brief shopping stop on the way back when we discovered a lovely little handbag shop selling leather handbags in every colour under the sun for a steal  (It’s La Vitrine, 49 rue Dauphine, 75006)  there are two gorgeous artisan bakeries on the same street worth checking out too. Having supported the small business we went back to the hotel and dressed for dinner and went out to our private terrace for an aperifif.

We dined just around the corner and happened into a bar that had basement live music (no cover charge, just buy two drinks). We stayed out much too late soaking it all up.

Day 3

Next morning we only had a few hours before we had to go home so we took a slow wander around the St Michel and St Germain area before a lovely breakfast in a bakery one block from the hotel that sold the most amazing rainbow meringues that it killed me to leave behind as they’d never have survived the journey.

And following a short walk along the Seine it was time to board the RER to head back to Charles De Gaulle airport.

Paris has a piece of me, when I’m back there I’m 19 again, wandering the streets exploring. 

I’m already dreaming about  my next trip back!

To read all about our first day including the fab central hotel we stayed in click here.