I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Living in the South of France can be pretty awesome. Now, with the new TGV MAX Card, I can go wherever I want in France simply with a tap of a button on my smartphone (for more information on the pass, check out my previous post here). Naturally, this means that every free day consists of traveling. My first day trip? Paris.


For those of you that might be aware, Paris has a special place in my heart. I studied abroad in the Spring of 2015 and consider it to be my second home. Regardless of what I do in Paris, I always seem to enjoy myself. Though Paris might seem like a daunting city to tackle in less than 12 hours, it can be done (and almost all via on foot).


I started my day off by getting on the train from Montpellier at 7 am. By 10:45 am I was stepping out of the Gare Du Lyon station, located in the 12th arrondissement, ready to conquer the day. I started my day off walking along the Seine towards Hotel Du Ville. I have to say, it was pretty magical watching the sun creep up in the morning in Paris. It was as if I was in a movie. Everything seemed perfect. The sun was shinning. People were smiling as they jogged next to the river and kids were laughing at the park.



By 12, I found myself in an area of Paris that I usually don't go to: The Latin Quater. Sure, I have had my nights hanging around the bars over here but I had never seen the churches and buildings that somehow mysteriously emerge in this quaint neighborhood. As I made my way further up the street, I found myself over by Place D'Italie and then towards the Montparnasse Area. I'll always hold a soft spot for this neighborhood in particular since its where I went to school. There I was, transported back into time, at my favorite sushi restaurant as if it were the Spring of 2015 again.



To continue my journey going down memory lane I decided to take my favorite metro route on Line 13. Now you might be wondering why line 13 is my favorite. Sure the 6 is great for its spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower, but there's something about the energy (and the fact that it is always packed no matter what time or day it is) that makes this my favorite metro line. I'm sure that if you asked anyone who has lived in Paris they would tell you that i'm crazy for saying this.

I continued my day on Rue Saint Honore to do some window shopping. Until recently, I had never stepped foot into a designer store (Prada in Milan, naturally being my first). I decided to muster up the courage and see if I would be granted entrance into one of the coveted stores. Several minutes later (and what I assume were mini heart attacks as well), I found myself touching haute-couture and being shown the latest collection of Pret-a-porter from LongChamp (which is naturally my favorite brand). Sure, I might of walked out of the store empty handed but what I had couldn't be bought: happiness (cheesy, I know).


After being treated like a princess in Paris (this should be a slogan for something), I decided it was time to catch up with a friend and do what anyone does on a sunny day in Paris: tan on Pont Neuf and watch the sunset. It was amazing to think that somehow I had conquered Paris in such a small amount of time. 14 kilometers after, and a falafel for the road in the Marais, I was back by the Bastille where the magic had all began. Only a minute to spare, I hopped on my train at Gare Du Lyon and began thinking about where I would go to next.


Have you done a day trip in Paris?


Until next time,