Chilling in la Cité d’Amour

Writing about Paris should be easy. I could write about the rather obvious things: “Paris - the city of love”. From the Pont Marie, where just a kiss from your beloved can make wishes come true, to the love bridge, where the weight of love… or rather locks… is so strong the bridge is starting to collapse. “Paris – heaven for foodies”, where every shop lures you inside with the smell of freshly baked croissants, pastries and baguettes, cheese, cold meats… I could go on forever.

I could go as far as saying you haven’t lived if you haven’t at least once sat it front of a Parisian bistro, enjoying a glass of wine or two while tucking into your steak with potato gratin after you have plucked up the courage to finally try escargots (snails for the uninitiated). I could make yet another tired joke about how unfriendly Parisians are, or talk about the feeling of being in France during their game against Nigeria – it is World Cup season after all so at some point there has to be football talk, doesn’t there? But I won’t.

Instead I will tell you about Paris in the summer; where to go and where not to go when la cité d’amour becomes la greenhouse d’amour. We all know that, no matter how much we love the sun, sightseeing in a big city during the summer can be a real challenge. My first and probably most important piece of advice would be to avoid the metro. Paris might be big but it is possible to walk to almost every landmark, so enjoy the weather instead of gasping for breath on an overcrowded, badly air-conditioned train. This leads me straight to my second tip; take a stroll along the Seine. No city makes it easier for you to see its whole beauty without getting lost. Starting from Notre Dame you can choose between walking along the street to pass Paris’ famous bookstalls or taking the steps down to the banks of the Seine and walking right next to the river and underneath the bridges to enjoy some shade while passing the Île de la Cité, the Louvre and much more. From restaurants offering food and beverages in comfortable beach chairs to swimming islands on the Seine full of palms and modern street art installations, this section of the Seine is the perfect spot to enjoy a sunny day and it goes all the way up to the Eiffel tower. Just underneath the Eiffel Tower, there is a lovely park, perfect for a little rest from your walk while enjoying the view and maybe an ice cream or a crêpe. And on your way back why not take to the water and enjoy a fresh breeze?

From the Eiffel Tower, there are several boat operators that offer sightseeing cruises along the Seine. After a long walk, a one-way cruise may be the perfect way for you to get back to your hotel without taking another step whilst learning interesting facts about the city. But be careful! Many cruise ships are covered with a glass roof: not ideal in summer. Make sure that you choose an open boat and you will not regret investing a few Euros for a relaxing journey home. This was my first time in Paris during the summer and the above tips will only cover a fragment of what this lovely city has to offer, so I can only advise that you go there and discover it for yourself.