Our plane trip from Toronto to Paris was wonderfully uneventful, especially considering it was being modified during the week to anticipate hurricane Fiona (we were originally scheduled to fly through Halifax as exactly the wrong time). Our flight was less than half full, giving Sharon and I the full row to try and sleep, which is always challenging on a plane. Aside from very minor turbulence as we skirted the weather, it was a super smooth ride.

We landed at #cdg Paris just a little before our anticipated 10am local arrival and it was on to navigate the mysteries of public transit. Despite it being a busy, mazy warren of arrows and colour coded symbols though, we managed to extricate ourselves via airport shuttle, RER train into the city, and Metro 4 from Garde du Norde to Vavin station in under two hours.

This put us at Hotel Mercure Paris Montparnasse Raspail early, but we were welcomed and our bags checked while our room was made up. We meanwhile set up at the closest neighbourhood sidewalk cafe, La Gymnase, had some much needed and excellent coffee, and split a large chicouterie board of wonderful meats and bread. Just stopping and absorbing this enchanting neighbourhood on a Sunday afternoon was already refreshing.

By 2pm our room was ready so we made our way up to the 4th floor and settled in. The room is small as they apparently all are here, but comfortable and has a nice Juliette balcony with a lovely view of the neighbourhood. We unpacked and changed, and Sharon elected to get a nap on a genuinely horizontal surface while I sought out a bookstore (go figure).

Walking through the small streets on a beautiful day is a real treat. None of the road directions or intersections make any sense (thank God for Google Maps) but just taking in the surprising appearances of building older than countries, courtyards and gardens that spring from nowhere, and gargoyles (!) kept me gaping and snapping photos for the next couple of hours. I’m sure I looked every bit the tourist I felt, but folks are very nice and most are happy to help.

From my hotel I walked to and through Luxembourg Garden when children were getting pony rides and people were playing lawn bowling games. The gardens are vast with lovely statues, pathways and play areas everywhere, not to mention a palace at the end.

From here and a few blocks further toward Notre Dame I eventually ended up at Shakespeare and Co. which is a landmark bookshop in Paris. It really is a fantastic little visit – no pictures are allowed as people are meant to feel free to just sit and enjoy the books of the shop (new, used, vintage and rare) while listening to a piano player seranade everyone. There’s always a line to get in, which didn’t take long, and I managed to pry myself free after about forty minutes.

Right next door the shop’s cafe also rewards a short wait with coffees and pastries – I got a cold brew to go and began my wander back to my hotel, stopping briefly at a most confusing and cramped (but friendly!) drugstore for those things you’re not allowed to take on the plane 😉

My return was enough to wake Sharon and after a little planning we decided to make our way to Montparnasse Tower, which is only a fifteen minute walk from the hotel, and boasts the most impressive view of the city. Being later on a Sunday, most of the office entrances were closed, but eventually we found our way to an entrance and quick elevator ride to the top.

The view really is quite spectacular and worth an image search for better panoramas than I can create. We had some snacks and used the AR app to get our bearings on many of the attractions we want to see, and a sense of how the city is actually laid out – we may not have been entirely successful on the latter.

We were there in time for sunset which we took in from the rooftop lookouts, and we watched as the city slowed changed from a bustling metropolis to it’s namesake City of Lights – really breathtaking and easy to spend time just taking it all in.

Eventually the fatigue of the day set in and we made our way back to ground level, and on our way back to our hotel we stopped at one of the infinite number of local brassaries – A Saint-Malo – and enjoyed a bowl of onion soup and a salad (Parisienne, of course!). A nice finish to the day!