Paris Exploration: A Virtual Éclair-Tasting Tour in the City of Lights!
Alright everyone! 👋 Welcome to my blog page!
How about we explore a brand new place together in this post? Even if we can’t travel physically right now, that doesn’t mean we can’t see new places. We have our imagination! By using it and reading, we can set sail to completely new lands. So come on, let’s discover Paris, the city known for being so romantic, right from where we’re sitting!
When Paris is mentioned, the first things that pop into my head are sparkle, luxury, and of course, those delicious éclairs! My research shows that the origin of éclairs isn’t actually Paris, but they are known to have appeared in France in the late 19th century.
In fact, many food historians say that Marie Antoine Careme, the famous pastry chef of the French royal family, first made éclairs. Just a little fun fact for all you éclair lovers out there! 😉
The Eiffel Tower: From Temporary Structure to Permanent Icon
When it comes to places to visit in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is probably the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind.
The French engineer Gustave Eiffel built the Eiffel Tower temporarily for the world’s fair in Paris in 1889. It later became a permanent fixture. I was surprised when I heard the “temporarily built” part too, because it took 3,000 workers a whole 26 months to create this massive structure.
Workers constructed it from iron and steel, putting it together with a whopping 18,038 pieces! It truly would have been a shame to tear down something built with so much effort.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can climb the stairs, or you can take the elevator. You can find a restaurant or souvenir shop on each floor. And when you reach the top, all of Paris spreads out beneath your feet in a 360-degree view. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking!
The Heart of Art: The Louvre Museum
Our next stop is the Louvre Museum. They originally built this place as a royal palace in the 12th century, and it was later converted into a museum.
When the museum opened to the public in 1793, it began to house France’s national art and historical treasures, like the Mona Lisa. Inside, visitors can see more than 38,000 works, from paintings to sculptures, ancient artifacts to jewelry, and furniture.
The glass pyramid in the museum’s courtyard is one of its iconic structures and the place that catches my eye the most. The Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei designed it. I thought the museum entrance was elsewhere, but the main entrance is actually through this glass pyramid. Of course, depending on how crowded it is, the museum uses different entrance gates.
Palaces and Gardens: Luxembourg and Champ de Mars
And next up is one of those magnificent, grand palaces: the Luxembourg Palace. Queen Marie de’ Medici built it in 1615. She wanted to reflect her own origins, so she designed it as an Italian-style palace and garden.
This palace, which includes two main floors and a central building, is famous for its elegant facades and the meticulously designed Luxembourg Gardens. The gardens look truly vast and magnificent. Taking a lovely walk here must be wonderful!
Speaking of beautiful gardens, our next stop is the Champ de Mars park. This park stretches out as a lush, huge area right under the Eiffel Tower, merging with the Eiffel Gardens. It offers a full-on view of the Eiffel Tower.
It has a relaxing atmosphere where Parisians love to have picnics and spend quality time with their loved ones.
Tour’s End: The Painters’ Hill (Montmartre)
We end our tour at the Painters’ Hill, a well-known site for painting in France. Located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, this is the famous Montmartre hill, which has been home to many renowned artists throughout history.
The streets are filled with artists’ studios and art galleries. It’s a lively spot where artists producing various works, such as live portraits and landscape paintings, and people come together. You can also have personalized paintings made here.
Well, that brings us to the end of our Paris trip. I really enjoyed writing this. Discovering new places like this makes me so happy. I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour too. I think if we ever go to Paris one day, we won’t feel like strangers at all. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet in a completely different place on our next virtual trip! Stay travel-minded! 😊