After saying goodbye to the beautiful medieval city of Ghent, Belgium, I travelled to Paris, France, by FlixBus. The journey took around 3h 40m to cover around 291kms but it was comfortable, affordable, and a wonderful way to watch the Belgian and French countryside pass by before arriving in one of the world’s most iconic cities
My home for the next three days was Hotel Richmond Opéra, a charming hotel, conveniently located opposite the Gare du Nord and the Eurostar Terminal that made it easy to explore the city. After checking in and settling down, I was ready to experience everything the French capital had to offer.
I have been to Paris before, many times in fact, during my days as cabin crew. But those visits were very different. Paris was a destination on a work schedule, not a place where I had the luxury of wandering around, stopping whenever something caught my eye, taking photographs, or simply soaking up the atmosphere.
So, the next three days were filled with unforgettable moments. Every street seemed to have its own story, every café invited me to pause and soak in the atmosphere, and every landmark reminded me why Paris is known as the City of Light.
Whether I was walking along its grand boulevards, admiring the magnificent architecture, enjoying delicious French cuisine, or simply watching the world go by from a pavement café, I found myself falling in love with the city’s unique charm. Paris has a way of making even the simplest moments feel magical.
Before my eyes were drawn to Paris’s most famous landmark, another impressive monument caught my attention in the Place du Trocadéro-et-du-11-Novembre. Standing proudly in the square is the Equestrian Statue of Marshal Ferdinand Foch, a striking bronze tribute to one of France’s greatest military leaders of the First World War. Depicted confidently on horseback, Marshal Foch served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the final stages of the war and played a pivotal role in the Allied victory. Set against the elegant surroundings of the Trocadéro, the monument adds a sense of history and grandeur to one of Paris’s most visited locations. While many people walk straight past on their way to admire the Eiffel Tower, I paused for a moment to appreciate this important reminder of France’s military heritage.
Then I turned around. There it was. And what better place to begin than with one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks? The Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower, rising gracefully above the Champ de Mars and dominating the Paris skyline. Although I had been to Paris many times during my days as cabin crew, this was my first real sightseeing visit, and seeing the Iron Lady from the famous Trocadéro viewpoint made it feel as though I was discovering the city for the very first time.
Standing on the elevated esplanade of Trocadéro, and there it was. The view from Trocadéro is one of the classic ways to see the tower. From this side of the Seine, the monument stands beautifully framed against the Paris skyline, with the Champ de Mars stretching out behind it.
The Eiffel Tower rose dramatically across the Seine, its familiar iron lattice stretching 330 metres into the Parisian sky. I had seen it countless times in photographs, from aircraft windows and in films, but seeing it with time on my side was something else entirely.
I could stop. I could look. I could take photographs from different angles. Most importantly, I could simply enjoy being there.
And yes, I took plenty of photographs!
What makes the Eiffel Tower even more fascinating is that it was never meant to become the permanent symbol of Paris. Designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution, it was built in just over two years and opened in March 1889. At 330 metres, it was then the tallest man-made structure in the world. Not everyone was impressed. Many French artists and intellectuals considered the enormous iron structure ugly and completely out of place in historic Paris. It was originally expected to stand for only 20 years, yet it survived its critics and eventually became one of the world’s most beloved landmarks.
The engineering behind it is equally remarkable. Around 18,000 iron pieces and 2.5 million rivets form its distinctive lattice framework, designed to withstand strong winds. The tower also moves slightly in the wind and expands in hot weather, becoming several centimetres taller when heated by the sun. Even its colour has changed over the years, and today it is painted in three graduated shades. The tower is repainted roughly every seven years.
As for those famous elevators, they were part of the original design, making it possible for visitors to reach the upper levels without tackling hundreds of stairs. I was quite happy admiring this engineering marvel from the ground!
Standing at Trocadéro, camera in hand, with the Eiffel Tower stretching above Paris, it finally felt like I was seeing the city properly. And then it was time to continue my Paris adventure.
I continued on foot towards another of Paris’s great icons, the Arc de Triomphe. The walk from the Eiffel Tower took me through elegant Parisian streets before bringing me towards the magnificent Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Then, rising majestically ahead, was the Arc de Triomphe, standing at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle.
Commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 after his victory at Austerlitz, the monument was built to honour the soldiers of the French armies. Inspired by the triumphal arches of ancient Rome, its construction took three decades and it was finally completed in 1836. At around 50 metres high, its richly sculpted façades and inscriptions make it an imposing sight.
But the Arc de Triomphe is more than a monument to military victories. Beneath it lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, commemorating France’s unidentified First World War dead, with the eternal flame burning in their memory since 1923.
After the Eiffel Tower, arriving at the Arc de Triomphe felt like the perfect continuation of my first real sightseeing day in Paris. Two of the city’s most iconic landmarks, connected by a walk through the heart of the French capital.
That evening, I returned to the Eiffel Tower, this time to see it after dark.
Paris had a completely different vibe at night, and the illuminated tower rising against the dark sky was every bit as magical as I had imagined. Watching the lights sparkle across its iron framework, surrounded by the buzz of visitors and the glow of the city, was the perfect way to end my first proper sightseeing day in Paris.
After our visit to the Eiffel Tower, we headed to the Champs-Élysées for an entirely different kind of Parisian experience—the legendary Lido. That evening, we watched the spectacular cabaret, with dazzling costumes, music, dance and plenty of Parisian glamour. It was a fun and memorable way to end the day, and certainly one of those experiences that made my Paris visit feel extra special.
1 good vibe