Paris

France, not Texas. A glimpse at a few famous Parisian landmarks.

This past April, I spent my spring break visiting Emily, who had just moved to the Netherlands. Utilizing my Turkish Airlines miles from our many flights in years past from LA to Prague via Istanbul, I took the thirteen hour flight from Los Angeles to Istanbul, watching the flight tracker longingly as TK180 flew directly over Amsterdam nine hours or so into the flight. But alas, I had to hop back from Istanbul to Amsterdam, which made the 20-hour journey more exhausting- anything for severely discounted travel. But I wasn’t quite ready to relax. The next day, Emily and I boarded a one-hour KLM flight from Amsterdam to Paris.

As an almost-native Californian, it seemed crazy that for the flight equivalent of LA to San Francisco, we could go from one country and culture to another. Yet there we were, hopping off the plane at the dreaded Charles de Gaulle airport after such a short flight. We then took a 13 euro metro ride into the city. For our two nights in Paris, we stayed at the Hotel Perpetual, just a couple blocks from the famed Champs-Élysées and its world famous shops. After a quick freshen up, we hit the ground running. There was so much to see on our short jaunt through the City of Lights.

A ten minute walk before dinner allowed us to see the luxury stores along Champs-Élysées. Our destination, however was the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe is an historical monument first commissioned by Napoleon to honor his armies’ victories. Its construction evolved through the reign of several kings in over the thirty years it took to complete the build. Today, it commemorates French military victories. Below the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring a fallen hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice during World War I. Since 1923, the eternal flame has burned over the tomb, as a reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers in World Wars I and II.

It is free to walk around the arch and see the tomb. Guided tours are also available for a fee. Emily and I walked around the arch, paying our respects to the Unknown Soldier. It was a solemn reminder to me that freedom is never free.

Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without viewing the famed Eiffel Tower, arguably, a symbol of Paris itself. The tower was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel, the innovator who also built the metal framework for the Statue of Liberty. The tower stands at 1083 feet high, including the antennas. It is estimated to weigh about 10100 tons, and it is massive. Standing under it, you can get a glimpse at how immense the Eiffel Tower really is.

We first saw the Eiffel Tower at night. Inspired by a line in Taylor Swift’s “Paris” and a general sense of adventure exploring a new city, we walked over to see the flashing lights of the iconic landmark on our first night in Paris. It was only about a fifteen minute walk, and we stayed on the other side of the river, rather than walk to the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. This turned out to be a good idea at 23:00. There were a few people out to watch the lights and take photos, which felt safer than being in a crowd. We also had a great view of the tower from across the Seine.

The Eiffel Tower is aglow with its classic soft golden light starting at sundown. The sparkling lights are a different feature; these come on for the first five minutes of every hour starting at nightfall, with the last display starting at 1:00 am. Our cameras did not do justice to the sparkling Eiffel Tower; it was truly magical, especially with the lights reflecting off the Seine. I was glad that we were able to view the Eiffel Tower on our first night in France. Not long after we viewed the 23:00 light show, the lights were turned off to honor Pope Francis after his passing earlier that day.

On our last day in Paris, we walked to see the Eiffel Tower during the day. As it was a Tuesday in late April, the park was not super busy. There were a few tourists taking photos, and we met a nice couple who asked us to take their photos. It was amazing to see the Eiffel Tower up close. The detail is stunningly ornate; I don’t feel it can be appreciated as well from afar.

After hanging around the Eiffel Tower, taking silly photos and creating a TikTok, we walked along the Seine. Eventually, we made our way to the Notre-Dame de Paris. Inspired by a very good high school adaptation of the Disney musical I had attended the weekend prior, I wanted to pay a visit and hear the bells of Notre Dame. The medieval cathedral was built in the twelfth century and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is still a functioning Catholic church, with masses every day of the week, as well as special services for religious holidays. The said, the cathedral is still undergoing construction following a fire in 2019 that caused damage to the roof and spire. Fortunately, there were no fatalities; however, the building was closed through 2024 for repairs. In December 2024, the cathedral reopened to churchgoers and visitors, though construction is expected to continue through 2028.

We did stand outside listening to the melodic bells for a long period of time, however we did not go in. We were ready for some lunch by the time we arrived at the cathedral, and the lines were very long. Unsurprisingly, Notre Dame de Paris experienced increased visitation following the death of Pope Francis. While I am not a practicing Catholic, I could understand why so many flocked to the famed cathedral. There did seem to be a sense of community in the days following the Pope’s passing. Even so, we kept a close hand on our belongings. Like many touristy areas of Paris, there are pickpockets, and it is not uncommon for things to get stolen. Being burgled in Barcelona was a good reminder that it could happen to anyone, anywhere- so we were extra careful, especially while on the Metro and in the vicinity of Notre Dame.

Paris was really beautiful in the spring, especially with fair weather and a mix of sun and clouds. The shopping was second to none, and most of the food was fabulous. Most of the people we met were quite friendly, though we did get to experience some stereotypical Parisian rudeness from a rather condescending server at a four-dollar sign French restaurant. The experience did make for a funny story later on. And while we were able to explore quite a bit before heading back to the Netherlands, there was definitely much we didn’t have time to see. I do hope to return again and bring the rest of the family. À votre santé!

References:
Cmn. “The Unknown Soldier – CMN.” Arc de Triomphe, http://www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en/discover/the-unknown-soldier.

Cmn. “History of the Arc de Triomphe – CMN.” Arc de Triomphe, http://www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en/discover/history-of-the-arc-de-triomphe.

“Eiffel Tower Key Stats : The Tower in Numbers.” La Tour Eiffel, 21 Aug. 2024, http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/key-figures.

“The History of Notre-Dame – Notre-Dame de Paris.” Notre, 12 Aug. 2024, http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/understand/history/.

Le Monde with AP and AFP. “World Reactions to Death of Pope Francis.” Le Monde.Fr, Le Monde, 21 Apr. 2025, http://www.lemonde.fr/en/religions/article/2025/04/21/world-reactions-to-death-of-pope-francis_6740457_63.html.