where do you end up, when you’re back in switzerland, reunited with your love, and finally, the possibilities of exploring summer in the swiss alps open up? in paris! that’s right, when the rain clouds trap the country for our full-time job weekend, it’s time to leave for some place in the sun.

how we got to paris

train travel in europe is top notch, cities are all well-connected. we’ve booked the night before: 50 euros later, we left work for a connecting train from basel to mulhouse at 5:38 pm, thursday. shortly, we transfered to a high-speed rail at 6:18 pm, which took us to gare de lyon in paris 4 1/2 hours later.

our way back, we took the bus, which was the only option still cheap for what was going on a sunday night. the bus station in paris is a sketchy place, finding it is an utter nightmare. don’t take the bus unless you really have to.

our accommodation

we booked our accommodation through hostelworld, where you, by the way can also chat with a community of fellow travelers to check out what’s going on near you. paris is an expensive place, so for us, a hostel was the perfect budget-friendly option, which also is a great place to meet fellow like minded travelers. our hostel, named Le Village Montmartre, was located a five-minute walk away from sacré-cœur, where some magical stairs through a park reward you with a breathtaking city view.

frank and i slept in a 4-bed bunk. we hardly got to know our roommates. we came home when everyone else was asleep and left when everyone was still asleep! how glad i am frank carries the same tireless energy as i do!

our time in paris

of course, frank and i visited many of the typical sights. after a friday full of sightseeing the touristy places, our curiosity led us to discover our very own special spots in a city with millions of possibilities. we can’t wait to share them with you.

in the sacred heart of the city - evelyne’s favorite place in paris - Montmartre: “since the first time i came to paris, i knew i could live here one day, paint oil paintings, sell my own art, and just be," i said to frank.

my eyes were sparkling. it’s been ten years since, and I couldn’t wait to be here again. frank too had his own connection to this place. although he visited it 15 years ago, his father once created portraits for people and made the place a little more colorful and special every day.

if there’s one advice we could offer you - Montmartre is most magical early in the morning, when most people, even scammers, are still cuddled up in their blankets and only birds are out there. then the sun rises in front of sacré-cœur and bathes paris in a golden light. the square of the cathedral offers an incredible view over the city. early on, most streets are empty, and you can take beautiful pictures. no wonder you might casually become part of a film shoot. place du tertre, which all artists call their home, is covered in a peaceful atmosphere.

it’s still quiet. with a warm drink and a french croissant, you can perfectly enjoy the slow life there and observe how the streets slowly fill with people of all origins. more and more artists drag their easels there and get ready for the day.

slowly, montmartre fills with the sounds and colors of incoming visitors, and now would be the right time to get a portrait painted by your favorite artist or buy a painting to support the local art scene.

montmartre/saint-georges is also a paradise for musicians and offers everything for every kind of music and artist with its countless music shops in the same neighborhood. many of them are located on rue victor massé (the guitar street), rue de douai or rue duperré. instagrammers, pink mama, an iconic italian restaurant with lots of plants and natural light is right around the corner. reserve in advance, as it will be booked at all times.

the food

as the symbol of paris, visiting the eiffel tower is mandatory. however, jardin de la tour eiffel is often crowded, the meadows suspiciously dirty or public events obstruct a good glimpse of the tower. we recommend enjoying the views from the other side of the seine. over the passerelle debilly, a beautiful pedestrian bridge, you can reach the peaceful and sparsely visited boat dock port debilly. from there, you share the view with only a few asian couples taking wedding photos. the place is paved, but still perfect for a romantic and cute picnic. how about a traditional french mille-feuille and colorful macarons from nearby bakeries?

for us, the places of saint-paul, le marais and hôtel de ville are the best for exporing shops, restaurants and bars. we were surprised by the possibilities including vintage stores, specialty coffee places, local restaurants and places with great jazz music. here are few of our favorites:

wild & the moon

an aesthetic, all vegan place to nourish your foodie soul we know from a friend of frank, you can find it all across town

baobar

neon lights, bao, noodles & dumplings, this is a truly special one, and the food absolutely is incredible. don’t miss out on the tender and juicy hong shao (red-fried) eggplant.

fabula

a unique dining experience inside the garden of musée carnavalet.

dalmata pizza

just an amazing place for amazing neapolitan pizza in pink neon light. although we wish we had time to sit down, this was our takeout for our night bus trip home

some more food favorites

créatures

on the roofs of a gallery lafayette, créatures offers fine vegetarian snacks with a middle-eastern touch and wine with a view.

mesa de hoy paris

frank says that on a honeymoon paris trip, this is the hotel we gonna stay in. it’s a yoga place, offers all-vegan restaurant.

the brooklyn pizzeria

maybe we were lucky, but our pizza was served heart-shaped. it was the best pizza frank and i had for a long time. the place prides itself in how many plant-based options there are. how refreshing!

the music

for us, music always has a very special place wherever we go. on our first night, it was by pure chance that michigander, a very talented indie-rock singer from the u.s. had a show in paris at a venue called supersonic. frank knows him from one of franks all-time favorite songs called east chicago, in.

paris is a big city, and there’s always someone going live and for each and every music taste. if you’re concert lover, don’t miss the chance that one of your favorite artists might just play down your street. we went inside a jazz le baiser salé the second night. it’s a cozy, small jazz bar that offers live jazz concerts on a daily basis. our concert was 10 euro per person, and two hours of jazz lift you into the feeling of being the main characters of la la land.