Day 2: From classic sights to beautiful gems

My second day in Paris began with a peaceful morning stroll through the Tuileries Garden. This beautiful public garden, dating back to the 17th century, offers a serene escape in the heart of the city. The garden is flanked by the stunning Louvre Museum on one side and the Place de la Concorde on the other. Musée de l’Orangerie, which housed Monet’s Water Lilies, is also within reach.

​Next, I ventured into the iconic Louvre Museum. Home to thousands of works of art, including the Mona Lisa, the Louvre is the world’s largest art museum and a historic monument in itself.

​The afternoon took me to the trendy Marais district for some window shopping. This neighbourhood is a fashion lover’s paradise, boasting a mix of high-end boutiques, vintage shops, and cool indie stores. Some of my favourite stores were Merci, a concept store known for its eclectic mix of fashion and home goods, and A.P.C., a French ready-to-wear brand famous for its minimalist designs.

My culinary adventures in the Marais were guided by the local crowds. I stopped at Florence Kahn, a beautiful blue-tiled Jewish Boulangerie, for their pastrami sandwich. Although I didn’t get to try it, I noticed the perpetually long queue at L’As du Fallafel, a tiny storefront famous for serving what many consider the best falafel in Paris.

No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to Shakespeare and Company, the legendary English-language bookstore. This literary haven, with its maze-like interior and “tumbleweed” resident writers, was a quintessential stop for the bookworm in me.

​As evening approached, I made my way to Montmartre to catch the beautiful sunset at Sacre-Coeur Basilica. The funicular at Montmartre takes you from the bottom of the hill up to Sacre-Coeur in 90 seconds and cost €1.90. The white-domed church, perched atop the highest hill in Paris, offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city. I climbed the steps to the basilica, taking in the beautiful cityscape below. The famous Sinking House of Paris, a quirky building that seems to defy gravity with its slanted structure, except it’s due to the angle of how the photo is taken, is also located besides Sacre-Coeur.

While exploring Montmartre, I passed by the beautiful La Maison Rose, the iconic pink restaurant that has been immortalised in countless social media posts. Unfortunately it was closed on the day I was there.

To cap off the night, I headed to Trocadéro Square. This vantage point across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower offered a spectacular nighttime view of the illuminated Iron Lady. Watching the tower’s twinkling lights against the dark Parisian sky was a magical end to a day filled with both iconic sights and hidden gems.