While climbing the Eiffel Tower or the Iron Lady as the Parisians call her, we were reminded that unless you have seen the Notre Dame, Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel Tower, you cannot say you’ve seen Paris. Bam, we did all that and then some!

On Day One, we hit the road running. Our first excursion was a walking tour of Saint-Germain, a quintessential Parisian District which is home to countless historic cafes. This chic area is where famous writers and artists, such as Picasso and Hemingway, gathered in the 1920s. Paris’ oldest church is St. Germain, across the street from the famous Les Deux Magots, celebrating its’ 140th Anniversary. It had the most incredible espresso, baguettes and croissants!

Last month while I was planning this adventure, we watched an episode of Rick Steve’s Mega Traveler in Paris. He mentioned a “City Pass” to gain access to many sights in Paris. I purchased a 3-Day Pass and George followed me through every nook and cranny I could find. And I found a lot!

One of the quintessential narrow corridors was known for the infamous Mr. Guillotine, who designed the first one used to humanely put criminals to death. I believe that is a matter of opinion, humanely or not? The back street in the Latin Quarter is also home of the oldest dining establishment dating back to the 16th Century, Procope.

Procope, the oldest and most exclusive restaurant in Paris opened in 1686. It is known for their Onion Soup and other incredible delicious dishes and French cuisine. George and I indulged and honestly, it was, by far the best Onion Soup I’ve ever had! If I never have another bowl, I will be content. We also had the most expensive bottle of wine ever drank by the Baraga’s, Sauvignon Blanc. That is what happens when you tell the waiter to select a bottle that pairs well with the meal! Definitely a night we won’t forget.

We also walked the River Seine, lined by River Boats and Bookanista’s which have traded their art, books and trinkets for hundreds of years! The Seine River splits and has, what they call the heart of Paris. Perched on the island is Notre Dame. As we heard about this landmark, our guide became quite emotional when she shared seeing Norte Dame on fire. There was nowhere in Paris that you couldn’t see the flames engulfing this breathtaking church. There were many that speculated a possible terrorist attack but as we know now, it was an electrical issue. Everything was lost inside its’ walls, art and artifacts that are irreplaceable. However as the Parisians explain, the most important element, the facade, is still intact. If all goes as planned, Notre Dame will be completed and open again by the end of the year.

There is so much to see in Paris. By the end of Day One, George and I covered close to 14 miles. We toured most of the Left Bank of Paris, sat inside restaurants and cafes that date back hundreds of years, and praised the Lord in countless churches, chapels and cathedrals. It was an exhausting day but well worth the sore feet.

Day Two was a much more leisurely pace with the Eiffel Tower, River Boat Cruise and the Hop On & Off City Bus. Our internal circadian rhythm is much more in tune with Parisian time. We woke up, had coffee and walked to the Eiffel Tower by 0930 hours. It was a perfect day to climb 647 steps and take in the vistas from atop this Iron Lady.

Mr. Eiffel, the genius who built this masterpiece was thought of, you’d say, a bit odd. The Parisian people were not too excited about this hunk of iron but as time grew on, they embraced it as the status of beauty, grace and communication. During WWI & II, Mr. Eiffel had placed, along with governmental authorities, many an antenna atop. First reason was US had built the Chrysler Building and not wanting to be beat out of the tallest structure in the world, added antennas. This surpassed US’s attempt at having the tallest building in the world during the 1900’s.

The Eiffel Tower is painted every 7 years which takes months to complete, and has been painted several different shades from red, yellow, gold, tan and brown. People have speculated that Mr. Eiffel designed it after the love of his life Adrianna in the form of the letter “A.” But Mr. Eiffel wasn’t the only one with a love affair of this structure. In 2007, Erika Eiffel married the large piece of heavy metal in a full-on Commitment-Marriage ceremony. She would come visit her heavy metal husband regularly. But this marriage did not have a happy ending, as she divorced the Tower last year. She now has her eyes on, you guessed it, one said Fence. No, you can’t make this stuff up. Google her, Erika Eiffel, strangest woman alive!

After huffing and puffing, George and I took the very fast elevator down to ground level and made our way to the Riverboat Cruise. This was a leisurely float down the Seine River. The weather was nice enough, met a sweet Polish gal from Scotland, and talked most the trip. Hopefully, me and Veronica will become penpals and possibly visit one another. She is 13, going on 28, quite bright and plans to be a Dermatologist. She speaks four languages and wants to attend both Yale & Harvard. Why not set your sights high?

After our Riverboat ride, we headed over to the Hop On & Off Bus. The issue is, we have no desire to hop off! Round the city we went when George and I decided unequivocally, that we have walked the entire distance of Paris. There weren’t many places the we haven’t explored. We jumped off at Arc du Triumph and headed back to end Day Two.

But boy, oh boy did George get rewarded! We stopped at Hippopotamus Steakhouse and ordered two red-juicy steak dinners, with Parisian Green Beans, and Mashed Potatoes. George had the potatoes and thought they were as good as his. That’s a big deal! I followed it with Meringue with Lemon Sorbet and Crèma Fraiche and a Cappuccino. Oh my goodness, I just love it here.

Our final day was visiting Montmartre region which is home of Sacre Couer and the hidden passages. We met our tour guide Bene and she told us the unique history of this area.

In the 18th Century, Paris was considered dirty and disgusting. Those were her words, not mine! The streets were dusty and filthy and there was nowhere safe to walk, let alone shop. In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, the Bourgeois women demanded that they required a safe place to venture out to. At their request, these secret passages were constructed, each different with ornate architecture and the first-ever leaded glass ceilings. Electricity was not available and the only form of light was natural illumination. As time went on, gas lanterns were added to some of the passages.

Each shopping mall, per se, provided merchants selling fine linen and clothing, along with household items, various consumables including some with Restaurants and Hotels.

During the period of 1799-1900, 140 of these ornate and uniquely different passages were built. We walked through seven that have been maintained and preserved as national landmarks. It was like walking back into time, yet had everything a modern woman or man would desire.

Afterwards, we met at the Moulin Rouge and were introduced to our final guide of the week, Maria from Spain. The Montmartre District was not considered part of Paris in the 1700’s. It was home to the poorest peasants and starving artists, due to the fact it was undeveloped and considered an undesirable area. Being situated on top of a hill, it had close to 20 windmills in which three still stand. One happens to be atop the Moulin Rouge.

Moulin Rouge is still today a Burlesque Show with singer and dancers, and plenty of alcohol flowing. In the day, they had the Modesty Police who would check the undergarments of the dancers to make sure they would not show anything inappropriate. Imagine having that job! Once the ladies were checked, and deemed appropriately dressed, the ladies would remove their bloomers and dance the Can-Can. The top paying clients would sit in the front row and get quite the show. Hence the name Can-Can as the dancers can do whatever they please.

We walked to the top of the hill, which is quite a climb. There were homes and restaurants that date back before to the 1700’s. The most longest operating restaurant is the La Maison, which is one of the most sought after dining experiences in Paris.

We finished our tour at the Sacre Coeur, the sacred heart of Jesus. Sacré-Cœur Basilica is located at the summit of the Butte of Montmartre. From its dome about 500 feet above the Seine, the basilica overlooks the entire city of Paris and its suburbs. It is the most beautiful place in all of Paris, with its domed ceiling, stained glass, mosaic walls and marble floors. It is a treasure for the Parisian people!

We wandered back down and finished the evening off with a comedy show “How to become a Parisian. ” Olivier Giraud has been teaching cultures from around the world how to act in all sorts of situations from sitting on the Metro, to dining in a restaurant, going to a nightclub or anything you can think of. Being from California, I was definitely a butt of his jokes, and learned quite a bit about how not to act! Honestly, he portrays French people as the stereotypical version, harsh, rude and indifferent, rather than the way we saw them.

Leaving Paris I can truly say that the rudest people we met were other tourists, while the nicest and most polite were Parisians. Each time we were confused or looked out of place, which was quite often, the locals were friendly and did their absolute best to get us back on track. I would return here in a heartbeat. As for a city, it was hands-down one of the most spectacular cities I’ve ever wandered around. The architecture, churches, very high priced food, and the culture were all incredible. Thank you Paris and all your beautiful people!