La Dernière Rose

It’s like la vie en rose, but sad because you’re about to leave Paris. Or the line the French Chris Harrison says during the final rose ceremony.

Either one.

I got another early start on my last day in Paris – I was determined not to waste one second of my final day in this beautiful city.

I had discovered that the best place in croissants was just down the street from my hotel, so I started by nourishing my body with a delightful breakfast of the most delicious croissant ever.

I actually bought two and saved the other one for my flight the next day, which was a genius move, if I do say so myself.

One of my bucket list items was to visit the Catacombs in Paris, so I had to book a tour.

It was fascinating! They offer a self-guided audio tour, which was really nice. It was extremely informative and it was nice to be able to go at your own pace.

Prior to becoming the Catacombs as we know them, the area was a quarry. Workers in quarry didn’t have a lot of great light technology to work with, so they used these lines to guide themselves through the quarry, so they wouldn’t become lost, and the lines are still there. Super interesting to look at as you walk through the space.

There were some points where it was a bit unnerving, but it was also very moving from a historical perspective.

There were areas where signage called out that the bones were from soldiers who died fighting in the French Revolution.

I had to pause for a moment to take that in – it was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the bones in front of me once belonged to such historical revolutionaries.

There were also some interesting arrangements of the bones. The concept of being the one to design or create the arrangements freaked me out, but it was definitely fascinating to look at.

The tour was very brief, so I continued on with my agenda! Natalie, my photographer from the previous day, had highly recommended going to the top of Sacre Coeur, so I took her advice, which I was very grateful for!

The basilica was incredibly beautiful – not to mention absolutely massive.

Since 1885, there has been continuous prayer at the Sacre Coeur. They have a coordinated prayer chain, which keeps the prayer alive, day and night. That’s insanely impressive.

I lit a little candle for my family and picked up a rosary for my mom and grandmother.

From there, I headed up the stairs. There were a lot of them.

If you’re not big on stairs, I would not suggest going to the top, or making sure that you give yourself plenty of time to go up the stairs. There are many of them, and they are very old, meaning they’re a little more challenging to go up.

The views were cool along the way, though.

I never got tired of seeing the Eiffel Tower, and I was excited to see her from this vantage point, too.

I also enjoyed looking at the rows and rows of French homes and buildings. It was beautiful to look at.

When I got to the top, I was astonished by the views.

It was a foggy day, but it was still an incredible view of the city.

I took many photos – buckle up.

The columns and pillars of Sacre Coeur were beautiful – it’s hard to imagine the work that went into crafting this beautiful church.

I was, of course, trying to find all of the angles in which I could see the beauty of the building’s architecture alongside the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

I especially like this one.

Ugh, it makes my heart ache to not be there in person.

I walked around the entirety of the top of Sacre Coeur, looking at the view from every angle. After indulging in the gorgeous views, I headed back to the front steps of the basilica, where a musician was singing and playing guitar. I stopped to listen for awhile, until my stomach began growling.

I had mentioned to Natalie that I didn’t feel like I’d experienced enough of the French cuisine, and she recommended that I eat at le Moulin de la Galette, which is also in Montmartre, the area of Paris that the Sacre Coeur is located in. She also highly recommended that I walk around Montmartre, so I decided to do both, and walked over to the restaurant.

I was glad for her advice, once again!

It was a beautiful area – I never got tired of the French architecture, and there were some interesting buildings along the way.

Le Moulin de la Galette was a charming, small restaurant with absolutely phenomenal food.

They started me with a basket of bread, which was so insanely good that I devoured almost all of it. It was my last day in Paris, after all, I had to eat all the bread I could get my hands on.

Look at it.

They also brought me a bottle of my favorite sparkling water, Badoit.

I drank the whole thing.

I spent a lot of time in my German classes in high school, being taught how to ask for “stillwasser” instead of “mineralwasser,” meaning “still” water, or tap water that we’re accustomed to in the U.S. over the “mineralwasser,” or sparkling water that is more frequently drank in restaurants in Europe. As such, I was under the impression that I would hate sparkling water, but I absolutely loved it. I ordered it for every meal, and it was actually a bit of a disappointing adjustment coming back to the U.S. Our sparkling waters just do not cut it in comparison.

After the bread, I ordered the seafood salad, and this was at the top of the tier of things I ate in France.

It was a variety of seafood layered on top of pineapple and a bed of cilantro-avocado, and topped with strawberries. It sounds like a lot of flavors, but they were all incredible together.

I also ordered the traditional boeuf bourguignon, because it sounded delicious and had the word “traditional” in it.

It was a delicious stew-like dish, which came with noodles.

I give it an A+++ and a *chef’s kiss,* it was so good. I ladled the stew over the noodles, and took my time eating, savoring each bite.

Yum.

After my delightful meal, I headed to the Opéra Garnier, which I had previously tried to tour with no luck.

However, luck was on my side that day, because I was able to snag a ticket for their self-guided auditor, which was just as well-done as the Catacomb’s tour.

The building was insanely elaborate.

Ever corner gushed with opulence. I mean, LOOK at the grand staircase.

They don’t call it the grand staircase for no reason.

It was fascinating to hear about the architect’s vision for the building. He specifically crafted the grand staircase to be the “show before the show,” where all of the beautifully-dressed people could show off their outfits before attending the performances. The staircase was built for people to be seen as they arrived, and the upper levels have beautifully crafted balconies that jut out slightly, allowing those who have already arrived to be seen, even as they observe the new folks filtering in. The lighting was crafted to perfection, and even in the theatre, they added rich red tones to reflect color and life into the cheeks of all those in attendance.

Along the tour, I even got to see the infamous Phantom of the Opera’s box, or at least the one referenced in the book and production!

Dun dun dunnn.

There were also beautiful side rooms for guests to socialize in before and after shows, as well as during intermission.

I liked this room, which had a night theme.

And of course, the grand foyer.

The French really know how to do ceilings.

This room was absolutely stunning. I wandered around this room for quite awhile with my head up – it’s a miracle I didn’t run into anyone. The opulence of the room made it look like it belonged at Versailles.

After my tour, it had grown pretty late. I returned to my hotel, where I dropped off a few things I’d purchased as souvenirs, and then headed down the street for dinner at Café Carrousel.

It was a great spot to end my evening. There were groups of Parisians laughing and conversing in French, and making jokes with the waiters and bartender. It was fun to hear their French flitting through the air, and to see smiles on faces after such a long period of masking. I once again ate my meal in the French manner – without any rush, and truly enjoyed the experience.

I contemplated the adventures I’d had – while I wished I had more time, it had been the perfect first trip to Paris.