Why not try being unconventional for a change?
1. Ride the Ferris Wheel
Find that crazy event that, coincidentally, is happening while you are in Paris. Is there a Melody Gardot concert going on around the block? A boat party? A circus perhaps? Go! Why not?
You will have a great time doing something unconventional in such a well-known city. Once you come back home, you will have the pleasure of saying things like “Check out this photo of me at the Festival Beauregard!”
Your friends and family will be jealous that you not only visited the beautiful city of Paris, but also attended local events and had a smashing time. When the circus comes around, you should definitely ride the Ferris Wheel. The swings are also lovely.
2. You Have No Idea What It Is, But Eat It Anyway
You know the basic principle of eating: If it looks good and smells good, it is probably delicious.
However, you may have to toss this principle out of the door when you travel because foods that you have never experienced before are going to smell rather strange at first.
They may not look like what you would expect. In fact, some foods you see for the first time may appear to be alien slime, but that is okay! Do you know why that is okay?
That thing on your plate that looks like it is from Mars is superb. It may even be the most delicious thing your stomach has ever delighted in.
3. Sit By the Water and Relax
Do NOT be one of those people who travels all the way across the ocean and spends so much time being busy that the trip is over before it has scarcely begun!
Take a moment and relax. Read a book in a café. Take a seat in a park. Listen to the birds and free your mind from the daily stress. You are in Paris!
Most people believe they have to be doing something to enjoy travelling, but this is not always the case. Seize the moment and take a moment.
4. Here’s a Crazy Idea: Talk to Someone!
Being in a foreign land can be intimidating, but if you do not take the chance to speak with a native, you are missing out on one of the best parts of travelling.
People are people, no matter where you are. Try to speak in your own language with a Parisian, but also learn some French before visiting Paris so that you can understand them, too.
Also, understand that communication does not necessarily mean speaking. Use facial expressions, gestures, and body language in general to express yourself.
You never know when you might strike up a conversation with an artist, a musician – even a photographer! Take the chance.
5. Go Cycling!
This is of the utmost importance. While you are in Paris, you must cycle. On a bike, you will feel like an authentic Parisian.
You can rent a bike, or lots of French tour companies offer guided trips through the capital.
As you pass through neighborhood after neighborhood, the atmosphere really settles in. Canopies cover small cafés, the children play on the sidewalks, and people sometimes wave with a small smile on their faces.
Greenery surrounds you, yet so does the city. Clothes hang from the lines above your head, and you feel like you have been welcomed into another person’s home. In some ways, you have.
Stroll down the streets that look safe, but not heavily populated. Ask information guides what neighborhoods are around that you could visit on a bike. Also, remember to find out where to rent a bike.
By Megan Hammer
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