Day 8, and it was our travel day from Rome to Paris!
We woke up at around 6:45 am, ate our breakfast, and packed the last few things we needed to pack before we zipped closed all of our bags.
I already pre-booked a 6-seater FreeNow car from our AirBnB to Fiumicino Airport, and it was due to arrive at exactly 10:00 am. We were not to check-out until 11:00 am, but we thought it would be better to have considerable lead time.
It was raining a bit, and I was hoping it would stop raining by the time we go down the AirBnB.
Unfortunately, it did not.
We’d miss this cork board
Our area in our AirBnb in Rome
On the other hand, I felt it was not too bad at all, given we had the best weather possible the day before. We could not have asked for a better time for the rain not to fall.
At around 9:30 am, we began bringing our bags one by one to the lobby. Papa and Mama had to wait and look after our things, as Mon and I made sure we have everything in the AirBnB in order. And most of all, it was properly locked.
As soon as Mon and I took the elevator down, I got a notification that our FreeNow car was already around Termini. We were just in time.
We loaded our bags at the trunk of the car, and off to FCO we go.
Arrived very early at Fiumicino Airport
Enough time to eat our lunch
The travel took around 45 minutes from Rome to FCO. It was barely 11:00 am so the restaurants were still not yet open for lunch. We found one at the second level called ‘Rossopomodoro’.
We could tell the staff was getting ready to open, so we just waited outside a bit to be seated. Fortunately even for 11:00 am, we were asked to enter, and we just sat near the entrance with our bags within our line of sight.
Surprisingly, an obviously Asian looking staff approached. And then he began speaking to us in Filipino. We then proceeded giving our order in Filipino like we were back home.
Our flight to Paris was at 3:15pm, and our check-in counter did not open until 1:00 pm. As soon as the board showed the counter, we immediately went in line to check-in.
Boarding time: Bye Rome; See you Paris!
Our ITA Airways plane to Paris
The ITA Airways staff chatted with us as he fixed our boarding passes. He asked how was our vacation in Italy, and if we had fun the whole week. He then remarked upon seeing my name the peculiar way Filipinos have their name from their parents.
After dropping off our bags, we proceeded next to the security check, before looking for a café to have our afternoon coffee.
It was a busy airport and it was difficult to get a seat, let alone for four. We eventually got a table, and had our last taste of Italian coffee and pastries.
As soon as we were done, we then went straight to the boarding gate a floor below, and waited for boarding.
All smiles before the crazy turbulence
Our first glimpse of France from the airplane window
The flight to Paris was a little over 2 hours. Mama and Papa were seated at a row opposite us, while Mon and I were seated with an elderly woman.
She was frankly a bit grumpy, telling Mon off from using his phone . It was already on flight mode, and he was just using Spotify. It was very awkward.
Apart from that, it was supposed to be an uneventful flight. However, one hour into the trip, we had a series of clear air turbulence that sent us up and down in the next two minute.
Some people were screaming, especially the elderly woman who I later on found out to be French, as she loudly exclaimed ‘Oh, mon Dieu! Mon Dieu‘. She was clearly petrified.
As soon as things subsided, she turned to us to share how rough of a ride it was. Turbulence mellowed her down.
Baggage claim area at CDG
We finally got our glimpse of French soil (which sent me giddy, to be honest). And in no time, we were already descending at Charles de Gaulle airport.
The elderly woman, who had wanted to immediately contact someone on the ground, was fiddling at her phone to no avail. I then asked her (in French), if she needed help with her phone settings.
She was caught by surprise, as she did not expect me to talk to her in French. As I tried to fix her network settings, she was chatting with us regarding our vacation in Italy and our trip in France.
There’s my luggage, hard to miss
After her phone was already working, she was so grateful, and immediately called her daughter and recounted how her seatmate helped with her settings. (She was not supposed to open her phone, but welp, not my place to tell her off from doing so).
As soon as the plane halted, I opened the internet on my phone to update our family at home, and most of all, inform my friend Ikle, who promised to wait for us at the airport.
While we were disembarking, I was so excited to be finalement en France! I was equally excited to see Ikle, who I have not seen in 6 years. We have been friend since 2003 since our very first French class, and we’d be together in France for the following week.
Arrived at CDG, and hello Ikle!
We waited a bit for our bags to come out of the luggage carousel. After we made sure we have everything with us, we went to the exit and I did not immediately recognize Ikle waiting for us. She was so beautiful! France obviously did her good.
We hugged for a long time, and I was frankly teary eyed. I missed her sooooooo much. He then hugged Mon, and then Papa and Mama (who she also personally knew since we were in school).
We then headed to the exit, as I was in touch with a FreeNow van that I booked the day before. Unfortunately, we were at the ‘wrong stop’ as he was not allowed to enter the exit we originally waited at.
Full blown Haussmannian architecture
He then mentioned that we could just cancel the booking (so that he does not lose out on fees), and we could just pay him directly.
We just agreed, as the difference was not too much to be honest. As long as we reach our AirBnB just fine, then we were game.
As soon as we enter Paris with its distinct Haussmannian architecture, I had goosebumps. “We’re finally in Paris!“, I told Mon.
The van unfortunately dropped us off at the corner of Bonne Nouvelle and rue Poissinière, which meant we have to cross the road with all of our bags in tow. But it was a small inconvenience: we were already in Paris.
Happy to be finally in Paris!
Our AirBnB at Bonne Nouvelle
I’ve checked the message from our AirBnB host for the instructions on how to open the door at the road, as well as the door to our room.
We only took a couple of minutes to put down our bags and freshen up a bit, and then we headed out to have dinner. It was already 8:00 pm despite the bright skies.
And prior to stepping out, I gave a leather Gucci hobo to Ikle, which I kept for a long time (which she already used before we left the AirBnB).
To no one’s surprise, Papa wanted Asian food. While there was already a Vietnamese restaurant right across our AirBnB, I thought that perhaps we could look for another one right at Bonne Nouvelle. No better way than to experience Paris than a boulevard as busy as that.
We decided to try Cô My Cafe, with most of us trying some phở and dry noodles, as it was so cold. Compared to Rome, Paris felt extra cold.
Surreal to be in Paris with Mama and Papa
Papa observing Paris closely
Our first dinner in Paris — Vietnamese at Cô My Cafe
We finished eating at 9:30 pm, and then we went back to our AirBnB for Mama and Papa to finally rest for the day.
As for us, we still had to step out and go to the Louvre, as I was supposed to meet a friend and former workmate of mine, Pat. He is currently interning in Luxembourg and he was in Paris in the last 2 days.
We decided to meet before his travel back to Luxembourg, and likewise give him things he asked be to bring from the Philippines: some bottles of Pantene Conditioner.
Heading out to Louvre at almost 10 pm
You can hear our laugh from this picture!
Beyonce-ing at la Bourse de commerce de Paris
It was hilarious how these bottles traveled from Manila to Doha to Rome and then Paris, so it could eventually end up in Luxembourg.
The 20-minute walk from Bonne Nouvelle to the Louvre was filled with laughter. We had been reminiscing the time we started learning French in school, some gaffes we had during classes, and the usually fun times we had in and around UP.
At one point we felt so embarrassed because we were stifling our laughter too hard, as Ikle tried her best Heart Evangelista in Paris rampa, pretending to nonchalantly cross the pedestrian lanes.
At Cour carrée du Louvre (with the Louvre pyramid peeking in the background)
La pyramide du Louvre with a hint of the light from the Eiffel Tower
We finally reached the Cour carrée du Louvre, and I was filled with excitement to all these structures leading to the Louvre pyramid. As soon as we exited the the walkway leading to the Louvre grounds, my heart skipped a beat.
“I am now in Paris”, I thought.
I knew how much of a tall order it was for me to visit Italy and then France. It was something most people would either just ask their parents to pay for, or had to shell out as if it was nothing.
It took a pandemic and a long time of saving before I finally made this trip happen. And there it was, Mon and I finally in Paris, with the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower beacon shining in the background.
My heart was full.
Mon, me, the Louvre pyramid and the Eiffel light from afar
Waiting for Pat to arrive
We just walked around the Louvre and took some more photos. We had been waiting for Pat for quite some time already, as he took advantage of the free entrance to the museum. (Oh Pat, you never changed!)
Then he sent a message that he was already ‘behind’ the pyramid. Where was behind, though, as the pyramid had four corners.
And then there he was, Pat finally in flesh after 4 years. The last time I have seen him was when he resigned from work, as he was to fly to Spain too.
We hugged so hard, as we had been always close to each other.
Who would have thought that we’d be seeing each other again in Paris of all places?!
Next, I was about to hand him his Pantene conditioner. However, Ikle had a brilliant idea of us exchanging our ‘gifts’: the ceremonial exchange of Pantene from the Philippines, and chocolates from Luxembourg in the ‘Treaty of Paris’.🤣
After some catching up, with Pat’s friends from school catching up on him as well, he eventually left — but not without another long hug. We could not tell how many more years before we see each other again.
The Treaty of Paris: chocolates from Luxembourg in exchange of hair conditioner from the Philippines
Pat was also so happy to see Mon
From the Louvre, we then headed out to the intersection of quai François Mitterand and Pont Carrousel.
There she was, finally with my own eyes at exactly 11:05 pm: La Tour Eiffel.
I have always dreamed of the time I’d finally be in Paris and see the Eiffel Tower in person. As someone who studied French, it was like a pilgrimage to be finally see it in person.
I felt like Carrie squealing with joy at the balcony of Hôtel Plaza Athénée.
I then recalled a steam punk-themed dream I had the last time Ikle stayed with us in Manila, which felt like it was set in the 1889 Exposition Universelle. We were in a bateau-mouche then I got wet with a splash from the Seine, only for it to be raindrops from a sudden rainshower after we forgot to close the windows before sleeping.
La tour Eiffel from the Pont des Arts
I was so brokenhearted to see the repairs this side of Pont des Arts by the Institut de France side
We stayed for a couple of minutes, watching its beacon shine around Paris. The Seine also felt like a watercolor painting from the lights shining on the river.
From Pont du Carrousel, we walked to Pont des Arts. I was, however, disappointed to see that half of it was being repaired.
Worse, it was the side facing the Eiffel Tower.
I was planning to have my photo taken at the very corner, right in front of Institut de France à la Carrie Bradshaw with Mr. Big in the series finale, and then Carrie throwing Big’s ashes to the Seine. Oh well.
Mon was freezing at Pont Neuf
Yayoi Kusama towering over the Louis Vuitton HQ at Pont Neuf
As it was already 11:30 pm, we decided to leave Pont des Arts and then walk to Pont Neuf. It was also cold, and unbearably to Mon.
He already exchanged cardigans at Louvre as he was cold, but as he was also wearing leather sandals (no idea why he did not change footwear at the AirBnB), his feet were also cold.
We then passed by the Eglise Saint-Eustache, and there were still several people lounging around.
Eglise Saint-Eustache on our way home
Couple of minutes after midnight, we finally reached our AirBnB. Ikle still had to take the metro home. Good thing that Bonne Nouvelle station was the same line as hers.
We freshened up a bit and changed our clothes for sleeping, before lights out.
I found it doubly hard to sleep that time even if I was so exhausted.
And as cliché as it was, I literally thought: «Finalement, Paris. Tu n’es plus un rêve. Je t’aime vraiment. »
Steps: 7,098
