Woke up dead broke today but still wanted Paris magic. Grabbed my comfiest sneakers and dragged my annoyed partner out the door. First thing? That stupid huge Notre Dame thing. Couldn’t go inside obviously, rubble everywhere, big fence. Felt kinda depressing actually. But hey, just walking around it… wow. Those old stone walls tell stories, man. Snapped some pics of the weird figures on the roof. Free architecture tour, done.
Getting Lost Near the Weird Tower Thing
Next stop, the Eiffel Tower. Yeah, obvious. Tickets to climb are insane. Nah. We just walked straight past the touts selling junk near the Trocadero gardens. Found a spot right under the dang thing. You crane your neck looking up… feels totally unreal, like a giant metal spider. Cheap thrills, literally free. Sat on the grass nearby for ages, watching tourists scramble. Best show in town.
Got hungry. Big mistake checking cafe menus near Champ de Mars. Like ten bucks for one espresso? Nope. Found a dusty Carrefour supermarket backstreets near Sèvres-Babylone metro. Got a baguette, some stinky cheese, cheap ham. Picnic bench near Luxembourg Gardens. Probably spent less than five euros total. Ate like royalty surrounded by fancy Parisians walking dogs.
Climbing That Giant White Church
Afternoon meant Montmartre. Sacré-Cœur. That big white church on the hill. Legs screaming already but walked up those never-ending stairs anyway. Entrance free! Walked inside, whispered a bit. Honestly? Pretty gorgeous ceiling. Walked around back though – killer view of the whole crazy city sprawl out. Postcard stuff. Avoided the guys trying to tie bracelets on wrists like the plague.
Walking down Montmartre’s winding streets felt like a movie set. Free window shopping for art… weird paintings, tourist tat, overpriced crepes. Felt the vibe, smelled the coffee, heard like five languages. Didn’t buy a thing. Stumbled into tiny hidden squares nobody mentions, just stood there absorbing it all.
Finding River Walks and Picnic Spots
Later, along the Seine. Found some steps leading down near Pont Neuf. Just sat there. Watching old boats chug past. Tons of young folks hanging out, cheap wine, music, laughter. Free riverside seats! Felt properly Parisian just loafing about. Saw some barges people lived on – wild.
Crossed over to Île Saint-Louis. Fancier, quiet. Wandered narrow lanes. Dreamed of buying crazy ice cream at Berthillon. Didn’t. Admired the fancy doorways instead. Another free architecture exhibit. Walked all the way to Canal Saint-Martin later. Found locals chilling near locks. Watched boats go up and down, weird engineering. Just sat on the stone edge, feet dangling. Pure simple.
Ended up back near Notre Dame as it got dark. Watched it light up. Felt different at night. Still broken, but proud somehow. Walked miles, smelled all the smells (good and bad!), felt the cobblestones, got slightly lost twice. Completely wiped.
Total cost for seeing Paris today? Basically train tickets to get there, that supermarket sandwich splurge, and maybe some water bottles. Everything else? Zero euros. Feet hurt like crazy, slept like a log. Best free day ever. Lesson learned? Paris is yours if you just walk it and look up.
Important Note: Double-check any “free” museum days yourself – rules change, places close for strikes or renovations, happens all the time here. Don’t rely just on old blog posts (like mine, ha!).
