Five friends decided to travel to Paris for five days

Since none of us speak French, we have to manage with English. Of course, most of us don’t have enough English skills. Our friend Abdullah Esen volunteered and said, “I will handle it, my English is good.” I asked him, “Are you sure? My cousin came from London, he doesn’t speak a word of Turkish, and he stayed with us for two weeks without any problems.” He replied, “I will manage.” We will address Abdullah and the English matter later. On a beautiful spring day, the five friends set off for Paris by car…

Sights in Paris

Notre-Dame-Cathedral

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, dedicated to the Holy Mary and meaning “The Beautiful Lady of Paris,” was built in the early 12th century and represents classical Gothic architecture. Extensions were added in the 14th and 18th centuries, also in the Gothic style. The interior is very spacious and can accommodate 10,000 people at once. It houses historical altars, crowns, statues, chalices, costumes, and crosses. You will remember this from the book “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.”

Louvre-Museum

The Louvre Museum is the third-largest museum in the world, housing a total of 380,000 artworks and nearly 30,000 exhibits. It showcases works from both the Renaissance and the Greco-Roman period. The famous painting “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci is exhibited here. Additionally, the portrait “Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror” by the renowned Venetian painter Gentile Bellini is located here. When we visited, the section for art from the Middle East was closed due to renovations, so we couldn’t see it. It was said that the portrait was later taken to the National Gallery in London, but I’m not sure if that information is correct. At the museum exit, we experienced Abdullah’s first attempt at English. We asked him to ask a policeman how to get to Notre-Dame from there. Abdullah approached the policeman and said, “Excuse me, Notre Dame.” The policeman calmly explained in English how we could get there, and Abdullah listened with his mouth open. Of course, we also understood through the gestures of the policeman the directions he was describing. We said to Abdullah, “Hey, was that your English that you claimed to master?” He replied, “Excuse me, Notre Dame… Well, actually, French policemen often don’t speak English, so I made it easier for them.“

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was built from 1887 to 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It is a symbol of Paris and France, and a must-visit for any visitor to Paris. You can admire the Eiffel Tower up close and, if you have time, take an elevator to the top. Once at the top, you will have a breathtaking view of Paris and the Seine River. Make sure to gather information about the Eiffel Tower before your trip or join a guided tour. There is also the “Trocadéro” square, where you can have a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower and take great photos. Before reaching the Eiffel Tower, we had another task for Abdullah. We parked the car, but due to the narrow streets and tall buildings, we couldn’t see the Eiffel Tower. We asked Abdullah to ask for directions. A man with dark skin approached us, and Abdullah approached him and asked, “Excuse me, Eyfel.” The man didn’t understand, Abdullah repeated it several times, but due to the pronunciation, the man couldn’t understand, probably because of the German accent. Then Abdullah started saying “Eyfel” while making a triangular shape with his hands to represent the Eiffel Tower. The man immediately understood and gave us directions.

Seine River Cruise

An essential activity is taking a boat trip on the Seine River. You can observe the historical and touristic beauties of Paris along the river. Usually, the tours provide translations and announcements in many languages.

Versailles Palace

The palace is located just outside Paris. It is one of the largest and most beautiful palaces you can visit. The palace gardens alone are estimated to be as big as 100 football fields. If you want to visit both the interior and the palace, you should plan a whole day for it. It has approximately 2000 rooms. Inside the palace, you can experience the Baroque era. It is also known as “the palace without toilets” among the locals ☺. Toilets and bathrooms were added after the French Revolution. There is a lot of information and documents about the history of France. During our visit, we once again saw the advantages of Abdullah’s excellent English. We joined the queue in the gardens of Versailles. The palace was overcrowded. Tourist buses kept arriving. Since we were waiting in the middle of the garden, there was no place to hide from the sun. Suddenly, there was an announcement in English. We could understand it a little, of course. We thought, “Abdullah, the announcement is probably for us. We don’t need to wait, we can go inside directly.” Abdullah replied, “No, buddy, it’s not for us, it’s for the locals.” Finally, we entered the palace 1.5 hours later. When we were about to buy tickets, the lady at the counter spoke German and said, “Why didn’t you come in? Students under 27 can enter without waiting. We’ve been making announcements for an hour, didn’t you hear them?” We all looked at Abdullah, who was grinning underneath. Well, it’s okay. If you have a friend like Abdullah who speaks English, you naturally feel safer.

Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile 

The Arc de Triomphe is located at the Place Charles de Gaulle and marks the point where 12 streets intersect and converge with the Champs-Élysées. This arch was erected by Napoleon in 1806. Beneath the 50-meter-high arch are the tombs of unknown soldiers who died during World War I. From inside the Arc de Triomphe, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Paris.

Champs-Élysées 

In my opinion, the most beautiful place in Paris. The most famous street in Europe. The street is 70 meters wide and 1910 meters long. A historic street lined with chestnut trees and aesthetic street lamps. Here, you can take a peaceful and romantic walk and find peace. Along the street, you will find world-famous shops, cafés, restaurants, and souvenir stores. Additionally, the finish line of the famous cycling race “Tour de France” is on this street.

Basilica de Sacré-Cœur 

The basilica, with its white Travertin-Steine, is located on the Montmartre-Hügel. This hill is also the highest point of Paris. It is called the “Artists’ Hill” due to its beautiful view. You can sit on the church steps and contemplate Paris while sipping a cup of tea. The interior of the church is somewhat different from Notre Dame and has a blend of historical and modern flair. You will see many artists and painters in the area. With the blooming spring flowers, a beautiful atmosphere is created. If you have the soul of a poet, this is a very special place you must visit. If you’re wondering why I wanted to go there, well, I wanted to see it ☺.

Conclusion

Paris is a place that should be visited for its historical and romantic sites. A tour guide is not necessarily required if you have done your research in advance. But it is definitely advantageous to have someone like Abdullah who speaks English. The notion that French people don’t speak or can’t speak English is complete nonsense. We communicated in English for 5 days, or more precisely, they couldn’t speak English ☺. Take your time for your trip because you will have to wait in lines at the visited places, and to enjoy them, you need to be relaxed. Plan accordingly to your schedule. In the evening, the surroundings of the Seine River are filled with people. They take walks along the river or sit by the edge. Everywhere is calm and peaceful. Especially in the evenings, I recommend taking a walk near the Louvre and Notre Dame. You can go shopping at Galeries Lafayette, although it’s a bit expensive, it’s a popular place for tourists. These are the things that have stayed in my memory of Paris…