Stuck in Paris?
Did time get away from you before you could plan a getaway for the break? Have your friends, roommates, and loved ones all abandoned you for exciting escapes? Do you feel alone, lost as to how you will spend the week stuck in the same city?
If any of these concerns apply to you, look no further than this handy list that has been compiled expressly for your use. Here are a few suggestions for how you can while away the days, or even make something worthwhile of your time off.
1. Get some culture
Square at the Musée d'Orsay by night. Image credit: Isabel Guigui
That's right, even if school is out for a few days the learning never stops. And why should it? Paris offers a plethora of museums to explore, from classic daytime visits to edgier night openings. If you don't feel like spending the sunny early spring days inside, enjoy the study-free evenings and head to the exhibits at dusk instead. Access to most institutions is free for people under 26, and if not, reduced prices are often proposed for students. Besides, the gift shops promise beautiful trinkets and might convince you to finally send a sign of life to your beloved abroad on an artsy postcard.
2. Get some more culture
Did you know that another of our city's claims to fame is its incredible music scene? From low-key events at small, stylish venues to global hotshots selling out arenas, Paris really has it all. How groovy does an evening of jazz sound ?
Jazz bars and music clubs pepper the Châtelet neighborhood. Image credit: Isabel Guigui
Or if you are looking for something slightly more modern, check out Austra on the first day of break, who will be featured as a part of the festival Les Femmes S'en Melent.
3. Enjoy life plein air at the start of the season
Finally! You have a nice long week of free time and the return of sunshine. Why not seize the moment and do some cycling? Velib offers one week passes for just eight euros: with this little ticket you can take out bikes anywhere (there are stations every 300 meters) an unlimited number of times as long as you keep your trips within 30 minutes.
Image credit: Wikimedia/Pierre Rudloff
4. Leave the Left Bank
This may be a no-brainer, but it is on the list nonetheless because we are in Paris after all. Putting aside the impressive list of epithets it has accrued (fashion/film/art/music capital), the city itself in all its splendor merits your time and attention. Each morning (or afternoon or evening) when you wake up, take a look at the Metro map, then close your eyes and drop a finger randomly on your next destination. From there all that remains is to board the train and let the adventure guide you. Take the time to stroll the boulevards, peek down mysterious alleys, duck into old bookshops and actually sit down for a coffee on a terrasse to watch the passersby.
Image credit: Isabel Guigui
5. Change your routine
If you lack the motivation to actually get on a Metro and go somewhere new, why not stick to your places but change your schedule? Wake up at dusk, go out at midnight, explore the city when it is asleep, for example. Or if that is the norm for you, flip it: wake up at an awful hour well before the crack of dawn and wander the streets as the day begins. As the winter wears on you will smell the heavenly warmth of fresh brioche well before the sun has risen. Then duck in for the first croissant of the day and enjoy the calm that is your eye of the storm, taking your time to enjoy the morning without being sucked into the maelstrom of rush hour. You might see Paris in a very different light.
Sacre Coeur Basilica as captured at dawn on a summer's morning. Image credit: Isabel Guigui
