In the pre-pandemic days, my husband and I used to fly to European cities for one day and one night. We decided to take a trip to Paris, France as we have done many times in the past. This decision was based on the covid testing requirements to return to the United States. We were able to be tested at Terminal 5 at JFK airport where we have been tested many times in the past year. The test is good for 72 hours. Therefore, we did not have to find a testing site, pay for the test, or worry about the results.
The one day we spent in Paris, “The City of Lights”, was wonderful. We did not have to go to the tourist sites because we had been there many times in the past. The weather was perfectly clear so a stroll down the Champs Elysees was the first thing on our agenda. We began the walk at the Arc De Triomphe.
Our favorite spot in Paris is Montmartre in the northern section of the city on the Right Bank. The most popular attraction in Montmartre is the Sacre-Coeur Basilica. Montmartre is on a mountain with access by a funicular or by hillside stairs. The views on top of Montmartre, overlooking the city of Paris are magnificent and become an instant lifetime memory. The cute village of Montmartre consists of old cobblestone streets, many wandering artists, and quaint restaurants and cafes. This special place is never to be missed.
The day we were there was Monday, November 1. It was All Saints Day and it was very crowded. It felt like it was a tourist day in the middle of the summer. When our beautiful weather turned into rain showers, we had lunch under an overhang and sat through the rain.
That evening we had dinner with friends, who are native French citizens, and for many years lived in the United States. They live in a cute town very close to the Charles De Gaulle airport. They took us to one of their local favorite restaurants, where we had to show our CDC vaccination certificates.
For this trip, we stayed at the Sheraton Airport Hotel that is connected to Charles De Gaulle. Staying at this hotel made our departure day extremely easy in that we were very concerned about huge airport lines, similar to Amsterdam, now that all passengers must check in with a live agent because of covid protocols.
