Chlo On The Go

I’ve been Chloonthego-ing so much I haven’t had time to write! Apologies for my delays friends.

Arrival:

Without data and access to Google Translate, the isolation kicked in. My attempt to get a French SIM card flopped, so I, in defeat, sat at a cafe and cried. (Probably out of stress, tiredness, and hunger.)

I felt alone the first night upon arrival to my empty six-person room. I learned my first hostel is not a social one, so the overwhelming fear that I was not going to meet anyone absorbed me. Once again, thank you to all my pals who listened to me being sad.

My First Full Day:

I woke up excited for a new day and a fresh start. I’m so glad I went to the free walking tour at the Fontaine Saint-Michel, as I almost went to the Sacré-Cœur instead.

Scanning the group, I searched for others who looked like they were alone to find a friend. Upon arrival at our first stop, I asked the guy behind me for a photo at the Notre Dame. This began a wonderful day with my new friend Kurk and ripple effect of befriending fellow travelers.

Did we learn much about Paris? No. Did we have a great time? Absolutely.

Kurk was staying at the hostel I initially booked. He told me about his roommates and all the fun they’d had so far. I was envious and kicked myself for not keeping my reservation.

After serving as each other’s photographers for the day, we made plans to get lunch and eat at the Tuileries Gardens. Two people from our tour happened to follow us so we began to chat with them. This added to our group Kate and Bent.

The four of us continued our tour to the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, and Eiffel Tower. People watching on the lawn under the Eiffel Tower for hours served as our walking break. We went our separate ways and planned to meet again that evening for the Eiffel Tower light show.

I was on the come-up at this point. I treated myself (as if this whole trip is not one large treat) to dinner at Les Triplettes de Belleville.

Side Content:

Dinner Rating: Overall 10/10 (probably because I was starving after a day of walking).

• 10 Food & Beverage: Happy hour rosé (6€) and a smoked salmon sandwich (15€) filled me up for the rest of the night.
• 10 Ambiance: Both inside and out.

Buzzing, I got my French SIM to work and headed out to meet the crew. Our group of four turned to 15 and we trekked with our bottles of wine to the Eiffel Tower. This was the highlight of the evening as we sat chatting and playing drinking games.

Coming off a rough start, the first full day led me to feel better about this solo trip. Thanks to Kurk, my Canadian king, for being so kind and introducing me to wonderful people I’ve continued on this trip with.