I had been to Paris back in 2010 — and I’ve thought about it ever since.

I was totally smitten the first time we came here. We stayed at a hotel just off the Rue de Rivoli, which is a main thoroughfare in the city. We were within walking distance of the Louvre and the Jardin des Tuileries. It was October and cold and the leaves on the trees were golden. It was magical.

I had my list of must-sees: the Mona Lisa, the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower.

This time around, though, I didn’t have much on my list. I had done so much three years ago, I didn’t know what else I could see or do in my three full days in the City of Lights.

And that was a good thing.

This time, I could just wander the city, visit bakeries and chocolate shops, walk through neighborhoods I hadn’t visited the last time I was here, take some time to quietly explore this dynamic city.

And that’s exactly what we did on our first day in Paris.

Here’s what it looked like:

Gare du Nord

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We stayed one night in a small hotel near the Gare du Nord ("North Station") so we'd be close enough to Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The station, which sees about 190 million travelers every year, is within walking distance from the iconic Catholic church on the hill.

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