Laura-Jane Adventures

Sometimes things don’t always go to plan and that is not always a negative thing.

I am a planner, but I also do enjoy embracing spontaneous moments. However, when I travel, I like to have at least a bit of structure. So when my mum and I arrived at St Pancras International to catch the Eurostar to Paris, and discovered all of the trains that day had been cancelled because they found an unexploded World War Two bomb near the train tracks (never a sentence I thought I’d type). I kind of freaked out, just a little.

How were we meant to get to Paris?! I had planned a trip to show my Mum all the places I went to whilst living there, and I was also running the half that Sunday. Thankfully, we had the means to be able to book a flight for the following morning, and it was not insanely expensive. However, the restructuring of our trip threw me off a little, and I did not go into running the half marathon in the relaxed, fuelled and rested way I had hoped. Despite this, sometimes we surprise ourselves, and our bodies can handle a lot more than we think!

As mentioned, the trip was to show my mum Paris and the places that I enjoyed when I was living there. I lived there as part of a university semester abroad studying at Sciences Po, and loved it.

I would say most people have a love-or-hate relationship with Paris. I am one of those people who love it. It has a certain sparkle that I do not think anywhere else in the world has. I don’t necessarily think of it as the ‘City of Love’, but it is a pretty romantic place, and I can’t help but witness the love the city brings to people.

It is a destination I have been back to multiple times over the last few years, and I keep finding new places to explore as well as returning to those I love and know well. So here are a few places and things worth doing on a trip to Paris, including my thoughts on the Paris Half Marathon and why I surprised myself.

What we got up to on the Friday

On the Friday, feeling a bit sad due to the cancelled trains, we acted as if we were in Paris by visiting Le Petit Citron in Hammersmith and having a drink by the river.

Explore Montmartre and watch the sunset over Paris at Sacré-Cœur

When I lived in Paris I stayed in the 18th arrondissement, the home of Montmarte. Montmartre is famous for being a Bohemian artistic hub: filled with cabarets, like the well-known Moulin Rouge; cobble-stone streets worthy of getting lost in; and the Place du Tertre a busy square filled to the brim with painters and tourists. It is one of my favourite areas in Paris and the best place to watch the sunset and marvel at the view of the city. As soon as we booked the trip, I knew it was the first thing I wanted to show my Mum. It is an authentic and diverse part of Paris, which I think makes it even more special, honest and inspiring.

You can begin by exploring lower Montmarte. There are a lot of little boutique stores, brasseries and coffee shops. You will see lots of street art in Montmarte and one artwork which has become famous is Le Mur des Je t’aime” (the wall of I love you). It is beautifully meaningful and a testament to the unity of saying ‘I love you’ in many different languages.

I would then recommend heading up the stairways located around Montmarte and finding your way up to Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The Basilica is the highest point in the city of Paris, and from here, you get the chance to take in the view (at sunset is best so you can see the city turn from day to night) and often see street performers performing. I think this view is much better than going up the Eiffel Tower, and it is free!

The Paris Half Marathon: My thoughts

The Paris Half Marathon was my second half marathon of the year. I had been eager to run it for quite some time. I was a spectator there last year, and it takes place in a city that is really important to me. The course is relatively flat – apart from towards the end where someone evily decided to add in a few rolling hills – and you get to take in Paris as you run along the River Seine. The atmosphere was supportive, and they also staggered the start times really well. The volunteers were great at sign posting where to go before the race, and it does not have a strict cut off time, so runners of all abilities can take part without worrying about not getting to finish.

My intention was not to push and get another PB in Paris. The physio told me to take it easy, and I just wanted to focus on enjoying the run, especially after how chaotic it was to get there. I was also exhausted: I had been getting little sleep, I had not eaten consistently in the days leading up to the half, and overall, I felt quite anxious. Regardless of all of that, I smashed my PB, knocking over 3 minutes off my time in Barcelona. I was so surprised with myself and happy that my Mum was there to see it. It was a reminder that we can do hard things and if you put in the work, it pays off!

Le Peloton Café & KIIN Run Club

KIIN Run Club was the first run club I ever attended. I found it when I was a student in Paris through Le Peloton Café, a coffee shop offering speciality coffee and bike rides around Paris and France. The cafe and the running club fostered a community for me while I was there. I met some incredible people, and I always make the effort to visit Le Peloton when I am in Paris and try to join a run with KIIN.

On this trip, I sadly missed the shakeout run with KIIN due to arriving later than planned. Although, I still got to celebrate after the half with members of the club, and my mum chatted away to everyone and experienced first hand how strong of a community it was for me. It made my heart feel so full.

If you are in Paris, I cannot recommend Le Peloton Café and KIIN enough. The two helped me to feel more at home in the city and will always hold a place in my mind as the reason why I love running clubs and coffee. The combination is inseparable.

Pastries Galore & French Tipples

When it comes to France, it would be rude not to indulge in their gastronomy. We tried everything from pastries, crepes, mussels, croque-monsieur to French cider, wine and chocolat chaud.

Here are a few spots to check out for French food that will make you say “J’adore ça!”:

• Café de Flore – a famous Parisian cafe, head here for their chocolat chaud and croque-monsieur (I was very happy to see they had a vegetarian option!)
• Breizh Café – a perfect spot for traditional crepes both savory and sweet.
• La Maison d’Isabelle – one of the best croissants and pain au chocolat I have ever had!
• La Lorraine Brasserie – for seafood, nice wine and a quirky yet traditional French brasserie.
• Boulangerie Liberté – delicious pastries, try their pain suisse au chocolat.
• Noir Coffee – this was my go to coffee spot before the library when I was at Sciences Po. They do great cookies and apparently they are coming to London soon!

For more recommendations and to see me add spots in real time, check out my Google Maps list by following this link.

This trip to Paris reminded me why I love the city and filled me with a sense of gratitude in being able to show my Mum the places and things that are important to me. The experience was also a useful reminder of why things not always going to plan can be positive, and it does not necessarily mean that you won’t succeed or achieve what you had set out to. We can sometimes do hard things even in moments when we do not feel ready or at our best. My lived experiences over the last year have taught me that things are not constantly linear. Trust in the process and stay true to yourself.

Lots of love,

Laura-Jane