Paris wasn’t new to me.

Before this trip, I had already been there twice—once by myself and once with my husband. And because one of those trips was all the way back in 2002, I actually got to see the Mona Lisa during the magical era when you could simply go to the Louvre without booking a ticket months in advance or fighting through a mob for a two-second glimpse.

Ah, the good old days.

Over those first two trips, I checked off most of the Paris heavy hitters:

the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Musée d’Orsay, and Arc de Triomphe.

So this time, I wasn’t particularly interested in repeating the standard Paris checklist. I wanted to see the things I’d somehow missed—and hopefully find a few places that were a little weird, different, or unexpected.

And I definitely did.

This trip took me from Paris to Strasbourg, and while there were some fantastic moments, there were also frustrating ones, bizarre ones, one accusation of shoplifting, a ticket purchased for the completely wrong week, and a night spent getting soaked while waiting for a light show that apparently had better things to do.

So rather than pretend everything was magical because it happened in France, here’s the good, the bad, and the somewhere-in-between from my latest trip to Paris and Strasbourg.

THE GOOD

PARIS

I Finally Made It to Versailles

It took me three trips to Paris, but I finally made it to Versailles.

And it was even bigger than I imagined.

I expected the inside to be ornate—and it absolutely was—but I wasn’t prepared for just how over-the-top the entire place is. The gold covering the exterior. The sheer size of the palace. The enormous grounds.

It’s one of those places where you walk around wondering, How on earth do they maintain all of this?

Then you remember how much you paid for the ticket.

Ah. My $50 - that probably helps.

Still, I recommend it.

I even enjoyed the Virtual Reality section, which gives you more background about Versailles during its heyday and helps put what you’re looking at into historical context.

A few tips:

Book ahead. I recommend getting the all-in-one ticket so you can explore as much of the palace and grounds as possible.

Give yourself at least three hours. You could easily spend longer.

And depending on where you're staying, consider just taking the financial hit and getting an Uber. From my hotel near Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, public transportation involved a combination of trains and buses. Sometimes saving money stops being worth the aggravation.

Versailles is not exactly an easy-peasy side trip.

But it was worth it!

Paris Has NORMAL Stores. Lots of Them.

If you've followed my travels for a while, you may already know about my love affair with NORMAL.

I first discovered the store in Copenhagen about five years ago, and I’ve been slightly obsessed ever since.

NORMAL is one of those stores where you go in for one thing and somehow come out with a bag full of snacks, toiletries, travel-sized products, beauty items, and miscellaneous things you had absolutely no idea you needed.

For my fellow Americans with a Dr Pepper Zero addiction, NORMAL is also one of the most reliable places I’ve found in Europe to get your fix.

They carry plenty of inexpensive, travel-friendly items and products I can't easily find at home. And, in my opinion, the stores are usually very well organized.

The best part?

I had three NORMAL locations within about a 15-minute walk of my Paris hotel.

Naturally, I visited all of them, and ones outside of Paris too!

Les Pavillons de Bercy:

Old-School Carnival Fun

One of my favorite stops in Paris was Les Pavillons de Bercy – Musée des Arts Forains.

Rather than another traditional museum, you get to explore pieces from carnivals and fairs of the past—and you don't just stare at everything.

You actually get to play the games and ride some of the attractions.

The tour was fantastic.

Mine happened to be in French, so having Google Translate handy was helpful, but don't let that stop you.

And Bercy itself is a cute area to wander around.

Bonus: there’s a NORMAL there too.

As any of my travel buddies would say, rolling their eyes, "Of course there is!"

Sometimes the Best Part of Paris Is Just Walking

I also really enjoyed simply wandering around Paris.

The shops inside Passage Jouffroy are fun to browse, and you never really know what you'll stumble across when you walk without much of a plan.

One of those stops for me was Montparnasse Cemetery.

I visited the graves of Man Ray, Émile Durkheim, and Jean-Paul Sartre, but I was also fascinated by the cemetery itself.

The grounds are beautiful, but what struck me most was how tightly packed everything is.

They really pack their dead people in there.

And I don't mean that disrespectfully. Cemeteries are an interesting way to see how different cultures remember and bury people—and in a dense city like Paris, space is obviously at a premium even after you're dead.

59 Rivoli: Art Sans Snobs

I also recommend stopping by 59 Rivoli, a multi-story building filled with working artists and galleries.

I didn't buy anything, but that didn't matter.

It was fun simply wandering through the rooms, seeing what contemporary Parisian artists are creating, and getting a little look at the city's current art scene.

There was plenty of eye candy.

And unlike some museums, you don't need to pay or know anything about art to enjoy it.

STRASBOURG

Strasbourg Is Adorable

Strasbourg is very cute.

It also looks and feels noticeably different from Paris.

That's not surprising considering its history.

The city has bounced between France and Germany more than once over the centuries, and the German influence is easy to see in the architecture, food, and general atmosphere.

Of course, Strasbourg is also very proudly Alsatian.

The mix gives the city a character that feels completely different from Paris.

Strasbourg's Notre-Dame

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg might be more impressive than Notre-Dame in Paris.

There. I said it.

When I first saw it after turning the corner, it took my breath away.

From there, I took a great free walking tour of Strasbourg, which is something I almost always recommend when visiting a new city. It's one of the easiest ways to get an overview of the history, learn what you're looking at, and pick up tips you probably wouldn't otherwise know.

One particularly useful tip from my guide: visit the cathedral later in the day.

Apparently, cruise groups tend to descend upon it earlier.

Also, don't miss the incredible astronomical clock inside. You can see parts of it come to life on the quarter hour—12:15, 12:30, and so on.

Eat the Tarte Flambée

You also need to try tarte flambée, or flammekueche.

It looks a little like an extremely thin pizza.

But don't call it pizza.

Apparently, the locals get miffed.

Whatever you call it, mine was delicious - from Mama Bubbele.

In general, I thought the food in Strasbourg was considerably better than what I ate in Paris on this particular trip.

The gelato at Amorino Gelato is just as delicious as it is pretty.

I also had a great meal at Falafilo. The people were nice, and their little Lebanese pastries were especially tasty.

THE SOMEWHERE-IN-BETWEEN

Some experiences weren't really good or bad.

They were...complicated.

Wine Tasting While Sweating

Strasbourg is in Alsace, so naturally I wanted to try some of the local wines.

At Le Comptoir des Vignerons Alsaciens, you can sample a large selection of regional wines for around €10.

The staff were very nice, and I enjoyed trying the different wines.

There was just one problem.

It was hot. Really hot.

And like many places, it didn't have air conditioning.

Wine tasting is considerably less sophisticated when you're sweating through your clothes.

So I'll put this one in the middle.

Good wine. Nice staff. Great price.

But perhaps go when Europe isn't cooking its population!

Strasbourg's Modern Art Museum

Strasbourg also has a decent modern art museum, and the building offers a nice view over the city.

The museum itself was enjoyable.

My experience in the café?

I'll get to that...

THE BAD

PARIS

Where Did All the Friendly People Go?

I know France's reputation, but this surprised me.

On my previous trips to France, I generally had perfectly pleasant interactions with people.

And I've always found that if you at least try—a bonjour, s'il vous plaît, merci beaucoup—most people appreciate the effort, even if your French is terrible.

That wasn't really my experience on this trip.

And before anyone sends me angry emails: I'm not saying French people are unfriendly.

I'm saying I encountered a surprising number of unfriendly people on this particular trip.

At the cafe in Strasbourg's Modern Art Museum, for example, I tried to order a cheese plate.

The server apparently thought I meant cheesecake.

Cheesecake?

Cheese plate!

Ah, cheesecake?

No...

I knew fromage, so I tried explaining that I wanted cheese.

Still no luck.

When I pulled out Google Translate, she visibly became frustrated, walked away, and sent a younger employee over to deal with me.

For future reference, I learned that I wanted a plateau de fromage.

I guess I should have known.

They didn't have the plateau de fromage. But they did have a quiche!

Finally! Unfortunately, it wasn't very good...

The Angry Vegan

The owner of a vegan restaurant spent what seemed like forever yelling at someone over the phone—I believe about a cake.

Another man came in and waited to be served.

And waited.

The owner continued yelling on the phone.

Eventually, the man left.

I don't blame him.

And like all my meals in Paris, the food wasn't good either.

My Paris Catacombs Fail

I love unusual attractions, and one of my favorite websites for finding them is Atlas Obscura.

That's how I decided—fairly last minute—that I should finally visit the Paris Catacombs.

I was already on my way there when I realized you have to buy tickets online.

There isn't simply a ticket booth where you can show up and buy one.

Usually, attractions on Atlas Obscura aren't this complicated.

I looked online and saw what appeared to be a ticket for 6:45 p.m.

Perfect.

I was arriving around 3:30, so I figured I'd get something to eat, walk around the neighborhood, and come back.

I bought it.

Then I realized something.

My 6:45 ticket wasn't for that evening.

It was for the following week.

Oops.

I contacted them and waited…and waited…for a response.

When they eventually replied, they wouldn't refund the ticket or let me reschedule it. There were no tickets for that day.

So somewhere in Paris, there was an empty spot at the Catacombs with my name on it.

A week after I'd already left France.

Hotel Check-In and Check-Out Drama

I stayed at Hôtel Libertel Gare du Nord Suède, and I actually liked the hotel overall.

The location was excellent.

But they were extremely rigid about check-in.

After arriving exhausted and jet-lagged (1pm), but 1 hour prior to check-in, I asked whether I could check in early.

The answer was basically no.

I was left to wander for an hour around Paris trying to stay awake.

The checkout situation was even more frustrating.

The night before leaving, I asked the receptionist whether I could check out one hour late.

He said yes.

Great!

I thought I could have a leisurely final morning.

Then, around 12:30pm, I got a phone call telling me I needed to leave the room immediately because they didn't allow late checkout.

I explained that the receptionist had approved it the night before.

They clearly didn't believe me.

So instead of my leisurely morning, I suddenly found myself frantically packing and rushing out of a room I thought I had until 1pm.

Again, I otherwise liked the hotel.

But communication among the staff could definitely use some work.

And Then There Was the Food

This might have been my biggest Paris disappointment.

I didn't eat particularly well.

That surprised me because I had eaten much better during my previous trips.

Apparently I had angered the travel gods.

I had significantly better meals in several of the countries I visited after leaving France.

Isn't half the joy of travel all the good eating?

These are the only 2 decent meals I had in Paris! 😢

So, Would I Go Back to France?

Absolutely. But I'm not rushing back.

Despite the frustrating experiences, there was plenty I loved about this trip.

Versailles was worth finally seeing. Les Pavillons de Bercy was exactly the kind of quirky attraction I love. I enjoyed wandering around Paris without feeling obligated to hit the traditional tourist sights. And Strasbourg was beautiful, fascinating, and more delicious than Paris was for me this time around.

Would I do things differently?

Definitely.

I'd buy my Catacombs ticket much more carefully.

I'll take every receipt NORMAL offers me for the rest of my life.

I'd remember that cheese plate is plateau de fromage.

I'd bring an umbrella to the Strasbourg light show.

And I might just budget for the Uber to Versailles from the beginning.

But that's travel.

Sometimes the things that go wrong become just as memorable as the things that go right.

And after three visits to Paris, I still found plenty of things I hadn't seen before—which is probably the best argument for returning to a city you think you already know.

France was less than perfect this time.

But it definitely wasn't boring.

STRASBOURG

The Light Show That Wasn't

My walking tour guide gave us another useful tip: during the summer, there's a light show projected onto Strasbourg Cathedral around 10 p.m.

Perfect.

I went.

Then came the thunderstorm...at exactly 10pm.

And the rain.

And more rain.

I waited.

No light show.

I kept thinking, surely a little rain isn't going to stop the light show...

10:15.

10:30.

10:45.

Still nothing.

By about 11 p.m., soaking wet, I finally admitted defeat.

Maybe it started at 11:01.

I'll never know.

The NORMAL Incident

Unfortunately, my biggest lowlight in France was in Strasbourg - at one of my favorite stores.

Yes.

NORMAL betrayed me.

I had already visited one Strasbourg location and bought a bag full of goodies.

Then I stopped at another NORMAL because different locations often carry slightly different products.

When I went to pay for the new items, the cashier noticed the NORMAL bag from the previous store.

She demanded to see my receipt.

There was one problem.

At the other location, the receipt had been optional.

Since I've never returned anything to NORMAL, I declined it.

Why waste the paper?

Apparently, I should have taken it.

I explained that I'd bought the items at another location.

That wasn't good enough.

Then she insisted that I show her my credit card statement! 😮

At that point, I insisted on speaking to the manager.

The manager looked through my bag and, I assume, noticed that some of the products weren't even sold at that particular location—which was exactly why I had visited multiple stores in the first place.

They eventually "allowed" me to continue with my purchase.

And then came my favorite part.

The cashier asked:

Would I like a receipt?

Uh…YES.

Apparently if shopping there without one means you could later be accused of stealing, I'll take the receipt.

I contacted NORMAL's corporate office afterward. To their credit, they were very apologetic and told me they would address the situation and provide additional training.

I hope they do.

I still love NORMAL.

But wow.

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