![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gowatkinsgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0028.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tParis made it to the top of our travel list this year because it\u2019s been on Michael\u2019s bucket list to see the French Open. Mission accomplished\u2014and then some. We watched Carlos Alcaraz (incredible!) who won the entire tournament! We also saw many other great matches at Roland-Garros. It is a great venue that does a good job of spreading the crowd out.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tIt wasn’t easy to get the tickets. We signed up for a lottery earlier in the year. I was selected for the lottery, but on the day we could buy our tickets we were flying to Turkey! Luckily, our friend Vicki sat in the hours-long virtual queue and scored us tickets for two days at the tournament. Thanks, Vicki!<\/p>\n
We stayed in a little Airbnb on the Rue de Commerce, just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. It was the perfect spot to regroup each day. Almost every evening, we\u2019d grab a few snacks, head out to the lawn, and hang out under the Tower until the lights lit up. It became a bit of a ritual\u2014one of those simple things we\u2019ll remember forever.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gowatkinsgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_8159.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nWe also got tickets to go to the summit of the Eiffel Tower. We went at 9:30 p.m. and got to watch the city go from day to night. The views are incredible!<\/p>\n
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nOne of our biggest days took us all across the city on foot\u2014The Louvre, Notre Dame, The Pantheon, and multiple parks. We clocked over 20,000 steps by the end of it. We covered a lot, both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nWe decided to mix things up and do something a little off the beaten path\u2014a sewer tour. Strange? Yes. But it was interesting. It sparked discussions about infrastructure, engineering, and how cities function under the surface.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gowatkinsgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0030.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nWe enjoyed eating pastries and other food in Paris. We cooked often and enjoyed shopping at the grocery store and local markets. We had one late-night McDonald’s meal because that was all that was open near our house at 1 a.m. after the French Open.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"