Third trip to Paris. First time watching Formula 1 in Paris, and first wine and cheese tasting. First cancelled train back to Brussels (yes, Eurostar, I’m talking about you). First time seeing the famous Palace of Versailles and its vast gardens. And, surprisingly, first time coming home from a trip with eight new decks of cards.
Paris, you didn’t disappoint. Eurostar, you did.
Below is a photo blog of everything we did. I took hardly any photos of buildings, as my last trip, for the Linkin Park concert, already had plenty of architecture. Scroll through and get inspired for your next voyage to the city recently blessed by Pope Leo XIV himself.
Alpine and Monza
While on the Eurostar to Paris, I checked Google Maps to see whether Alpine had a boutique anywhere nearby. As it happened, it did. For those unfamiliar with Alpine, it is a French car manufacturer that also competes in Formula 1 as the BWT Alpine Formula One Team. I had once seen on Instagram that there is an Alpine boutique in Paris with a café, a showroom and a few sim racing rigs. Since it wasn’t far from Gare du Nord, we went straight there after getting off the train.
As you enter the boutique, you see a few Alpine cars, souvenirs, Pierre Gasly’s racing suit and helmet, and, around the corner, the sim racing rigs. Initially, we just wanted to look at the rigs, check how much a session cost, and go upstairs for a coffee and cheesecake. But once there, we decided to go for a 15-minute session in a GT simulator around Monza, the Temple of Speed. I tried to push my lap under two minutes, but 15 minutes weren’t enough. These Alpine simulators provided feedback not only through the steering wheel but also through the seat, meaning you felt the kerbs, the bumps and everything else with your bottom, not just your hands. I definitely want more, and I won’t have to try hard to convince my wife to get a sim racing rig at home.
To our surprise, just as we finished our session, the third free practice for the Baku Grand Prix started. We ordered our coffees, ham and cheese croissants and the cheesecake, and watched the session on the big screen. A wonderful start to our weekend getaway.
Formula 1 at the Palace of Versailles
Since I started with Formula 1, I’ll continue with the pinnacle of motorsport.
In 2026, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday, as Sunday was Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day. As it happened, on Saturday we were visiting the Palace of Versailles. Yes, it is beautiful. Yes, it is big.
What did I like? You know I am a big fan of fountains. If I had a say, every city, regardless of its size, would have at least two fully functioning fountains. That is what I liked.
What didn’t I like? Crowds of tourists taking selfies and arranging their children for the perfect Instagram shot, spoiling the experience for everyone else. Also, there were only four table clocks in the whole palace (or at least only four that we saw). I managed to photograph two of them.
I almost forgot one more thing I liked: there is an abundance of places inside and outside the palace where you can sit down and watch Formula 1. So that is what we did. Indeed. We went to Versailles to look at old paintings and annoying tourists, and to watch Formula 1.
Gastronomic experiences
I went to Paris, and I ate neither McDonald’s nor anything Italian.
Instead, I had a lovely beef fillet with fries, a wonderful country sausage with cheesy mashed potatoes, and a delicious English breakfast, Korean style. If you’ve been reading my blog, and I am sure you have, you’ll know I am a big fan of the English breakfast. Why “Korean style”? Because we had our Sunday breakfast at an all-day breakfast place (possibly) owned and run by Koreans, and most of the other guests seemed to be Korean too. Nothing bad to say: delicious food.
Enjoy the food pics.
A funny little side note.
Have you ever had a beer or a proper meal at a bus stop? I have. The restaurant where I had the sausage and my wife the burger had expanded its terrace so much that it took over not only the nearby parking spaces but also the bus stop. Luckily, not while we were eating, but while we were waiting for our food, a bus pulled up, and we could almost have hopped on, table and all.
We also got a live concert. You would expect French music in the background, but the singer decided to perform popular English-language songs. It wasn’t bad.
Wine and cheese tasting in Paris
Before leaving for Paris, I decided to look for a wine tasting. I told myself that I had already visited Paris twice and never had a proper one. Five minutes on Google Maps, and I found a good place offering a wine and cheese tasting at noon. Why start late if you can start early, right? There were 12 of us: two Latvians, one Canadian and nine Americans. Delicious wine and cheese, with the opening shot fired by a glass of blanc de blancs Champagne. Perfection.
Playing Cards
I watched Formula 1 at the Palace of Versailles. I had a 15-minute sim racing session on a GT rig. I tasted five delicious wines and cheeses. And I bought eight decks of playing cards: three at the Palace of Versailles, two at a Star Wars shop, one at a random manga shop near our hotel, and two at a bookshop. Remember my recent collection update? At this rate, I will soon need to write another one.
Oh, and the Pope was in Paris at the same time as us. Our paths didn’t cross.
Keep collecting!
Kindly,
Olaaf
