25 Things I Want to do in Paris Once Confinement is Over

Like the vast majority of the world, I’m currently in confinement. Today marks the 31st day of being kept inside, and following Macron’s speech on Monday there will be another month minimum before we’re allowed out again.

I don’t want to go into the nitty-gritty of the situation. Like many others, I’m quarantined alone, working from home, have to have a written declaration to justify being outside for a short period of time, and am forbidden from meeting with friends. And like many others, I’m very tired of being constantly reminded of the situation and am eager for any sort of escape or breather.

Which is why, after a year’s absence, I’ve finally made the time to return to writing on this website. Before I found it difficult to make time, but now all I have is time, and I want to use it in a productive, positive manner. Case in point? Getting back to hobbies like writing and keeping a blog, and finally getting articles published that I’ve had knocking around my head or sitting half-written in draft.

For this post, I’d like to lean into daydreaming and make a list of a few things I plan on doing once quarantine is over. It won’t be immediately after, or maybe even weeks or months after depending on how the situation unfolds, but it’s things I want to keep looking forward to one day doing all the same.

1. Go down to the Seine with some friends on a warm evening while the sun is setting, and watch the bateaux mouches full of tourists float by.
2. Take a walk around the Jardin des Plantes, then visit the Great Mosque of Paris to sit in their garden and have a mint tea.
3. Get dressed up to watch a ballet at the Palais Garnier.
4. Order a pichet of rosé at one of the cafés in the Tuileries.
5. Scour Emmaüs Paris boutiques for unique furniture, home decor, and other bric à brac.
6. Go for a long run in the Bois de Vincennes.
7. Take a stroll around St-Germain, and pick up cheap French novels for less then a euro a piece at one of their many secondhand bookshops.
8. Pick up a vegan matcha doughnut at Boneshaker Doughnuts.
9. Grab a falafel sandwich to go at one of the many great restaurants in the Marais, and enjoy it while sitting on the sidewalk in the sun.
10. Do some thrift shopping at some of my favourite boutiques.
11. Take a walk up the Eiffel Tower (which I haven’t done since I first visited Paris when I was 19!)
12. Peruse books at Shakespeare and Company, and pick up a new tote bag as I seem to always wear out my old one.
13. Spend a Sunday morning strolling around the market at Place de la Bastille.
14. Have a night out in Pigalle with friends, starting with an apéro at my favourite bar on top of the Moulin Rouge.
15. Walk up the hill at the Parc de Belleville for a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
16. Spend a summer evening at one of the Rosa Bonheur bars – I’d be happy with whichever one!
17. Read a book while sitting on the grass in the Champ de Mars.
18. Go to the Pharmacie Citypharma and find new French skincare products to try.
19. Visit my favourite flea market, the Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen, and find new brocantes to visit to search for hidden treasures.
20. Go for a walk around my favourite cemeteries in Paris, Père-Lachaise and Montparnasse – it may sound a bit strange, but they’re both beautiful, peaceful places to visit!
21. Have brunch at La Recyclerie and find out what special event they have going on down by the old train tracks.
22. Visit the Petit Palais, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Musée National Gustave Moreau, and other gorgeous museums I’ve yet to visit!
23. Wander aimlessly around my neighbourhood of Montmartre and find new shops and cafés.
24. Have a crêpe at one of the traditional Breton crêperies in Montparnasse.
25. Go back to properly enjoying this beautiful city, because I love it so.