The first official day in Paris promised sunny skies and a warm atmosphere; at least, that was my hope when I woke up to a gloomy overcast with morning showers. The whimsical weather didn’t stop my classmates and me from exploring the city, so we took our umbrellas and made our way down to the metro with a mission.

The first mission was getting an EU SIM for the internet. After trying a few different places, we accepted our fate of using our international lines for a couple more days. Our quest for a SIM was cut short by the impatience of our appetite for a Parisian breakfast, which at that point, we realized it was time for brunch.

We decisively made our way to Café de Flore, located in Saint-Germain. Its exterior is covered in flowery decor, which we later found out during our walking tour were all real flowers. This information did not surprise me, as my omelet had two beautiful—and I would argue, piquant—flowers adorned on a bed of greens. My aesthetically pleasing cappuccino was warm and comforting, not like the weather, but rather like the ambience of the city in the rain that morning.

After a pleasing brunch, two of my classmates and I decided to explore some more of the city near Notre Dame, where we had been informed was the spot to meet with the rest of our class in the hours ahead. We arrived in the 5th arrondissement of Paris and somehow ended up in its narrow streets, just hidden away between the non-permeable buildings, where the rain could not reach us, and the ill-lit skies only made the little shops illuminate in relativity.

Realizing we had gotten caught up in Paris’s charm, we needed to find our way back to Notre Dame. As I approached Notre Dame, I was overcome with both disbelief and sadness. At first glance, I was captivated by the architecture and grandeur of its structure, only to come a little closer and be reminded of its ongoing reconstruction after the devastating fire in 2019. Notre Dame Cathedral, which can also be called “Our Lady,” is still in use today by the Roman Catholic Church for Sunday mass and serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Paris. It is a notable and distinct historical artifact, having served as the coronation site for Napoleon I in 1804 and later as a funeral site for various French presidents.

When the class was in session, we visited the Pantheon, a site of immense historical significance, and then headed to Shakespeare and Company. This iconic bookstore, founded by Sylvia Beach in 1919, has been a haven for writers and readers alike. We even got to see its original location, just a couple of streets over.

We visited three different buildings where Hemingway lived during various stages of his life. Each apartment was characterized by a unique allure, reflecting the different periods of his literary career. One of the more interesting places we stopped at, in my opinion, was La Closerie des Lilas, where Hemingway worked on many of his literary works and which is a setting in “The Sun Also Rises.” This café was central to the vibrant literary life of the 1920s.

Another fascinating stop was the Dingo Bar, where Hemingway first met F. Scott Fitzgerald. The history embedded in these locations added a layer of depth to our understanding of these literary giants and the city they loved.

Our first day in Paris, despite the rain, was a beautiful blend of history, literature, and the charm of the city itself. The rain, in its own way, added to the mystique of our journey, making it a day to remember.