It was an early morning with a departure from London to Paris in the high-speed Eurostar. Upon our arrival in Paris we immediately set out for a visit to the Eiffel Tower.
{sigh}
The Eiffel Tower is something I've always wanted to see, mostly for what is represents; romance, love, architecture, but I was not prepared for how much I would fall in love with it.
It is breathtakingly beautiful.
In all it's iron glory.
The Eiffel Tower was designed for the World's Fair in 1889, by Gustave Eiffel. It stands over 1050 feet tall and weighs 10,000 tons.
We proceeded to the second level of the tower to admire the skyline.
After I took 1,000 pictures of the 'Iron Lady', we were off to check into the hotel.
In Europe, it is common to find two twin beds joined together to create a king. While we had requested queen size beds during our travels, we got the full European experience.
We settled in and quickly headed out into the streets to experience Paris. Our guide gave us a brief introduction into the language and the Parisian culture. With that, we made our way to a brasserie in the neighborhood.
From the moment I sat down I struggled with the language. My French makes my Spanish look fluent and honestly my brain can only handle one foreign language at a time. In each interaction with the server, I responded in Spanish. Which was quickly followed by embarrassment and flushed cheeks. Just the way I imagined my first evening in Paris to be.
Working together, Matt and I managed to get a 'pitchee rouge demi' and 'croque monsieur' ordered.
After enjoying our first brasserie experience, we set out for a walk to the market stopping at a patisserie along the way.
As we strolled, Matt and I fell in love with all the local people walking with baguettes. It was so charming, something you would be likely to see in a movie, but is very much a part of their lifestyle. After trying the bread, Matt and I wanted to be part of that lifestyle too.
Later that evening we set out for a river cruise on the Seine.
The night concluded with a tour through the city including a stop at Place de la Concorde.
Our visit happened to coincide with Fashion Week in Paris. Our guide reported that this was the red carpet for the Chanel Show.
be still my fashion heart...
|Wednesday, October 3|
We began our morning with a sight seeing tour including Champs Elysees {'the most beautiful avenue in the world'}, the Arc de Triomphe, and a photo op at the Eiffel Tower.
After sight seeing, we had a full morning with tours at the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Louvre.
Notre Dame was built between 1163 and 1345. We saw a lot of amazing churches during our travels, but there was something about this French Gothic architecture that had me smitten.
The Lourve is one of the world's largest museums, housing more than 8 miles in galleries.
Our evening closed with the famous cabaret show, Moulin Rouge.
We enjoyed foie gras, champagne, and a can-can dance or two. Following the show we joined a few other couples from our tour for a drink. Remember when I was worried about my voice immodulation problem in Paris... unnecessary. There were a few in the group that put my VIP to shame.
|Thursday, October 4|
Our morning began with a tour of the Palace of Versailles.
We began in the gardens.
Following a stroll through the gardens, our tour began in the State apartments, where the beauty continued.
The Hall of Mirrors was my personal favorite... it was gorgeous. The hall was a passageway between the King's and Queen's apartments and was used for large receptions and royal weddings.
The Palace of Versailles was one of my favorite tours, the beauty, history, and opulence was unlike anything I've ever seen.
After Versailles, we had some free time to explore. We set out together, hand in hand, to enjoy our last afternoon in Paris.
For lunch we sat outside at a brasserie, patiently waiting to be acknowledged by a server, butcher some French, practice my Spanish, and in the end enjoy some red wine and croque. That server never came. We quietly got up and sauntered on to another brasserie. Same scenario.
Third time was a charm.
We later learned it is customary to flag down your server when you are prepared to order.
Touche Paris.
As a young girl I collected carousel horses. When I see a merry-go-round, my cup begins to fill. You can imagine the 'runneth over' that occurred when I spotted one in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Later in the afternoon we took a trolley to Montmartre Village, a quaint area located on a hill north of Paris, best known for its Artists Square and the former home to the greats including Picasso, Monet, and Vincent van Gogh.
After browsing through shops, buying a small piece of art, and taking in the view, we stopped for some wine and onion soup, while watching the artists finish their works.
Sacre Coeur Basilica, Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, is also located in Montmartre. It was stunning inside, so much so that we stopped to light a candle during our visit.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped one more time to admire the Eiffel Tower as she twinkled in the night sky.
It was not goodbye,
more like...
until we meet again.
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