September 12, 2016

Paris Update!



 

Oh Paris, where do I even begin? You are charming, magical, romantic, and beautiful beyond words. I don't even know how to adequately express how incredible of a city you are, but I will give it a go.

Paris has always been number one on my list of places I want to go. If at any point in the past someone has asked me where in the world I wanted to go, the answer has always been Paris. Going into this trip, I was of course excited for each and every place I get to explore, but if I'm being honest, I was definitely the most excited for Paris. The three days I spent in Paris, although short, were everything I could have asked for and more. I was blown away by the beauty, the history, and the charm that the city of lights has to offer, and I was pleasantly surprised by the energy of the city. I don't think I was expecting Paris to have the hustle and bustle that you find in a city like New York, but it did. I loved everything, everyone, and every second I spent there. I knew before even arriving in Paris that I would someday be back, and I already cannot wait for that day. 

Just like with London, I wanted to give you a quick little snapshot of how I spent my three days in the city of love. Speaking of love, on a quick sidenote, Paris really is romantic city and a place for lovers. I said multiple times that it is a place I will most definitely take my future fiancé or husband to. I don't know what it is about it, but it is a place that makes you want to be in love! Anyways, back to my update on Paris. Check it out below and enjoy!

DAY ONE
Our first day in Paris was partially a travel day spent taking the Eurostar from London to Paris. We arrived at the Gare du Nord, which is the north train station in Paris, and then took a bus from there to our hostel. Hostels in Europe are nothing like the reputation they get in America, and the hostel in Paris was just about as nice as a hotel. After settling into our rooms and freshening up a bit, we headed into the city for the evening. We took the metro from our hostel to Trocadero, which our tour director claimed had the best view of the Eiffel Tower, and she was right! Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time was absoultely a moment I will never forget. I had the biggest smile on my face. It was the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen. I'm not sure words can even explain how I felt in that moment. It is something I hope you all can experience someday for yourselves. After taking a million pictures, we headed to the area of the city where Notre Dame Cathedral is located for dinner. Some friends and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at the cutest café, where we ate outside on the sidewalk and drank rosé. It was perfection. We all wanted to see the Eiffel Tower at night, so we headed there after dinner. Seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up at night was even better than seeing it during the day, which I didn't think was possible. It was truly spectacular. I sat there in awe and just stared at it in complete disbelief that I was in Paris looking up at the Eiffel Tower. It felt like a dream, and for me it really was a dream come true.

DAY TWO
The next day, we all headed to the Louvre to spend a few hours exploring one of the most famous museums in the world. They say that it would take three whole months to truly see everything in the Louvre, which of course we didn't have, but I was happy to see what I did. The highlight was definitely seeing the Mona Lisa and just being in what was once a palace. I honestly think I was more blown away by how beautiful the exterior and grounds were than the artwork inside! The Louvre and the Jardin des Touleries are right next to each other, so we headed there next. It was so picturesque and beautiful - I could have spent my entire day wandering just through. While there my friend and I enjoyed a crêpe and a cappucino and sat in total disbelief that we were in such a beautiful place in such a beautiful city. I was so content in that moment and truly could have sat there all day. However, there was much more of Paris to explore! We met back up with the group and spent the afternoon on a part bus part walking tour around the city. Doing the bus and walking tour were a great way to see all of the different parts of the city - I highly recommend doing both if you're in a new city! To end what was already a nearly perfect day, I took the metro back to the Trocadero neighborhood for dinner and another look at the glowing Eiffel Tower. I found the perfect little café where I sat outside, drank wine, ate some baguette et fromage, and had the most stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. It was a moment I will remember for the rest of my life, and one of my favorite memories from Paris. 

DAY THREE
On my last day, I headed back into the center of Paris to check out a couple of neighborhoods I wanted to explore a bit more and do some shopping of course. I headed to the Madeline neighborhood, which was filled with all the shopping you could dream of, which although much of it was out of my price point, it was still fun to window shop! This neighborhood is also home to one of the Ladurée shops, so of course I made it a point to stop in for some Macarons. Although Ladurée has made its way to some big cities back home, eating macarons in Paris made them that much better! I continued my shopping by following Rue Saint-Honoré, which had a combination of high end stores but also cute little boutique-y like shops. I was in heaven! I picked up chocolate from Michel Cluizel and also the prettiest perfume from an authentic french parfum store called Roger & Gallet. Parisian chocolat and parfum, how perfect! After an afternoon of shopping, I headed back to the Saint Michel area to meet up with the group for an evening cruise along the Seine. We bought a bottle of rosé to enjoy while taking in some of the most gorgeous views of Paris! I highly recommend doing a cruise along the Seine if ever in Paris - it was incredible. Talking about views of the city, after the boat cruise, a few girls and I headed back to the Eiffel Tower to admire the city views from up above. We went to the second tier of the Eiffel Tower, and I must say it was truly breathtaking. Paris is beautiful from down below, but seeing the city from this perspective at sunset was incredible. To be honest, it wasn't something I was dying to do, but I am so happy I did. To end the night, after getting back down, we bought a bottle of champagne to enjoy while watching the Eiffel Tower twinkle for one last time. Seeing it lit up and twinkle was just as magical the third time as it was the first. It is a moment that will surely be hard to beat, and I already can't wait until I am back

xo. G

5 comments:

  1. Fabulous! Fabulous , Fabulous! Thank you for making me feel like I was walking beside you! Makes me long to go visit Paris myself! I'm so happy you are having such a great time!

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  2. That was from me! xo

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    1. Thanks for reading Mom! I wish I could've shared the experience with you, but I have no doubt that we will get there someday! Love you & miss you!

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  3. This is deliciously written. I'm lucky enough to have been to Paris a couple of times, but seeing it through your eyes makes me feel like I'm there again. Your enthusiasm and fresh perspective are totally engaging. Thank you for your commitment to keeping your blog up!

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    1. Aw I'm so happy I could give you a taste of Paris again! Thank you so much for following along!

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