Paris

Paris

The city of love. It is a city rich in history, culture, fashion and monumental highlights. One needs a good amount of time and a very large budget to take in all that Paris has to offer. But even a brief visit to this breathtakingly beautiful city leaves you planning your next trip to France's capital!

We arrived in Paris by train around noon on July 29th. We made our way to our beautiful hotel, Le Meridien, which is a short distance from the arc de triomphe. After checking in we decided to venture forth on a long journey by foot to take it all in and see the Eiffel Tower.

Nothing can prepare you for what you are about to see! You've seen it movies, in pictures and paintings, or you have heard of it by word of mouth. This humongous, iconic monument took me by surprise. Being a typical girl, I have pictures of the Eiffel Tower at home. Those back and whites alone made me want to venture to Paris just to see it! If this city is on your bucketlist, the Eiffel Tower is worth the trip alone. We sat on a bench just to the northwest side of the tower, chatted and casually ate our amazing soft serve ice cream. In that moment, I felt like there was no one else there, just Ben, the tower and me. 

It is truly beautiful. Grab some wine, plastic cups, macaroons and have yourself a picnic right on the grounds. That is one memory at will for sure last a lifetime.

Among the other amazing sights were the arc de triomphe, the lovers bridge, the louvre, the Bastille monument, Notre dame and of course, DISNEYLAND!

The arc de triomphe is quite a sight. It is a large arche at the I tersection of L'etoile, and commemorates Napoleons victories. You can climb it for a fee or admire the carving and sculptures from the ground. The louvre is the famous French museum that houses da vinci's Mona Lisa. Take warning that it is completely closed on Tuesdays, as this was the day we had planned to visit it, we settled for admiring the beautiful square, building and glass pyramid that can be seen outside the museum. We continued our long walk and made a stop at lovers bridge, the famous bridge where lovers place a lock to symbolize there love. You the. Throw your key into the river and make a wish, it was very romantic and we witnessed a very romantic proposal right there on the bridge. Helpful hint, if you don't have your own lock and are looking to purchase one, go beyond the bridge as prices are cut in half from those of stores and stands directly adjacent to the bridge.  We then went to climb yet another amazing bundling at Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral itself is beautiful and has some amazing stain glass  work. After enjoying the beauty of the cathedral you can make like a hunchback and climb the narrow spiral staircase of the north tower. This provides a closer look at the many amazing gargoyles, the gothic architecture and a panoramic view of Paris that is breathtaking. We continued the very long trail all the way to the giant monument that commemorates France's civil war and rebellion, where the Bastille used to be. 

Paris Disney!! So much fun! If you've travelled to California's Disneyland or Florida's Disneyworld then you must go to Disney in a foreign country! It is an experience all on its own. The underground metro in Paris is easy to navigate through and if you get confused, there is always someone willing to help! We took the underground metro and changed trains to Disney Paris, a commute that took roughly an hour and a half. We were the second train of people to arrive that early morning, and every step we took, our inner 8 year olds started to unfold! Taking pictures all along the way to the entrance we were extremely giddy! We made our way through the gates and the first thing you see is the amazing pink and blue castle! Gigantic! We roamed the Main Street, looking at all the stores - where I purchased my first pair of mini mouse ears- and themed restaurants and made our way to our first coaster, Space mountain.  This got our hearts racing and our lungs ready for the many coasters to come. A major difference you find is that everything is in French, this is particularly funny in the line up to the Star Wars space adventures ride, where all of the robots including C3PO are speaking French to you. Who thought C3PO could be any more annoying?!

The highlights were the Hotel Tower of Terror, the Aerosmith ride (Ben screamed like a girl), Indiana Jones coaster and Crush's Coaster. This is all finished with an amazing show using fireworks, fountains, projectors and graphics all shot on the amazing Disney castle. All in all it truly was a magical day!

All in all, this was an absolute wonderful taste of Paris. It is a beautiful city, as romantic as all of the stereotypes suggest. The people are nice, the food is amazing, the wine is wonderful, and the sights are breathtaking. 

We are already dreaming of the next trip we can make to the city of love! :)