I spent last Saturday and Sunday exploring Paris, France! I could not have asked for better (January) weather for our last day in Paris; the sun came out and it was absolutely gorgeous!
Sheneka and I wanted to get an early start to our day so we woke up at 7:30 for breakfast at the hostel; a delicious bowl of hot chocolate, a buttered baguette, and juice. After eating we checked out and headed out the door for more adventures in Paris!
Our first order or business was to head across the Pont Neuf to the Notre Dame. The building was every bit as magical as people say it is, and the inside was just stunning. The Sunday service was in session, so we got to listen to some of the beautiful singing while we walked through the cathedral.
From the Notre Dame we wandered for a bit around the Latin Quarter in Paris, taking in the sights!
Around the Latin Quarter we visited the Pantheon, a church constructed in honor of the patron saint of Paris (St. Genevieve!), and Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, a lovely old church right next to the Pantheon. We also hit up a grocery store to stock up on yummy picnic supplies for later that day!
On our way to the Jardin du Luxembourg, Sheneka and I saw the amazing (super fancy!) pastry store; isn't the "chess cake" the coolest thing?
The Jardin du Luxembourg was so pretty! There were joggers everywhere, but it was nice to see the Musee du Luxembourg and see people out and about enjoying the sunshine.
After the gardens, Sheneka and I took refuge in a little pastry shop down the street to fill up on pain au chocolat and warm up!
The ultimate goal was to eat lunch in front of the Eiffel Tower, so we took off across Paris to reach it! We saw a ton of cool stuff along the way, though. We stopped into a sweets shop and both got a French macaroon for dessert later, checked out a church, passed by loads of shops, and saw Les Deux Magots and Cafe de Flore, both super famous for their artsy and intellectual clientèle! One of the weird things I loved about the city was the fact that there were Smartcars EVERYWHERE. I love those little things!
We eventually made our way back to the Seine and got to see the river and got to see Les Invalides in the sun! There was a huge lawn leading up to it, and the Pont Alexandre III was just stunning.
After a bit more walking we finally made it to the Eiffel Tower! Sheneka and I popped the cork to our cider and snacked on baguettes, cheese, and macaroons right in front of it. I couldn't have asked for a better lunch spot! I got a salted caramel macaroon and it was just heavenly.
After lunch we explored the area near the tower. I loved walking around the huge structure, and it was fun to see all the tourists doing funny poses.
After checking out the tower Sheneka and I wandered around the area for a while, taking in the sites and looking for somewhere to warm up and rest! In lieu of a Starbucks, we settled on a little patisserie where I got a delicious apricot tart. Check out the funny "self cleaning" public toilets around Paris (see the first picture)!
From the patisserie we walked to the Jardins du Trocadéro, where you have a wonderful view of the tower. We stayed until it got dark and the Eiffel Tower lights went on; on the hour it started sparking, and it was just beautiful! The very last thing we visited was the Arc de Triomphe, all lit up for the night!
Views from my semester abroad.
