I have to start this blog post by sharing some amazing news! I got the best news EVER while in Paris when I got a call saying that my sister was going into labor and that by the end of the weekend I'd have a little niece! I anxiously waited for any news from home and finally while we were at dinner on Saturday night I got the call.
Peyton Therese Nagel was born on February 16th, and was 4 lbs. 8 oz. She is beautiful and precious and perfect and I cannot wait to meet her in May!
My friend Maggie and I flew into Paris on Thursday night and met her friend Christina at the airport. We then took a taxi driven by the meanest French man in the world to our hotel. Welcome to Paris.
Things got a lot better when we walked into the hotel lobby and Mark was waiting there with flowers for me, since it was Valentine's Day! We went out for a quick drink and snack that night but wanted to get an early start in the morning so got to sleep quickly.
Full Disclosure: The only reason we got ANYWHERE around the city is because Mark is a navigator extraordinaire.
We started Saturday by getting breakfast at Angelina, a famous tea room in Paris. We had delicious chocolatey breakfasts that tasted much more like dessert than anything else. The restaurant was elegant and was the perfect way to begin or adventures in France.
Then we walked to the Louvre. The museum itself is a piece of work, inside and out! The whole place is incredibly overwhelming, but thankfully Maggie did some research before we left. She had a list of 6 "must sees" at the Louvre and the history behind the artwork. This really trumped me, who would've just walked in to see the Mona Lisa and then leave.
The Mona Lisa
The Wedding Feast at Cana
Me and Maggie outside the Louvre
We saw some beautiful art there, and could've easily spent over 5 hours admiring all of it. But, we had other things on our list so it was time to move on.
We headed towards the Champs Élysées next, which is a street famous for its shopping! Mark loved it when we wanted to stop in the Louis Vuitton store (this is what happens when I tell him I'll meet him in Paris and bring two other girls along with me). While we walked we stopped to get macaroons at a famous shop called Laduree. This was my first experience eating a macaroon so I don't have much to compare it to, but they were DELICIOUS. We tried lemon, raspberry and salted caramel. Tres Magnifique!
So excited to eat our macaroons!
We continued our walk then and made it to L'Arc De Triomphe! The arc stands in memory of those who fought in the French Revolutionary War. It took us a while to figure out how to actually reach it, because it stands in the middle of a roundabout with about 12 streets leading out of it. We finally found the stairs that take you underground and spit you out right at the arc!
After that we headed to the Moulin Rouge! Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I loved seeing the theater all lit up at night.
We headed back to our hotel to freshen up a bit before heading out to finally see the Eiffel Tower! Our first sighting was when it was all lit up at night, and it was even more beautiful than I thought it would be! We walked around and just stared at it for a while and then found a place to eat dinner with a view of the tower!
It was such a fun first day! When we got back to the hotel we met my friends Chelsea and Shelby who were meeting up with us there!
Day two of Paris was just as much fun! We all headed out in search of a crepe place for breakfast, but got terribly lost and once we found the place it was closed. So we ate sandwiches instead and decided to go see the Eiffel Tower during the day! It was amazing how different it looked in the sunshine!
After we took a ton of pictures and made poor Mark hold our coats while we took them, we went to see The Pantheon. This is a Greek-style building that King Louis XV had built in 1744 in honor of France's patron saint, Genevieve.
Next stop was Notre Dame. When I first saw it all I could think of were the gargoyles from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and wondered if they actually come to life at night and help the poor bell keeper. Probably not.
The Pantheon
Next stop was Notre Dame. When I first saw it all I could think of were the gargoyles from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and wondered if they actually come to life at night and help the poor bell keeper. Probably not.
Mark and I waited in the chaotic and seriously long line to get into the cathedral, but we're so glad we did! The inside was absolutely beautiful. There was some sort of service happening while we were in there but it was all in French and we couldn't seem to figure out what it was. Either way, it was amazing to be inside of there. We tried to go to the top, but just as we got in line they cut the line off and told us it was closed for the day. It was a bummer but we were still happy we got to see it.
Inside Notre Dame
We met up with the rest of the group at Sacré Coeur, or the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It is located at the highest point in Paris, and we got there just in time to see the sunset over the entire city. I loved getting to see Paris from a completely different view!
After the sun set we quickly headed back to the metro and caught a boat tour on the Seine, which was so great! We saw some beautiful bridges, the Eiffel Tower twinkling and the original statue of liberty (which was small and dark but still so cool!).
Me and Chelsea on the boat tour
We got a late dinner after the boat tour where I got the call saying I was an aunt!! I was an emotional basket case and couldn't have been happier!
My weekend in Paris was absolutely amazing, and I would love to go back one day to see even more. Paris is such an iconic city and I am so glad I got to be there.
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