I don't even know where to start, I think I wrote & rewrote the first sentence of this post at least six times before settling on this! Paris was everything I hoped it would be. It was beautiful, it was magical, it was Paris! I've been dreaming of taking a trip to Europe for as long as I can remember and honestly I was at a point where I never thought it was actually going to happen. When we finally booked the trip last Summer it felt like December was never going to come & now I'm sitting here writing this and it's all over! I didn't want this post to be huge, but when you take over 1200 photos on a trip it's had to narrow it down to 5 or 6. I hope you love reading this post as much as I loved writing it.
The first thing we did when we arrived was head to the Arc de Triomphe. It was beautiful, I can't get over how intricate and detailed every single structure in Paris was...and not just monuments like this, every single building. I can't imagine building things like in 2015 let alone hundreds of years ago. What's even more impressive is how well everything is preserved! Living in NY I'm no stranger of old getting torn down & new being built. While I was always a fan of old world charm, I think what I fell in love with the most in Paris was how historical everything was, like you were taking a step back in time.
The view from the top of the Arc. I had no clue you could actually walk up it, but after a trip up one very windy staircase I could see why everyone said it was a must see. Hands down the best views of Paris could be seen from the top of it!
It was windy...really windy...the first day we got there, but that was nothing compared to the weather we were about to face for the rest of our trip. Let's just say if it was a couple degrees colder we would've gotten frostbite!
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I can't wait to get this photo of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night printed & add it to the gallery wall in my apartment! I'm slowing but surely filling it up with photos I've taken throughout my travels & this one I snapped as we were leaving our hotel for dinner one night is my favorite from this trip. I still can't even believe that this was the first thing we got to see every morning when we ventured out.
Not going to lie I was more excited about taking this photo at the Louvre than I was see the Mona Lisa (which is MUCH smaller than you'd ever think). Only problem with taking this photo was actually getting up on the platform to take it...NOT the easiest thing to do with tight jeans on...lets just say there's a pretty hilarious photo of me trying to get up that I will not be sharing!
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Notre Dame was hands down the most beautiful church I've ever been in...until I went to Westminster Abbey (but that's for another day). Its seriously amazing to me that this church was built starting in the 1100s! I was blown away by how beautiful it was.
It wouldn't be a trip to Paris without a stop at the Love Lock Bridge.
The Palais Garnier (Opera House) was amazing to see. I think this was the first time I realized how lavish & opulent Paris architecture could be. Sure the Louvre & Eiffel Tower & Notre Dame are beautiful, but this was over the top!
Following along with the theme of opulence, this Holiday Installation in the Galeries Lafayette put any Christmas display in New York to shame! I'm not ashamed to say that I took about 75 photos of it between my camera & my phone!
When visiting Paris most people don't take the time to visit Montmarte, but after seeing Sacre Coeur Basilica sitting on top of the hill from both the top of the Eiffel Tower & Arc de Triomphe it was a must for me! We actually got the watch the sunset from the steps leading up to the top & it was amazing, so if you're headed to that area I'd highly suggest going around that time!
Our last day in Paris was spent at the Palace of Versailles. From the second we walked up to the gates I was speechless. I mentioned earlier how lavish I thought Paris was...well everything else has nothing on Versailles! It is probably the most beautiful place I'll ever visit in my lifetime (& well worth the 3 hours we waited online to get in). It doesn't even look real, and these photos do not do it justice at all. And to think people used to live there literally blows my mind!
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I just wanted to leave you with my 5 Paris Must-Dos if you're planning a trip in the near future!
1. Don't skip Versailles! It's a quick 30 minute train ride from Paris and well worth the trip, plan on spending the day there because it's huge.
2. Stop for late afternoon coffee, champagne & pastries
3. Go to Le Campanella & get the duck breast! We stumbled on this restaurant one night & it was hands down the best place we ate during our stay in Paris!
4. Don't leave without getting crêpes or macarons! As for the crêpe, get it on the street, they make them way better than in a restaurant...my suggestion would of course be Nutella & Banana! As for macarons, skip Ladurée & go to Pierre Hermé instead...trust me. Most amazing pastry I've ever eaten!
5. Watch the Eiffel Tower light up every night you're there. I never thought I would say anything was magical, but a sparkling Eiffel Tower was magical!
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