Our hotel was only a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower so naturally, that was our first stop before we even checked in. We then walked around the city to soak it all in and landed at an adorable little outdoor cafe for dinner and a glass of wine. A mother and son sat next to us and in between their conversation in French, they'd strike up a conversation with us in English. The tables were so close, it felt like we were eating together anyway, so it was nice to get to know them!
The next day, we went on a walking tour (I'm now realizing this is becoming a Pennell vacation tradition.) It was nice to get familiar with the city and have someone explain the stories behind the major tourist attractions. For instance, the Pont des Arts footbridge (aka "Lovers Bridge") is a place where couples attach a padlock to the fence and throw the key in the water -- it's gotten so heavy with the thousands of padlocks that part of the bridge has actually collapsed! But one thing our tour guide pointed out that I wouldn't have known was that this bridge hasn't always been filled with padlocks. The trend on this specific spot actually picked up after a Carrie and Big scene took place there in Sex in the City. Gotta love Hollywood!
We spent a whole day at the Louvre and didn't even crack the surface of seeing all the pieces in it, but we did get to see the masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa. Granted, we couldn't get that close to it because of the 30-people deep crowd surrounding it, but it was worth it just to say I saw it.
One of my favorite adventures on this trip was the Catacombs. I didn't really know what to expect about being in a cave-like space surrounded by millions of bones and skulls, but the visit was very powerful (albeit a tad creepy.)
Of course my absolute favorite part of the trip was the food. Everything was delicious, especially the yummy dessert treats. The highlights included sitting at a little cafe and eating crepes while watching the Eiffel Tower light up (tres romantic!) and visiting the most beautiful little macaron shop in Montmartre (a cute artsy neighborhood that sits high above the city on a hill.) Délicieux!
Have you ever been to Paris? What was your favorite experience? Tell me in a comment below!
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