Travel: Paris, France

I'm finalllllly getting around to posting about the last stop on our #EverardEuroTrip2015.... That's right.  Our trip from nearly FOUR years ago.  Because I FINALLY got through all 5,000 photos I took.  And, this is my online journal, so it wouldn't be complete without my final post!


Anyways, if you've been following along, it's been over one year since my last post about our trip, but you can click here to see where we've been if you need to catch up!



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After our quick stroll through in St. Paul de Vence, we left Nice via the high-speed TGV Train to PARIS!

Before we left for Europe, Paris was the city I was most excited to see... for sentimental reasons.  Did I ever tell you about the Eiffel Tower keychain that Zac brought for me the summer of 2004 while he was in Paris?

Oh wait, I kind of did... here.  but the longer version of the story, is that we had just started hanging out earlier that summer - like, not even dating - and he left for a Euro Trip with his friends.  Turns out, he had bought a calling card (ha! back when you needed to buy calling cards), and called me every.single.day while he was in Europe.  I mean, I hardly knew the kid, but after he got back, he gifted me with two boxes of Belgian chocolates (which I still have, unopened!) and an Eiffel Tower key chain.  I thought it was so sweet that he had thought of me the whole time he was there, and even brought me back a few goodies.  Fast forward 15 years and now we're married with a toodler... ahhh.  I digress.
But not really, because that's the story about why Paris is so special to me, especially the Eiffel Tower.

HOWEVER, I gotta say -- I was a bit disappointed in Paris overall.  Maybe I put it on a pedestal?  Maybe my expectations were too high?  Or really though, I think that the problem was that we didn't get to spend enough time there.  Our group tour through Italy & France was amazing, but the one draw back to it was that you couldn't spend more time in a certain place if you wanted to.

Anyways, Paris.

Our first stop off the train was the Eiffel Tower... and it was breathtaking and beautiful and majestic and alllll the adjectives.  And, it was also filled with 50 million other tourists, as well as a re-occurring loud speaker announcement telling you to be aware of pick-pockets, and to hang on securely to your belongings... (a total buzz kill).

We packed in like sardines, and took the elevator up for a bird's-eye view of Paris...

Next, we toured the Notre-Dame Cathedral and marveled at the Gothic architecture... these pictures now priceless, after the devastating fire that took place earlier this week.

Next, we walked over to the Pont de l'Archeveche, one the the narrowest bridges in Paris, covered in "Love locks"... (since our time in Paris, the locks have been removed... you can read about it here.)

After that, we hopped on the bus and took a quick stroll along the Champs-Elysees, stopping at the Arc de Triomphe for a quick photo.

After a quaint dinner, where we tried local specialties like escargots, soupe a l'oignon, & boeuf bourguignon, we were treated to a drive through the "City of Light", and it was magical!

We watched the Effiel Tower glow and sparkle in the night time sky.  A moment I will never forget!

The next morning we opted to visit the Eiffel Tower again, and strolled the streets of Paris for a bit.

Later that afternoon, we took a short trip to tour the Palace of Versailles -- an incredibly beautiful palace filled with amazing paintings from floor to ceiling.

We ended our #EverardEuroTrip2015 with dinner & a show at the famous Moulin Rouge... which was the best way to say, "Au revoir, Paris!"

Visit my Travel page to see our other stops from our European travels.