Paris: our story

It’s been two weeks since I’ve returned home from our European vacation and after a number of posts about Paris already, it’s time to tell you our Paris story.

We rode the Eurostar from London to Paris. The trip only takes 2 hours! After a short taxi ride from the Paris Nord train station, absorbing our first taste of Frenchness by gazing out the windows, we arrived at our hotel and took the smallest elevator I’ve ever seen up to our room.

That afternoon, we explored the Mouffetard and parts of the Latin Quarter. We happened upon the Pantheon and after taking photos outside of it, we paid to get inside to see even more.

The pendulum inside was impressive. The tombs in the basement were eerie, but beautiful.

Our first dinner in Paris was at a little place in the Mouffetard where we sat beside a couple from Winnipeg! I started a conversation with them after deciding they were Canadian when I heard how they said “out”.

We spent most of our nights after dinner just sitting on our balcony in the hotel, watching the streets below us. Can you spot the Eiffel Tower in the distance?

Instead of going out for breakfast, each morning I’d go to one of the two patisseries across the street to pick up croissants and coffee to eat on our balcony. We’d also plan out our day and any possible subway trips with our big folding map and guidebooks.

The first three days of our trip were whirlwinds. We visited so many landmarks, shops, and other French places. We walked large chunks of the city, breaking them up only by subway rides or meals. On our second day, we visited les Grand Magasins (the two large department stores), then walked all the way down to the Louvre.

We’d stop along the way when a beautiful building would catch our eye, like the Academie Nationale de Musique.

Or L’eglise de la Madeleine.

After an intense couple of days, we had to remind ourselves that we were supposed to be on vacation! We took it a little slower after that.

If you walk around Paris, you’re bound to stumble upon something worth exploring! One night after dinner in St-Germain, we realized we were very close to Saint-Sulpice church. It was featured in the Da Vinci Code and has a beautiful fountain in front of it, perfect for smooching on.

One of my favourite things about Paris were the streets of St-Germain.

Deroylle taxidermy shop

Although we spent most of our time wandering around Paris in the daytime, there was also something special about those moments in Paris after dark.

Nick and I both agreed that most of our favourite parts of the trip were visits to old churches and your pretty standard tourist fare. Of course, it was a little comforting to be in the company of other foreigners, but these places are sought-after for a reason – they are important, full of history, and beautiful!

Notre Dame Cathedral

We spent our last two days in Paris in Le Marais. We did a bit of shopping and I wanted to see the oldest house in Paris, Nicolas Flamel‘s house! It is now a restaurant, but the building itself is perfectly preserved.

The trip was wonderful. We saw and did so many great things and I’m quite satisfied with the amount and quality of photos I took. It was very interesting to see so much history and culture in a brand new place. I can’t express how gorgeous the French are, especially the women. I literally took notes on their style. More to come on that another time ;)

I also have a new and heightened respect for those who live in a country and don’t speak that country’s language as a first language. I could probably live in Paris if my French was better, but for now, I’m more than happy to be in New York.

{See all my Paris photos here}