I took many, many pics while away, and I promised before I left that I would be posting pics and commentary upon my return. Over the next few days I will be writing about my travels and posting pictures for you to see, starting with Paris which was our first stop.
I have been to Paris many, many times over the years, but no matter how many times I've been, I can never get enough of this amazing city. Paris is many things, including romantic, historical, chic, ecclectic, and of course breathtakingly beautiful! Over the years I've done all the standard 'touristy' things that one has to do when in Paris, but now when I go I really just like to soak up the feel of Paris, and I love nothing more than sitting outside a cafe sipping on a cafe au lait and people-watching. And trust me, I did plenty of that!
My husband Bob and I had three days in Paris at the start of our trip, and even though we were feeling tired upon our arrive as it's almost impossible to sleep on the overnight flights, we dumped our bags at the hotel and went straight out. We always find it's the best thing to do to get on European time which is 7 hours ahead of U.S. time, so we wanted to stay up as long as we could and not waste any precious time in Paris! We got on the Metro (the French subway system) and headed to an area called The Left Bank. I love this area! It's quite an 'arty' area, with lots to see while walking around. Artists display their works and there are many small and interesting art galleries in this area too. There are cafes and restaurants everywhere, and it's hard to know where to go to avoid the 'tourist trap', but whenever we spot the locals, that's where we head because it's sure to be a good place if the locals go there!
We spent the day wandering around this area, stopping several times to enjoy a coffee and people-watch, and in the evening we found a charming little bistro where we stopped for a meal and bottle of red wine. My hub can never pass up the opportunity for a Parisian creme brulee which he enjoyed on more than one occasion! For me, I can never get enough of the pates and French cheeses with fresh crusty French bread, and I took the opportunity to have this as often as I could! (You'll see in the pics below a display of local cheeses that we found in The Left Bank - I was in heaven!). Of course you can't leave France without trying one of their infamous crepes, which we also did (see pic below).
One of many things that always strikes me about the Parisians is how effortlessly chic they always look, and this goes for the men as well as the women. I don't think I saw a badly dressed Parisian, and certainly didn't see anyone wearing sweats or sneakers! It was a delight to watch them strutting down the cobbled streets going about their daily lives looking so damn good! They really do make it look so easy!
On our second day in Paris we went to Notre Dame Cathedral (even though we've been before the hub wanted to take some more pics), and we walked a LOT! And despite the fact that on this day I was wearing heels, I actually managed to walk several miles with very little complaint! We walked to the Arc de Triumph, and walked all the way down the Champs Elysee....the weather was gorgeous the entire time we were there which was an added bonus, and so walking around was truly enjoyable.
On our third and final day in Paris we went along the River Seine, and on the bridge of love-locks. This is the bridge that has hundreds and hundreds of padlocks attached to it, and the story goes that you attach a padlock to the bridge with your names on it, and you will be forever bound together by love! Of course we had to do it, so off Bob went to buy a padlock and put our names on it to attach to the bridge! Very romantic! You'll see the padlocks in the attached photos.
As you can see from the pics, my choice of clothing for Paris was simple, comfy but still on trend. I always say that layering is key when travelling so that you're prepared for any kind of weather, and a hat is always a good idea for keeping the sun at bay and disguising those bad hair days!
So here are my pics from my first stop in Paris....enjoy!
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