Our First Day In Paris, France -

It’s been several weeks since I talked about our honeymoon, so I think it’s time to get to the rest of the places we visited, and then talk about our cruise in general! So to jump back into things, our first day in Paris. The place I never expected to go, but now has a special place in my heart forever. Our first trip there was in 2013 and it’s a vacation that will permanently have a mark on my traveling heart. It opened my eyes to things I never expected and brought me such joy that I can never imagine giving up a chance to go back. So when we were planning our honeymoon, we knew we needed to end it with a few days visiting friends in Paris. Why not have a wonderful magical ending to the most perfect almost 3 week adventure? To make it even sweeter, 2 of our friends were meeting us there, and we were staying with our friends that live there!

We booked a very early flight from Venice to Paris and quite honestly we were just dying to get to Paris, especially after our not so wonderful time in Venice. Thankfully it was a quick flight and we began the public transportation journey into the city. There are several routes to get into the city and it’s very easy to understand connections and such. We got on the metro made 1 or 2 transfers and were on our way. Once we arrived, we were greeted by our friend that lives in Paris and our 2 other friends…and pain au chocolat from the bakery downstairs.

the view from our friends apartment

We chatted a bit and then decided to go see our other friend at work and have lunch at the Eiffel Tower. We wandered the streets, grabbed baguettes, wine and cheese then joined the masses hanging out on the fields surrounding the historic landmark. There was a festival of the world happening around the grounds, so we had options for a larger lunch if we wanted. It was really great to see all of the various ethnic foods around the walkways.

One of my favorite memories from our previous trip was people watching as people saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time, enjoyed seeing it as a part of their daily life, or the families that brought their kids here to get their energy out. It was such a different feeling than any park I had been to in America. It just felt so carefree and magical. Maybe that was the wine talking, but it’s true. So we joined those people as soon as we arrived, to soak in the magic. We had just sat down under a tree and then I was pooped on by a bird, that’s a sign of good luck, right? Good thing I was in one of my favorite places with wonderful people and it didn’t even phase me (after I was cleaned up a bit) a perfect Parisian afternoon.

After taking about 150 photos, we decided to walk around some more before we headed to our next destination. I think we might have been a little lost, but crepes made that easier to manage. Eventually we made our way to Notre Dame. We didn’t have the chance to go inside last time, so we waited in the long (but quickly moving) line and explored the inside. It was beautiful! There were so many different areas and lovely things to look at. We thought about climbing to the top, but then heard how many steps it was and decided to take a photo at the entrance instead.

Once we finished, we headed back to the apartment to get dinner with everyone. The perfect outdoor meal with good wine, great friends and delicious meals. After dinner, we walked around for a few miles. The streets in the evening were charming, just as they are during the day but even better lit up by cafe lights. Our friends live right by Place de la Republique, which has become a monument of sorts to the Charlie Hebdo attacks. It was very surreal seeing this area again, it looked incredible different from when we were there 2 years ago. Being there late at night made it even more interesting.

I’m so thankful for every moment we have in Paris, and I can’t wait to share more! If there is ever another opportunity to spend even one day in Paris, I am there!