In yesterday's post I shared with you that I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Paris. I had been once before in the spring of 2005 while studying abroad in Spain, but this trip felt like my first time. Maybe it's because I'm more grown up, or because I didn't make decisions based on what was cheapest, or maybe I just have a greater appreciation for how lucky I am.
All four days of our trip we walked everywhere. We never once took the Metro (nothing against the Metro, we just preferred walking). We bounced from neighborhood to neighborhood taking in all the sights.
Just a few blocks from our hotel was the Opera. It is the most majestic looking building. Each corner is topped with a bright gold statue and of course, the French flag waves from the center of the roof.
I loved the busts of all the famous composers.
Around the side of the building were these beautiful forest green statues that lead the way toward the Opera's restaurant. We could see in and it looked quite glamourous.
One of my favorite places we visited was the Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is breathtaking.
What you can't tell from the above photos is how gorgeous those round stained glass windows look when they are illuminated at night.
The front of the cathedral has two towers that stick up like eyes watching over the city.
The building's edifice is decorated with the most ornate sculpture. The only place I've seen more intricate sculpture is La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.
After Notre-Dame, we walked to the Jardin du Luxembourg. This was one of my favorite places in Paris after my first trip, so I was excited to go back.
On our walk it was very cold and gray and just as we entered the gates of the garden the sun came out.
We plopped down in two chairs overlooking the fountain and just watched the world go by. Many families with young children were in the garden reading, eating macaroons and of course, chasing birds.
We spent much of the long weekend walking along the Seine River which to be honest, never gets old. I posted this photo below on Facebook and a friend commented, "This is so beautiful it looks like a painting." That is how you feel every minute you are walking there. You feel like you're in a living, breathing piece of art.
One of the most visited spots on the river is Pont des Arts, also known as the Love Lock Bridge. Couples come from all over the world to write their names on a lock and fasten it to the chain links of the bridge. I couldn't resist humming Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" as we walked across.
As I mentioned before, walking along the Seine River is so peaceful. It's also inspiring as you pass artists so moved by the beauty that they just have to set up shop and create.
During our stay we were lucky enough to reside one short street away from the entrance to the Jardin des Tuileries, the gardens of the Louvre. On the weekends families stroll through the gardens together.
You can take a seat at one of the fountains in either an up right chair or a reclining chair. Yes people, there are public reclining chairs. I know.
As you can see, children love to feed the birds. I noticed in every park we went to, children were either chasing or feeding the pesky pigeons and sea gulls.
I particularly love the fountain in the Tuileries wear you can rent a sail boat to push around the water.
You know I had to save the best for last, the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower is one of those things you think you know because you've seen it on TV and in movies so many times, but nothing can prepare you for how enormous and captivating it is.
On our second night in the City of Light we decided to walk to the tower. When we were still about six blocks away I snapped this picture:
As we got closer the tower began to sparkle, which it does every hour on the hour. The world's most incredible light show.
Seeing the tower at night is definitely the way to go. You'll be in awe.
We walked a few hundred feet back to ensure we got the perfect shot. I'm very pleased with mine.
The following night the tower and I met again at my friend's wedding. Her venue was a place called Cap 15 which is like Paris' version of Top of the Hub. This was the view from my seat at dinner:
Not too shabby, huh?
What's so wonderful about visiting Paris is that you can get such an authentic feel for the city without paying a dime. All the parks are open to the public, there's a ton happening along the river and the bridges, and many of the monuments and famous buildings are so mesmerizing from the outside that you don't even need to go in.
Have you been to Paris? What is your favorite of the iconic sights?
