Honestly, I wasn't really interested in seeing Paris. I was only excited because L has been wanting to see the Eiffel Tower. Thanks to a mix up on our plane tickets, we were now going to be passing through Paris. Although I couldn't book a weeks worth of hotel nights in Paris, we were able to arrive in Paris the Sunday before our Tuesday tickets back home.
Big C and I entered Paris with the intention of seeing all her beauty in one day and failed miserably. I found that not only does she have soooo much to offer, but she surprisingly captivated my heart in my short time there. I fell in love with Paris and look forward to returning.
We got in at 9pm and luckily the sun doesn't set in Paris until around 10:30pm in the summer months.
Of course by the time we got to the hotel, checked in and grabbed dinner, it was dark.
We ate pizza at a bistro half way from our hotel to the Eiffel Tower and caught the World Cup final in overtime with Dutch and Spanish fans. L was intrigued by the World Cup excitement in Europe as it is much more lively than in the U.S.
The Eifel Tower at night. Beautiful.
The boys standing under the Eiffel Tower. It was loud with yells and honking and fireworks from the Spanish supporters.
The view of the Siene from our hotel room.
Eating French pastries for breakfast.
Arc de Triumph
You have to take a tunnel to the Arc de Triumph
Inside the Arc de Triumph
Thanks to my sister-in-law for alerting me to the fantastic Paul shops around Paris. We stopped in for a mid-morning snack and coffee. We'd planned to go back for a baguette around lunch time, but as luck would have it couldn't find a Paul shop when we needed one.
Yum! Look at the bread in the window. I LOVE bread!
Lil C saw most of Paris from atop Big C's shoulders. What a way to travel. ;)
If I had not been with three boys that don't care for the art of fashion, I would have loved to have seen this YSL exhibit.
Sir Winston Churchill
These flowers were so tall, I made L stand beside them so that you could see how tall they were.
We walked along busy streets and peaceful parks, but all of the sudden there were lots and lots of military guards surrounding the area we were at. I wasn't sure what was up and figured we must be near something pretty great.
We were. Here's L outside the U.S. Embassy in Paris. lol
Eiffel Tower in the background
Ok, I wish I would have taken pictures of all the art we saw in the park leading up to the Louvre, but I didn't. Here's is the one I took a picture of. I thought it was interesting.
L outside the Louvre. The line was incredibly long, it wrapped halfway around the main courtyard of the Louvre museums, but surprisingly it only took us 20 minutes from the end of the line to the pyramid entrance.
Big C inside the pyramid.
The Mona Lisa is actually quite small. and it was the only piece I saw surrounded in protective glass and with a rope barrier keeping viewers 20 feet back. I felt like I was at a rock concert, stage side being squished by all the people squeezing in to get a photograph of this famous lady.
Charles De Gaulle
The River Seine
Notre Dame
L with Joan of Arc
At the pulpit
What I expected a French cafe to look like.
Notre Dame
The Opera
the Bastille
It was so HUGE! It was just an awesome thing to be standing under it.
Look at that face. It was the end of the day and our last stop before heading back to the hotel before an early rise and plane trip home. You can see by Big C's watch that it was 9:30pm when this picture was taken. But still so sunny outside.
At night she sparkles.
