Paris. First-Class International.

22,000 steps in one day. I walked 22,000 steps in one day. And I would have lost weight, too, had it not been for that meddling food.

Second stop: Paris, France.

Just like with my time in London, I’ve listed some of the highlights and honorable mentions during my time in the City of Lights. So, without further adieu…

PARIS HIGHLIGHTS

Macaroons.
You probably thought my first highlight would have been about the sights, sounds or shopping of the city. But au contraire mon ami. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the first thing about Paris that I loved was my introduction to a macaroon. My life has never been the same.

But seriously though, those things are d e l i c i o u s. My taste buds had never experienced the sweet goodness that is a macaroon until I arrived in Paris, which I found very fitting, considering that they originated in France. Throughout the duration of my time in Paris, I had at least two macaroon’s every day and I regretted nothing.

Palace of Versailles.
My time at Versailles is one that I will remember for years to come. Partly because I foolishly wore sandals and my feet were killing me. But mainly because the experience, the history and the paintings was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Our tour guide, Audrey, was hilarious and knowledgeable, which made the experience that much more interesting. We saw the King’s Grand Apartments, walked through the Hall of Mirrors and explored The Gardens; all while being greeted by magnificent artwork on nearly every ceiling. It was incredible.

Fun fact: When the Hall of Mirrors was being built, the price for one mirror equaled 7 years worth of wages. And as the story goes: Break a mirror, you get 7 years of bad luck.

Eiffel Tower. 
Tourist-y? Yes. Crowded? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

The French People. 
I was told on numerous occasions that the French people can be very rude. Although I must say, with the exception of a few less-than friendly taxi drivers, I was treated very well during my time in Paris. I was also very impressed with how many Parisian’s could speak English so fluently. If my time in Paris did nothing else, it showed me that I need to step my foreign language game up.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Eurostar.
Try as I might, I am not Donna Jensen and I did not fly into Paris on first-class international. I did, however, board the high-speed Eurostar train which did not disappoint. The trip was only a two hour ride, but every seat was a window seat and displayed the beautiful French countryside on our way into the city.

Word to the wise: If you ever get a chance to take this trek, make sure you bring some bubblegum with you. The train takes you under the English channel and your ears will respond accordingly.

Mona Lisa.
We made a stop inside The Louvre and walked around for a solid 30-45 minutes before we found her. But find her, we did. And I even took a selfie with her, because #duh, why wouldn’t I? Other than my genuine surprise for just how tiny the painting actually is, I was very impressed.

French Cuisine. 
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that French cuisine is not good! Just like with our English dining, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the food in France, though different, was tasty. Of course, you already know my love for macaroons, but that was just the beginning. We had lunch right next to The Louvre at a restaurant called Le Fumoir that featured the best dish I probably had during my entire stay in Europe (though I don’t remember the name of it). And I also tried escargot for the first time and I gotta say, I didn’t hate it.

Arc de Triomphe. 
The architecture and detail it took to dream up and build the Arc de Triomphe is mind-blowing. Though we didn’t stay too long, we did admire the structure throughout our time in the city.

Au Revoir, Paris.

#TravelLikeABoss