Paris impressions

I was on a high the first few days were were in Paris. Even though I was exhausted from the plane trip, I was overjoyed at our prix fixe brunch on Rue Montorgueil. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and we sat watching the pedestrians walk by and it was all oh-so-French.

With full tummies, we walked down to the Louvre and the Tuileries to catch a tour bus. It was the perfect way to get oriented and be lazy. In fact we both fell asleep on the bus, but it was still thrilling. Everything was so much larger than I had pictured it.

 Unfortunately jet lag took over and by five in the evening, our little apartment, a hot bath and a bed became the most welcome sights.

The next day we were off to a late start. We wandered into the nearby St. Eustache cathedral. Sometimes it was the unplanned little things that amused me most, like the King of Pop shop I happened to walk by.

Our tour bus tickets were still good, so we got on a bus at dusk and ended up seeing the Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame by night. And the first time we saw the Eiffel Tower twinkling it was magical.

The next day, while my husband slept, I took the chance to take a rainy walk into the Marais. I was on a mission. I wanted to go to Mariage Freres. I wish I would have planned it to actually take a real formal tea there, but I still enjoyed browsing the shop and of course I walked away with a few teas. I also indulged in a sampler box of macarons - which was soon thoroughly sampled.

I enjoyed playing the part of the flaneur, as they call it in France, wandering, walking, watching. But within a few days my feet were not loving it so much. That's when activities like this boat ride on the Seine were such a relief. It was so beautiful - golden twilight, cruising down the river. One of my favorite moments of the trip.

More coming soon...!