We made it Paris, France on February 4th via Eurorail and through the Chunnel. The train ride was very smooth and very fast. When we were on the train instructions were broadcast in French when we got closer to our destination so Wela and I constantly looked at each other in confusion saying, "Oh no! What have we gotten ourselves into?! We don't know french!" Hahaha! We also didn't know when our stop was because they said it in very fast french. Luckily, we got off at the right stop... Paris Gare Du Nord!
The French are so thoughtful! It was so cold so they had heat lamps around the station for passengers to get warm
On our very first day in Paris, we were met with snow! We thought we left it in Iowa but it somehow found us here...It's okay since we know how to handle it...Walking to the metro station we happened upon Paris written in the snow. It was perfect!
On the Metro to Musee du Louvre!
We are so lucky it was Free Sunday at the Louvre so we had to wait in this insane line but it moved quickly and we were on our way to see Mona Lisa
Everyone searching for Mona Lisa!
We heard that there is always a huge crowd surrounding Mona Lisa but if you wait you can get a good shot...also, if you have a long lens :)
Here she is...Mona Lisa! She was a beautiful sight!
Michel Angelo: The Dying Slave
Venus de Milo (Aphrodite)
Exiting the Louvre
Musee Du Louvre
Since I'm a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain one of the things on my must do list was to see the original structure of Les Halles "The Belly of Paris" The structure of the old Parisian market. Sadly, when we got there this was all that remained. One of the original pathways...it was lonely and yet it was the only thing that was in its rightful place. They tore most of Les Halles down and built a shopping mall underground. They also have business offices etc. above ground. I was NOT happy!!! At least I got to see and touch some part of it.
After my disappointing trip to Les Halles, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe at the end of Champs Elysee
Mini cars are everywhere and they are so cute! I wanted to drive one...but I quickly learned that NO I should never drive in Paris especially around the Arc de Triomphe!!! No lines on the road and people are driving willy nilly, honking horns, etc. while tourists are running across the road because they are too lazy to go across underground.
Found an Obama cartoon sticker along the Champs Elysee at a cross walk
We made a stop at a very fancy Laduree for some french macarons
We stayed on Champs Elysee until sunset so we could catch a picture of the Arc de Triomphe in its lit up state.
It was beautiful indeed!
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After our trip to see the Arc we caught the metro back to our side of the Seine and walked toward the Eiffel tower since it is close to our flat. I would chalk this up to an experience of a lifetime...to see the Eiffel tower up close and to catch it sparkling is truly magical and something I hope to remember for a long time.
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When we got back to our room, we finally got to tuck into our Laduree purchase of 8 macarons. It was hard to do since everything is packaged perfectly you don't want to mess it up.
From left to right: Rose, Praline, Pear & Chestnut, Caramel w/sea salt, Dark Chocolate, Caffe, Milk Chocolate, and Pistachio
Macarons are very special. To me they appeared to be more like a hard cookie but they are perfect, pillowy with a slight crisp that melts in your mouth. All of our choices were delicious but my favorite was a tie between the Pear and Chestnut (seasonal) and the Caramel w/sea salt.
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