Paris

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Paris is better in black and white. Mainly because everything looks that way when you're in the thick of it. The tall white buildings with their black iron balconies, the grey cloudy skies, the fashionistas dressed in black as they strut down their sidewalk runways. 

In a lot of the cities we've visited, it's taken a little while to truly feel like you're in that certain location. Many of the cities just feel like cities until you find the heart of it and what makes it a destination. But from the moment we stepped onto Paris grounds it felt like Paris. 

As we rode the metro towards Le Marais, our neighborhood during our stay, an accordion musician serenaded us with the quintessential Paris melody. The perfect ambiance to soak up our first views of the city and our first quick, fleeting glimpses of the Eiffel Tower.

We met our AirBnB host, got the tour, and then settled in. After a bit of time relaxing, we went out to explore the streets around us just after sunset. We first went to Bastille, which was a quick 5-10 minute walk from our front door. From Bastille we followed the Seine River to Notre Dame, which is so magnificent, especially when it's illuminated at night. Paris is gorgeous any time of day, but it really comes to life at night when all of the stunning buildings and monuments are illuminated and dazzling. From Notre Dame we scooted over the Hotel de Ville, which was so enormous and illuminated. We looked at the COP21 informational kiosks, reading facts about the climate and using the interactive elements before finding a spot for a quick drink.

We had been given the recommendation to find Candelaria, a hidden bar in the back of a Taco shop. Had we not seen someone walk through the back, white, unmarked door and heard the chatter and clinks of glasses, we would have never known it was there. We walked to the back of the taco restaurant, through the unmarked door, and a rustic, Mexican inspired bar opened up in front of us. The brown and raw wood tones, copper coiled light bulbs, close quarters, and fancy cocktails made this place feel like an elite club. However, the cocktails (while very yummy) were much too pricey, so we called it a night.

The following day our main goal was to see the Eiffel Tower, which was about an hour's walk from our flat. We walked through our neighborhood, buying an amazing French baguette (the French really get how to make bread) and happened upon a little open air market where we bought chicken and stuffed cabbage. We brought our picnic down to a little riverside park and realized that our stuffed cabbage was a poor choice to make for experimental food. It was stuffed with some congealed meat, which I was convinced was brain and raw. Totally ruined our appetites. But it didn't ruin our drive towards the Tower. 

We passed by the D'Orsay Museum, Ponts des Arts, Esplanade des Invalides, Pont des Invalides, grabbed an eclair, and an hour later we arrived, and the giant monument came into view and demanded our attention. It is so much bigger than you really imagine- and I imagined it being massive. As we grew closer it was evident that a rally/ demonstration was taking place regarding the climate conference that concludes the day before. At the end of COP21 the Paris Agreement was created, which is an international agreement to decrease each country's emissions. People were pouring in from all directions to the base of the Eiffel Tower dressed in costumes and wearing red to show their commitment to saving the climate and not letting the earth's temperature rise another 3 degrees Celsius (which will have detrimental effects). We spent a good chunk of time enjoying the people watching and being part of a historical event.

Later that evening we went to Chez Janou, an amazing French restaurant, for a belated birthday treat for Mike. The atmosphere of this classic bistro was so warm, energy was high, morale was through the roof, and the aromas mouth watering. We started with a roasted duck salad and mussels - both of which were to die for. Then for our main courses we got a traditional French beef stew that had a bone with marrow and I got grilled tuna with ratatouille- I'm salivating just remembering it. For dessert (and the funniest part of the evening)  we ordered chocolate mousse. It came in an absolutely humongous bowl with a giant spoon to serve it with, and then leave it on your table in case you want more. I could've eaten the whole bowl- it was so silky and decadent, but I had to use all my self control to not be miss piggy. 

(Pause the black and white for respect for the food)

We awoke the following morning from our wonderful food coma and left to explore Montmartre, the area surrounding Sacre Coeur. We went to Bastille to catch a metro and found a mile-long open air farmers market, where we bought a fresh baguette, an apple, and clementines (which the man behind the cash register tried to get one past Mike and make him pay €20.. Yeah right). 

Once in Montmartre, we found our way to the hill top church, Sacre Coeur, and got absolutely swarmed by friendly African men grabbing at us until finally they got a hold of my wrist and started making me a bracelet, which we repeatedly said we didn't want but they would NOT let us get away, and then demanded €4 for the string wrapped around our wrists... So annoying. It was a thickly foggy day, so the view from the top of the hill outside of Sacre Coeur wasn't in its prime, but the interior of the church made up for it, as well as Mike getting pooped on by a bird on his nose on our way through he entrance. After sitting and gaping at the church's height and beauty, we explored the quiet and cute streets, making our way down to Moulin Rouge and finally back to our flat to relax and take the ache off of our tired feet. 

Our final day in Paris we had a hefty checklist to cover: Louvre, Arch de Triomphe, and seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night. We spent the morning waiting to reserve our stupidly expensive Eurostar ticket from Paris to London, and then took the metro to the Louvre. The Louvre is unbelievable: the masterpieces, the beautiful design and architecture, and the sheer size. We got our audio guides, which are game boys that have an interactive map and guides you through the museum. We passed by the remnants of the Louvre's moats, then saw all of the masterpieces: The Great Sphinx of Tanis, Aphrodite (Venus de Milo), The Wedding Feast at Cana, The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and of course the Mona Lisa (plus literally countless others). Then we spent another three hours exploring on our own and learning about the pieces that interested us and swooning over the royal palaces.

By the time we left it was early evening, so we went to see Arch de Triomphe. Just like when we saw the Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triomphe was so much bigger and heavier than I could have ever imagined. The detail on this massive piece of art is so incredible.

The last must-see on our list in Paris was to see the Eiffel Tower in its glory. We waited in the park taking in the illuminated monument and counting down the minutes (with a croissant in hand) until it danced. At 6:00 on the dot the lights started sparkling and it is impossible to take your eyes off of the mesmerizing sight. Standing in the cold air, watching the Eiffel Tower dazzle, and knowing our trip was coming to an end in a week was bittersweet. We worked so hard to get to this moment. Before we left in October we slaved away and saved every penny to make this trip happen, and during this adventure we've pushed through exhaustion and discomfort to fill our souls with priceless memories. Each day has had moments that we will cherish forever, but this one gets an A+. "Every dollar saved is another croissant we can have in Paris," we used to joke. And on this day that silly saving saying paid off.