It’s going on two months since we first left for Paris. I still think it’s worthwhile to capture the highlights as I look back at my photo memories.
It’s funny saying goodbye already but I thoroughly covered arriving, our first day, and the most fun bike riding adventure ever, so I’m just going to cram the last four days into one post!
Our tour we did through Montmartre was fantastic. She’s not pictured but the English guide was a hoot, she kept us laughing, and at one point we had a huge gathering listening to her tell a story about the man who could walk through walls.
This pic cracks me up, it was next to the man in the wall and there was a big vent in the ground.
It was hot, there were annoying moments, but it was lovely finally getting to the top of the hill and eating lunch and sending everyone around to do exactly what they wanted to do.
Which, I wanted to walk around Artist’s Corner and buy something! A few others went home.
I still have NOT hung this up, it’s still wrapped in my bookshelf. But I remember fondly walking around with Jerra, Gregg, Sharon and Truck and we all purchased something to remember! It was nice shopping with them.
What was even funnier was walking down to the main street (the streets were closed to cars on Sunday’s) and suddenly being on the “sex shop corner” where JJ and Sharon were absolutely enthralled by the workers standing on the street! I grabbed them an Uber and then took a peaceful breathe and wandered over to the Monoprix!
It’s called the French Target and it is c’est manifique! I got some fun souvenirs for people, sunscreen, and was debating buying clothes but I wasn’t feeling it. I then had a New York moment and just ended up walking home, which was a little over two miles. Similar to one of my days in NY, I kept promising myself I would find a beautiful cafe and sit down and enjoy myself.
I did. I don’t remember where. But I remember sitting down and taking a breath and reading some pages of my book.
But our Sunday evening was set aside for the Eiffel Tower!!
The last time I was in Paris (which was my first time!) I took one look at it and said, “No thanks” to going to the top. I feel like that’s my standard mode of not wanting to be extra, or make the effort, when I’m the one pushing it. It looks fun but how much effort is it? And if I’m the only one who is remotely interested, and I’m not 99% excited to go… I end up not making a decision and not doing it.
Which is always a good reminder to go do the thing? Or at least surround yourself with good energy people who want to do similar things as you!
That said, we had a nice dinner, walked through the (gated off) park, and had a few scary moments of “where the heck is our guide!?” and then it all worked out and we were walking under the Eiffel Tower right before sunset!
I have to remark how absolutely awe-inspiring the tower is to just be near it. It’s huge! The grounds around it are gorgeous. It’s simply beautiful.
Our guide was a young lad (ha) and very entertaining and kept us smiling. We got some great Olympic knowledge too.
It’s blurry but I love this memory. Sometimes I wonder how good of friends they will be in the future. They love each other but sort of float through and don’t connect as much. Although, I typed that a few days ago, and tonight they were joking together, curled up on the couch watching some meme, dragging each other around the floor, and singing Harry Potter songs together. So I guess they will be fine. But, I still think it’s going to be a challenge over the next few years and I look forward to seeing what happens.
Ahh, I didn’t get out to breakfast much but I did on Monday morning all by myself! The bacon was not crispy but the omelette was delicious and the people watching was fun.
We didn’t really have plans on Monday so some of us sort of wandered. We tried to go to a Museum but the tickets were sold out and when we tried to walk over to get in line, we took a wrong tour with all the closures. We instead walked up the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the “most beautiful Avenue”! It was lots of fun.
Very hot but good stores. JJ and I tried on some fancy coats but it was so dang out (even with the AC in the store) there was no way we could even think of buying.
Although I’m still thinking about that coat now.. Hmm.
What was so fun was this restaurant though. We had such a good time and laughed and laughed. Not sure about what but the waiter was funny, food was good, and so was the champagne!
We went to see the Moulin Rouge later that night and met up with the Morrison clan. I’m keeping my picture posting to a minimum but we went to an Instagram famous restaurant and it was awesome! This dish was so incredibly fresh and tasty (melon and prosciutto) and I’m still dreaming of it.
The show itself was fun – we should have gotten there earlier! I still smile to think of the music.
This was our haunt at night! Late night champagne and then I started eating gelato! Yum! Some of these moments at night with my Mom and Gregg were delightful and core memories.
Tuesday was our delightful bike ride, a super silly history/pastry walk, plus a 3+ mile walk down the Seine river, and a yummy dinner at the cafe downstairs.
Wednesday was Versaille! With the whole group, including Scott and Allison who arrived three hours earlier! They powered through it!
Again, I’m not a huge sight-seeing/museum person after the first few hours but the gardens were so worth it. It was hot but the clouds were something else.
I probably could have sat on a bench and wandered through the gardens and skipped the tour inside. But it was fun still doing it and we had a great guide with Suzanne from ToursbyLocals.
I really love this picture seeing all the gardens, the lake, and the puffy clouds in the sky. It makes me feel calm.
That night, some of us wanted to do something different and others opted for the restaurant I had selected a few weeks before. I had heard good reviews and we ended up walking there which was quite far. I saw some stores that looked awesome that I ended up going back to the next day, but it was a very hot walk, but it worked out. Our phones were definitely not working today which was super fun. I remember my hamburger and french fries being delightful. It was not the best restaurant for the walk but I really enjoyed the moments around it.
As we walked back, we stopped at the most delightful gelato spot. We ended up chatting with people in line who had just come from London to see the Taylor Swift concert. We had a nice chat with them and then ordered some yummy gelato and continued on our way.
The next morning, we had professional pictures next to the Seine. I was reasonably happy with our outfits and really just wanted a fun picture of Sammie to keep for her 18th birthday in front of the Eiffel Tower.
We getting great photos of each of the grandmas with the grandchildren that they absolutely love. My dad was very happy with his family photos as well.
I ended up snapping this photo of my dad and my mom together with me. I have to hunt down the picture from when I was a baby, and the picture I have of them together at my high school graduation. It’s so funny how life works, but I’m glad I have a memory of this, and the rest of the memories from France.
The rest of the day was actually pretty funny. A few of us ended up walking back home along the Seine river was literally my favorite thing to do. Two days earlier some of the roads we had taken were blocked off so we had a little detour. We walked past the Olympic official store, and some of us stopped in to buy some clothes.
I had asked the kids what they wanted to do their last day. Sam wanted a particular print from one of the souvenir shops and Griffin said he wanted a bagel from Bagelstein.
With the cell phones still not working we had a hysterical adventure trying to hook back up with Cindy so she could spend the rest of the day with her kids. She actually went to the wrong bagel store across the river. We eventually found each other and went back to our apartment with solid Wi-Fi to wait for my dad.
They ended up going their way and then my mom and I went shopping together. I bought a very fun outfit and we went back to the Monoprix for some last souvenirs.
We had a nice dinner with the 6 of us – Sharon and Truck got lost walking back from the museum so they stayed home – but after Sam and I went for a walk. We had to have one last view of the gardens, stare at the Eiffel Tower some more, and watch people play boche ball.
We were sitting on a wall right here, watching the people under us.
My last morning run! Ahh, I took so many beautiful photos. But this one was on a bridge about a mile down the river and LOOK at that view. The sun just coming up over the trees…
Love love love it. And I love the mornings I got alone to wander the streets of Paris.
Paris, you have stolen a piece of my heart. Until we meet again, au revoir.
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