Falling in Love

Man oh man. Paris was such a dream. I came in with high hopes that I would fall in love with this city, and wow, did I ever. Our trip consisted of one too many baguettes, unexpected rain, way too many macarons, and Google maps (love you). It was so much fun and even after spending so many days in Paris, I still feel like there is so much more to explore.

With that being said, I hope you enjoy reading about the 3 days that I spent there.

-- Day 1 --
August 23, 2015

When we arrived in Paris at 10 pm I was immediately disoriented. It was dark, the street lamps weren't turned out yet, and we didn't know a word of French. Luckily, Google Maps Offline existed at the time, and I had searched up the directions to our AirBnB beforehand. A 5 minute walk took us around 15 minutes, but nonetheless, we made it. 

The first time I visited Paris, I was envious of anyone who was able to wake up in the morning and step out onto their balconies and water their plants, eat breakfast, or just to check the weather. This time, I made sure to pick an AirBnB that was affluent with french doors, decorative white moldings, balconies, and floor-to-ceiling windows that would allow the morning light to shine in. Our apartment was located in between the 9th and 10th arrondissement, with a clear view of the Sacré-Cœur.

It was a gloomy first day, but our first stop was Sacré-Cœur, otherwise known as The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris. We decided to walk to the basilica sans the help of Google maps, or a physical one, and wandered there merely by using our eyes. The city was still deep in sleep, coffee shops were still closed, and the sun had yet to come up. 
The 270 steps that led up to the top provided a gorgeous panoramic view of the city of love, allowing your eyes to roam from the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris to the Eiffel Tower. On the steps of Sacré-Cœur, a harpist played the most beautiful music (Canon in D major) that added to the entire enchanting atmosphere. Located just over to the left side of the Basilica, you can find a magical hidden quarter bustling with artists, gelaterias, art shops, and French cafés. Stepping into such a creative space sparked my love for art and creating again. After a quick brunch in the quarter, we headed over to see the Eiffel Tower.

I couldn't help but take a video of this man, focusing first on his worn-in leather jacket, then to his light-sketchy strokes on the canvas. 

Taken on my iPhone with no!!! Filter!!!

I'd say that we spent almost two to three hours at the Eiffel Tower, just taking pictures and roaming the grounds. Each time we would go a level lower, or walk on a different path, the Eiffel Tower would look better and better. I managed to snap the picture on my iPhone (it was probably my 50th picture of the monument), and I'm still obsessed with it. It looks unreal!!! Not even edited in the slightest.

-- Day 2 --
August 24, 2015

Stepping into the Louvre is like stepping into a different realm. A day is not enough to explore one of the world's largest museums, and after a second visit, I have yet to explore an entire side of the museum. If you're visiting it anytime soon, you definitely need to set aside at least a day for it.
After spending a great amount of time there, we decided to squeeze in a trip to the Arc de Triomphe before dinner. This was something I was looking forward to so much, because the last time I visited, I was dumb and decided not to walk up the monument (big mistake.) Of course, it decided to start pouring rain (and I mean pouring), right when we exited the museum. It would come in spurts though, so we would walk forward for 20 minutes, take cover under a tree for 5 minutes, walk for another 20 minutes, so on and so forth. Somehow, we were able to make the trip, although we did spend about 45 minutes in a store because it was raining so hard at one point.
The weather cleared up right as we walked up to the monument, and we quickly headed up! The last photo shown above is taken from atop the Arc de Triomphe...it's just so beautiful right? 

-- Day 3 --
August 25, 2015

The next location I was really excited to visit were the gardens in the Château de Versailles. Unfortunately, it was another windy + rainy day in Paris, so we were only able to view it for a couple of minutes before our clothes were drenched. However, the amount of detail and gold in that place will never cease to amaze me. We stopped by to see the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, and I was looking forward to visit my paradise aka Shakespeare & Company (confused?? Read this.) but we were short on time. We hopped onto the metro and headed back to our cozy AirBnB.

While sitting in the jam-packed car, I realized that...shoot..I think I just fell in love with Paris. 
(too cliché? probably. but true? yes.)

-- Day 4 --
August 26, 2015

oh man...there was not supposed to be a day four...
Find out how we got stuck in London for another 24 hours, next Thursday.