It's been almost three weeks since we arrived home from Paris. The city was beautiful and we created so many new memories. It was the perfect way to wrap up year eight of our marriage. Ben has traveled the world by this point and I will probably never catch up with him on that front. Traveling to Paris was definitely not his first time leaving the continent, but it was mine. Traveling to Europe was a first for him though, so it was neat to experience this together. Here is a recap of some of the highlights of our trip in case you feel inspired to plan your own. We are usually not the type to use travel agencies- nothing wrong with them, we just usually book things ourselves- but for this particular trip it was super cost effective to go through a third party. We used Gate 1 Travel and had a good experience with them. They allow you to bundle your flights and hotel (which you get to choose all on your own) making it all more cost effective. You can also add transportation and guided tour options too. We specifically used them only for our airfare and hotel though. My only word of caution with using them (or a similar company) would be that if something about the trip goes wrong (i.e., cancelled flights) they don't have the best customer service and expect the customer to work out new airline arrangements with the airline company. Our initial flight to France did in fact get cancelled on the day we were scheduled to leave, but thankfully we were aware that Gate 1 would not likely do anything about it, so we went straight to the airline company and got a similar flight out the same day at no charge. One tip that I would recommend if you are not particularly excited about a long flight is to fly overnight. We left the U.S. during the evening, so we were able to sleep on the entire flight. Once we arrived in Paris the next morning, we were ready to go and enjoy the day. We did the same thing on the return flight. We flew out during the evening from Paris and slept the whole flight. We arrived back to Charlotte in the middle of the night, but thanks to jet lag we had no trouble sleeping some more. We stayed at the Hotel George Astotel in Paris and we loved our stay there. Ben and I walk EVERYWHERE when we are in a new city and the location of this hotel was perfect for that. We were between a 30-60 minute walk from all of the main attractions. Our hotel also was not in a super touristy area so it was very quiet in the evenings and had lots of local restaurants and shops nearby. The hotel was super cute and eclectic and I would definitely recommend it for future stays. It also goes without saying that every morning when Ben opened the windows to our hotel room I burst into song..."Bonjour, good day. How is your family? Bonjour, good day! How is your wife?...There goes the baker with his tray, like always. The same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning just the same, since the morning that we came..." Who can name that tune? It is from my favorite Disney classic and I pretty much did it justice every morning. One thing to note about our hotel: it is part of a larger hotel alliance in the city. This meant that every afternoon we could enjoy free pastries, coffee, music, and cocktails at any of their sister properties in the city. These afternoon snacks proved to be a nice break from all of our exploring. Of course Paris has so much to offer in terms of history, but we also enjoyed some super low key moments while we were there as well. Here are some things I recommend you add to your Paris Bucket List if you haven't already: 1. Notre Dame- this was easily my favorite place we visited on our trip. I recommend that you visit the inside of the cathedral as well as purchase inexpensive tickets to walk up to the very top. Tip: The line to enter the cathedral will look daunting. However, it moves quickly so just do it. Also, if you are wanting to walk up to the top of the cathedral, reserve your spot online (you don't pay until you enter) because the spots will fill up quickly. There are approximately 387 steps to the top and it is worth every step. The only negative is all of the wire at the top that obstructs some of the views. But, I get why it's there. Some people are just too extra. 2. The Palace of Versailles- While this isn't in Paris, it is just a short train ride away. Ben and I loved taking the train to Versailles. It was a great way to see what France looked like outside of Paris. Our train ride was maybe half an hour and it was very enjoyable. Versailles is a quaint town with lots of very cute restaurants and shops. We enjoyed walking around and taking in the scenery. Our main reason for visiting though was to go to the palace. Now, let me start by saying that I am very glad we went. The palace was super grand and gaudy and ridiculous in so many ways. It was also chock-full of history, which we love. Like all of the main attractions, we were prepared to wait in a line. However, no one quite prepared us for this line. We purchased our tickets earlier in the morning during breakfast so that we did not have to wait to purchase them at the palace. This was helpful because it saved some time. However, everyone and their mother who was in France that day also had the same idea so we waited...in a line...of hundreds of people...for almost three hours. This is the truth. Tip: You could save some time by bringing your lunch and eating while you wait. We legit saw a family with a bucket of KFC eating while they waited in the line. Who the heck eats KFC in France? Those people. Also, bring water, sunscreen, and a hat as there are ZERO trees where you will be standing for three hours. Maybe also go first thing in the morning versus mid-day and that will probably save you some time too. Overall we are super glad that we made this part of our trip. 3. Eiffel Tower- duh. It was super neat to see the Eiffel Tower in person. There is a restaurant on a lower portion of the tower that you could try. We didn't, but you could. You can also go to the top of the tower. Tip: If this is something you want to do, book tickets a few weeks in advance. We did not realize we needed to do this and there were no tickets available during our trip. 4. Sacré-Cœur Basilica- this was another favorite that Ben and I accidentally stumbled upon. This Roman Catholic Church is situated on the highest point in the city which means that the walk there can be brutal, but the views are to die for. If you are unable to walk, you can of course take a cab, but I highly recommend walking if you are able. The neighborhood that leads to the church is so precious and all things French. Make sure to visit inside of the church as well. 5. The Louvre- we did not actually visit the inside of the Louvre. Lots of people did and we have heard great things about it, but it just wasn't something we were super interested in. We did go see it though and we are so glad we did! Tip: Many people recommend purchasing tickets in advance if you do decide to go inside. And like everything else, be prepared to wait in a line. 6. Explore the Hidden Passageways of Paris- we only explored one of these hidden gems, but it was so fun! The hidden passageways are basically covered alleys that hold shops and restaurants. In the particular passageway that we explored we stumbled upon an art store, antique store, and even a spa. Literally 30 minutes before we found this spa I made the comment "Man, my feet hurt. I would love a foot rub." all while Ben was saying, "I could really use a power nap." Lo and behold we stumble upon this hidden passageway that contained a spa that offered...wait for it...POWER NAPS AND FOOT RUBS. No way. So, I got a 3o minute foot rub, while Ben slept in one of the private nap rooms. I can't make this up. It was too fun! If you research the passageways online, you will find all sorts of information about each specific one and where they are located around the city. 7. Visit the Montmartre Neighborhood- this neighborhood was easily our favorite in all of Paris. It is so charming, quaint, full of local eats, and provides a good workout. The Montmartre neighborhood is what you will walk through if you choose to visit the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. It is also home to the Wall of Love which is a beautiful wall full of the phrase "I love you" in 250 languages. I definitely recommend exploring this neighborhood and grabbing a bite (or two) as well! 8. Champs-Élysées Avenue and the Arc de Triomphe- This avenue is full of luxury cafes and shops that will leave every shop-a-holic in heaven. Ben and I aren't ones to go shopping, but this avenue boasts tons of people watching opportunities as well. Champs-Élysées Avenue also holds the famous Arc de Triomphe and is where the Tour de France concludes each year. It is a must while in Paris! 9. Colored Doors- Paris is known for it's beautiful colored doors all around the city. I recommend that you have a photoshoot with everyone of those bad boys that you pass. I loved them all and Ben played the part of the patient photographer. To be clear, I only had photoshoots with my favorites. I demonstrated immense self-control and passed by tons of them with only a glance. 10. Smoke a cigarette- smoking my first (and last) cigarette in Paris was just as fun as I hoped it would be. To make it a bit more memorable, I decided I wanted to bum a cigarette off of a beautiful French man and smoke it at a café; Because buying a pack of cigarettes and smoking one by myself would just be too boring. So Ben, being the team player that he is, was all for this. He helped me practice my French on the plane. Bless him. Then, he helped me scout out the perfect guy. We happened to be walking along the Seine River when BINGO! A beautiful man who was sitting alone pulls out a cigarette and starts smoking. Ben and I both knew this was my moment. So, I made Ben go hide around the corner (because I CANNOT have people watch me do something when I feel nervous) and I approached the man. We had a moment. He was beautiful and I'd like to think he thought I was beautiful too...although this cannot be confirmed because there was a language barrier. I smiled and said "Bonjour, une cigarette s'il vous plait? He kindly handed me a cigarette and his lighter to which I then remembered that I did not know how to light a cigarette. So, I turned away from him and pretended to light the cigarette handed his lighter back to him, and walked away. VICTORY! It ended up being a good thing that I did not know how to light it because it took us a while to get to a café and that was the end goal in the first place. Ben ended up lighting the cigarette later that afternoon and we shared that nasty thing like two giddy teenagers. Me being the main one who was giddy, and him laughing at my antics. To wrap up this recap, what kind of person would I be if I didn't tell you about our favorite food spots? Here are our top three favorites that we definitely recommend if you visit the city: 1. Le Relais de l'Entrecote- this restaurant only has one thing on the menu- Steak and Frites! It is our absolute favorite French meal. There are several locations around Paris, so I definitely recommend trying one (or two) of them out. The meal begins with a yummy salad, then steak and frites. They also have some dessert options as well. The best thing about his restaurant is that they have expanded outside of France, so you can actually eat at this restaurant in NYC! We have eaten at the one there as well and both were so enjoyable. Be prepared to wait in line, but it is worth it! 2. Ristorante Al Caratello- this quaint Italian restaurant is located in the heart of Montmartre. The food was some of the best we have ever eaten! We both got pasta dishes and ate every single bite. The portion sizes are very large at this restaurant, but after all the walking we had done earlier in the day, we were prepared for a major carb load. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are wanting to veer from the traditional French cuisine and want more of a local joint. 3. Holy Belly- this is the perfect brunch spot in Paris. I read countless blogs online that recommended this place and it did not disappoint. Be prepared to wait in a line, but it moves quickly. I got their breakfast staple called the Savoury Stack and Ben upgraded his to The Champ. These plates definitely left us full until dinner! Spending our 8th wedding anniversary in Paris was such a celebration for us! We are so thankful to have another year under our belt and we are better because of it. Dreams don't work unless we do, and I'm so thankful that Ben and I keep sharing our visions and working towards our goals. Being married to him is a dream come true.
As always, thanks for reading. I hope this inspires you to live the life you've always dreamed.
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