Paris. Oh Paris. How I love thee. So on our UK trip I weaseled my way into a quick trip over to Paris. We were there for an evening, one full day, and then a morning. And of course it actually ended up being our favorite place to visit on the whole trip! But because we were there for such a limited time we opted not to do any tours or museums, just took in the beauty of the city around us. And ate Macarons of course.
Briezh Cafe was amazing. In Paris we were fortunate because Lori & Sam (Ryan's Sis and her hubby, pictured above In the photo not of Ely. Duh.) had visited Paris on their honeymoon, so they already had some great spots picked out to eat. Briezh was their favorite Crepe place from their trip, and now I will go eat there every single time I go to Paris.
Above: Excellent example of why you don't receive every single one of your images taken at your session. Because sometimes you look like this. Also, these are the faces we use when trying to explain how to use the camera. Get excited all of you who have signed up for our photography classes!
Paris Travel Tips Since we were in Paris for such a short period of time, I don't have a ton of advice to share, but here's what I've got plus some from additions from family friends who love Paris:
- Eat every piece of bread you see. This is my best advice.
- If you are taking the Chunnel from London, buy your tickets far in advance because you will save some money. Non weekend days are also cheaper.
- Go to the Ile St Louis – behind Notre Dame, little island – at night for dinner, in the day for ice cream at Berthillon. Look for “Berthillon vende ici” signs at restaurants all over the city.
- Orangerie – museum at Place de la Concorde. It is small and they have the Monet paintings that are in the round and were painted specially for the building. We didn't make it there, but several people told me it was nice.
- Galeries Lafayette is the worlds best shopping. Go there to fawn over the stuff. Drink champagne at the champagne bar.
- Check out a bookstore near Notre Dame called Shakespeare and Company, we hear it is amazing.
Paris Yays
- Notre Dame- So lovely. If you have the physical ability to go up lots of stairs, make time to walk to the bell tower. We didn't have the time and I was sad we missed out.
- As mentioned before, Briezh Cafe was wonderful for crepes. We did a savory and a sweet. The caramel sauce was fantastic. They get busy fast, so make a reservation or be prepared for a wait.
- The Metro was awesome and easy to use. Check on the hours, they stop at some point in the night and we almost didn't make it back to our hotel. I was told that they have a good Uber system in the city though, so that's always an option.
- Boullion Racine (3 Rue Racine, 75006) Three words: Crème. Brûlée. Waffle. With a beautiful Art Nouveau restaurant to house the Crème brûlée Waffle.
- Ladurée for Macarons just makes you feel special. And for a graphic design nerd like me, the packaging and branding of the shop make my heart happy.
- First place in the world I have ever been where every single person said my name correctly. Thank you France.
Paris Nays
- We didn't stay long enough. A day and a half just isn't enough time, we would have loved to go to the museum and explore the city and make the trip out to Versailles.
If anyone has ever visited Paris, please feel free to add your own advice and favorites in the comments! They will be appreciated for when we go back!
Next stop: The Cotswolds