When my friends said they were spending three days in Paris before coming to visit me in Scotland this summer, my heart raced to join them. The three of us had actually planned on taking a trip there two summers ago, but life happened and the timing just didn't work out. Now here they were tempting me again. I hadn't accounted for a jaunt to Paris in my Scotland adventures, but after dreaming of her for so long, how could I not go?
For three days and nights, we walked, we ate, we drank. We took pictures, we sat by the Seine and under the Eiffel and on the steps of Sacre Cour. We took shelter in a restaurant with a bottle of wine when a rainstorm caught us by surprise. From our perch, we watched artists sketch portraits and paint landscapes; marveled at women wearing 4-inch stilettos, stumbling through the cobblestone street ("amateurs!"); and drank bottles of wine. We became lost in the buzzing energy of tourists and locals alike and were carried by that feeling one gets when returning to a magical place after much too long. There was a stifling heat and constant noise that wouldn't let us sleep, but we were in Paris and we were in heaven.
Though beautiful by day, there's nothing like seeing Paris at night. Its beautiful sights and sounds transformed into an other-worldly experience, and what were breath-taking sights in the sun became translucent works of beauty against the moonlight.
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Actual wedding pics, or photo shoot? Either way,
a beautiful sight. |
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The Eiffel tower by night.
Despite our leisurely pace, we managed to pack quite a bit in those three days. I could fill an album with the photos I took and write page after page about the countless moments we experienced, but instead I will leave you with some of my favorite snapshots of that trip.
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| Watching the sunset from our boat ride on the Seine. |
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Maneuvering the city streets to find Musee Rodin, only to get there thirty minutes before closing.
I still managed to zip through the gardens and get my fill. |
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| What better way to cool off from the sweltering heat than with a gigantic mug of belgian ale! |
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| Resting on the grass under the Eiffel. |
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Hanging out at the bar below our apartment until we had to leave for the airport.
Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. |
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| Feeling giddy at finding the street where Julia Child lived while in Paris. |
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| Introducing the girls to the deliciousness of Laduree! |
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| Eating a croque-madame... in France! |
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| Picnicking by the Seine. |
I think back to a few months ago, to the days I was deciding whether to take this trip, and I can't imagine not having gone. It turned out to be one of the most wonderful whirlwind adventures and I can't wait to return. Au revoir, Paree -until we meet again.
