The Louvre and Latin Fever

On my third full day in Paris I got a taste of a famous tourist spot and a little hidden community of Paris.  I started my morning going to the Louvre art museum.  I got there early before it opened and hopped in line before the crowd got too big.  For those wishing to visit the museum while on your trip here my advice is to both preorder tickets and come early so you can beat the rush.  Once inside the museum the art galleries were beautiful! I have never seen such a large museum in my life.  The first exhibit I rushed to was the one that held Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.  It was such a cool piece of art history to see for myself in person.  I went through two other exhibits while there.  But if you are one that is very in to art you could spend an entire day conquering the inside of the Louvre!  After the Louvre I got to walk around the entirety of Notre-Dame again on  my way to a place called the Latin Quarter.  The magical feeling of being in Notre-Dame is still one of  my favorites here.  However, if you are looking for some none name brand cute boutique shopping, your place is the Latin Quarter!  It is this cute little shopping and food district in which the streets are much smaller and made of cobble stone. There are so many nice little places to visit there and you can easily spend all afternoon there if you like to shop, which is what I did!  I eventually ended my night with a delicious dinner over by the Louvre.  I ventured out and tried a hanger veal steak here and it was delicious!  Apparently the hanger steak is a very popular European cut so I'm glad I tried it while here.  Day 3 was another wonderful and successful sight seeing adventure.  My last full day in Paris will include going to see Versailles and watching the Eiffel Tower light up in person one last time.  Au Revoir friends!

The City of Lights, Love, and Good Eats!

It may be possible that each day in Paris tops the last.  Today was full of magical breathtaking sights throughout this beautiful city.  I began my morning by going to mass at the Notre-Dame Cathedral.  Although the whole service was in French, it was possibly the most memorable experience I have had in Paris thus far.  It was absolutely amazing to be at mass in that cathedral.  The structure itself is breathtaking and the history embedded in the Notre-Dame is endless.  I would highly suggest going to a service there if you get the chance!  After lunch I wandered down the Seine River past the Louvre until I reached Love Lock Bridge.  This is a must see sight that is not one of the well known tourist areas.  People from all over the world either bring or buy a lock for this bridge.  The tradition is to write your name or the names of loved ones on this lock and lock it to the side of the bridge.  One must then make a wish and toss the key to their lock down below into the Seine River.  It is a silly tradition but quite a sight to see especially for those hopeless romantics out there.  I ended my night with a Seine River boat cruise and Eiffel Tower tour.  The tour down the Seine was a great way to see all of the tourist spots of Paris and some new areas of the city as well.  It was a great experience to be down on the river and I would suggest a cruise to anyone planning a visit.  We ended the cruise with an Eiffel Tower visit. Note to travelers: Purchase your Eiffel Tower ticket with a tour company or as part of a package so that you can skip the long lines!!  Since I did this my wait to get to the top of the tower was about 25 minutes.  The views from above are spectacular! It is obviously a must see experience in Paris.  On my way down from the top I stopped with some new friends to grab a drink in the Eiffel Tower lounge.  I got to sit in the Eiffel Tower as the light show came on.  Now how many people can say that!  Next I of course watched the amazing light show and took many pictures with the Eiffel Tower lit up in the background.  I have always dreamed of seeing it this way and it was even  more breathtaking than I could have imagined! Overall it was quite the amazing and magical day.  The Notre-Dame and Eiffel Tower may be my two favorite spots to see in Paris.  Tomorrow will be a free day of enjoying the city.  More to come later.  Au Revoir!

Beginning of an Adventure of a Lifetime

My adventure started in Chalfont-St. Peter's outside of London, England about a week ago.  I was fortunate enough to spend some time with some family members that I have here in the UK.  It was a great way to be introduced into a new country while feeling at home.  I left Chalfont-St. Peter's early this morning and arrived in Paris, France early this afternoon.  It was quite the adventure going through all the RER and Metro lines with my suitcase to make it to my hotel.  Word of advise: Pack Light!  Once myself and my travel buddy Shelby checked into our hotel we set out for the afternoon.  We got to see so many of Paris's iconic landmarks all in one afternoon! We viewed the Louvre and the Place de Opera.  We walked down the famous Champs-Élysées towards the Arc de Triomphe which was an amazing experience.  Once we made it all the way to the Arc de Triomphe we decided to make the climb to the top.  Absolutely worth the numerous stairs and small ticket price!  The view atop the Arc de Triomphe was truly amazing!  It still feels so surreal to be seeing all of these famous sites in person.  I am so blessed to have this opportunity.  Tomorrow I am off to Notre-Dame for service in the morning followed by a tour of the Louvre.  My night will end with a river boat Seine cruise that ends with us going up the Eiffel Tower!  More to come later from my travels.  Au revoir!