Europe Recap #5

This is the last recap of our amazing trip to Europe. It is hard to believe that we have already been back for a month. Not surprising, we have already started planning our return!

Our last long stop was in my favorite city, Paris! This was my third trip to Paris and I was looking forward to enjoying the city at a slower pace and taking it all in. We arrived at Gare de Nord around 3:30pm and had a quick cab ride to our hotel. This was our first time staying on the Right Bank which gave us a completely different experience. Our hotel was a block from les Jardins des Tuileries which we were able to walk through many times. Unfortunately by this point in our trip I had come down with a pretty bad cold but was eager to see the City of Light so I did not let it deter me. Our first night we strolled along the Champs Elysees before finding a place to eat. We didn't stay out too late since I was feeling pretty sick and also had an early day ahead of us. Our first morning in Paris we had an appointment with the amazing Stacy Reeves (pictures and more on that experience to come in a a later post). After our photo session, we decided to enjoy the morning by walking around the Eiffel Tower and along the Seine before stopping for warm drinks and croissants. After our petit dejeuner, we spent some time at the Musee D'Orsay. It was nice to see our favorite paintings without the massive crowds that are usually there in the summer. We then headed to the hotel so I could change before getting a late lunch and heading to the Musee De L'Orangerie. Neither of us had been there before and were impressed with the large canvases of Claude Monet's Nympheas (water lillies). From there we stopped at the love lock bridge to leave our mark and strolled through Saint Germain de Pres to see where we had previously stayed. We also stopped for drinks and to write out some postcards to family. After a short nap and drinks in the hotel bar, we headed back to Saint Germain for dinner at Relais de L'Entrecoute based on Stacy's recommendation for steak frites. It did not disappoint! Even though it was cold, we walked back to the hotel and ordered a bottle of wine before calling it a night.

We allowed ourselves to sleep in and have a slower start on our last day. After getting breakfast at a nearby cafe, we headed to the Marais to check out the Musee Carnavalet. The museum is free and tells the story of of Paris through paintings and other historical artifacts.  I was fascinated by the museum but I think it was tough for P since all of the plaques were in French. From there we took the metro to the Galleries Lafayette. This is Paris' shopping mall but more impressive are the views from its rooftop terrace. After taking in the city we walked around the many floors before having lunch and tasting the famous hot chocolate at Angelina. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at Laduree for macarons. We stopped at the hotel to rest a bit before taking the metro to the Latin Quarter so I could show P where I stayed during my grad school program. We started walking back toward Saint Germain and P had the great idea of stopping for dinner in the square near the Sorbonne where we had eaten our very first night in Paris together in 2008. It was a very special memory. 

First night in the City of Light

I love this guy so much

Beautiful Eiffel Tower

View of the Right Bank from the clock at Musee d'Orsay 

Adding our lock to the bridge!

View of the Eiffel Tower from outside of the Musee de l'Orangerie

Our old stomping grounds in Saint Germain de Pres

Notre Dame

Walking back from dinner in front of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

Inside the Galleries Lafayette already decorated for Christmas!

View of the Opera House from the terrace of Galleries Lafayette

Sacre Coeur from the terrace of Galleries Lafayette

One last walk through les Jardins des Tuileries on our last morning

After Paris we had a very quick (less than 24 hour) layover in Dublin. We were there just long enough to see the Dublin Castle, walk around the Bar Templar area, enjoy delicious hearty food, and of course, drink plenty of beer and whiskey. This trip was everything I had hoped it would be and came at just the right time for P and I. We both came back feeling rested and incredibly fortunate for the opportunities we have to travel.  Here's to our next adventure!