Paris, France (my first visit: autumn 2014)

Paris is perfection.

Complete, utter, & total perfection.

Goodness, how I love adore this charming, picturesque city.

Ah, now… on the time I spent here this past November (the first visit of many, I am sure):

I suppose I ought to begin by explaining exactly how my father and I ended up in this lovely French city, as it certainly wasn’t a stop we had anticipated taking in the months prior to our journey.

Dad had meetings with customers of his in both Italy & the Netherlands… several days apart. He suggested that, during that free time, we take an inexpensive flight to a place that neither of us had been before, and I (of course!) agreed. Initially we were both hoping to spend a bit of time in Copenhagen, but no flights were available. Paris, however, popped up onto his laptop screen, with a reasonable rate from Sicily. Though my father had been there once before, for a business meeting years ago, he hadn’t truly had a chance to see all the sights that Paris has to offer.

And, just like that, it was decided. And I was not nearly as excited as I should have been… that’s for sure.

We arrived rather late in the evening, around November 16th or 17th… merely days before my seventeenth birthday. As dad and I were both exhausted, we immediately headed for our hotel (which took ages… the airport traffic was horrendous), dropped our luggage, and fell asleep.

The following two days are ones I will never forget.


Where to Go & What to See in Paris, France

  • The Eiffel Tower – Simply stunning. And with the vibrant autumn leaves surrounding this remarkable structure… love.
  • The Louvre – I adore this incredible museum. I may even prefer it over the Rijksmuseum… truly!
  • Notre Dame de Paris – This cathedral! It is so beautiful.
  • Champs-Élysées – I have major heart-eyes for this place. Go shopping!

  • Sacré-Cœur, Paris – More loveliness.
  • Arc de Triomphe – And even more loveliness. (Ah, isn’t everything Paris lovely?)
  • Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden) – We happened upon this garden completely by chance… though both my father and I had heard of the spot, we hadn’t actually intended to visit it during our short stay. But as we walked along… it appeared. And I am so very glad for that.
  • Montmartre – My absolute favorite destination in the city. It is a glorious place.

Oh, I have so much to tell you, still… More on France to come soon!

xoxo,

Abby

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10 comments on “Paris, France (my first visit: autumn 2014)”

  1. You have the best dad.

    Paris looks so breathtaking!

  2. What an absolutely stunning photo that first one is! I’m definitely jealous of your amazing trip. Lucky you!

  3. Abby your photos are absolutely stunning!! Ahh Paris looks so amazing <3
    Besst 2 days ever it looks like! 🙂
    x

  4. Hi Abby!!!

    I am going to Paris this summer and would LOVE some more recommendations!!! The places you mentioned all look so lovely!! Do any specific food (heheh) places pop in mind? Or any B&Bs you may have stayed in?Or just any cute local vintage places that the average tourist may never come across unless told about??

    Sorry for all the questions!!

    • Hi Abby!! (that’s so fun to write 😀 )

      I’m no expert on Paris (yet!), but here are some recs that I LOVE. I’ll probably have a few more Paris posts up before this summer (at least 1), so stay tuned. 😀

      In my opinion, Montmartre has some of the best restaurants & cafes in the city. Of course, it helps that the entire district is so darn cute. I highly recommend the macarons & other sweets at this place: http://www.biscuiterie-montmartre-paris.com
      Also, there this incredible coffee shop that sells different beverages and chocolate croissants… their cafe au lait is amazing. I can’t remember the name of this place (really, me?!!) and didn’t take a photo from the outside…. But if I’m able to find a pic online I’ll mention it in my next Paris post for sure.

      (Oh, and I’m sure you’ve heard about the pickpocketing etc. in Paris before, but one more warning: Because Montmartre is such a touristy area it’s full of dishonest people. Hold on tight to your wallet & belongings, don’t wear a backpack, and don’t let anyone “help” you buy metro tickets.)

      By the Jardin du Luxembourg there’s this cafe that sells HUGE muffins in a few different flavors… though the coffee my mom ordered wasn’t that great (I didn’t try it, though, so don’t take my word on that.)

      Crêpes!! There are places that sell crepes all over the city, and *most* of them are fantastic. Take away crepe stands are usually the best- and walking around with a crepe is so much fun! They make them right in front of you this way… I mean, how awesome is that? And please don’t get them pre-made!! Fresh is SO much better. Nutella-banana is my personal fave, but you can’t go wrong with any of the fillings.

      I didn’t stay in a B&B (though I wish I had!), so I can’t help you out there. The Marriott hotels in Paris are nice – I’ve stayed at 2, including the one located on the Champs-Élysées – but I’m sure there are some really lovely French places out there, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a boring ‘ol chain hotel. (My dad, who travels a lot for work, had points to use up for free nights, so we ended up there.)

      If I think of anything else I’ll include it in my next Paris post. I’m hoping to eventually have a super thorough city guide, but it won’t be before this summer (sad face).
      I wish I could be more helpful… I mean, I couldn’t even remember the names of a few places I recommended. 🙁
      And I didn’t have much time to venture into shops., other than 1 basic souvenir store in Montmartre – 0.90 euros for a mini eiffel tower!!, the cheapest I’ve seen it. (Not that I really needed a mini eiffel tower. But it was so little and adorable, I just had to have one.)

      And I don’t mind being asked questions at all! Chatting about travel is one my favorite things to do, and I love an excuse to ramble on about different places… especially ones I love, like Paris.

      xoxo!!