After a few days exploring London , it was off to the English countryside for one night and then I caught a flight to Paris with my friend Antonia (we had not seen each other in 10 years, so we decided Paris was a perfect place to celebrate our reunion).
On arrival we were taken by shuttle to the Hotel Elysees Union and were lucky enough to have a absolutely breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower from our room's balcony (yes, the above photo is the actual view from our room - i was literally jumping up and down on the balcony with excitement)
Since this was my first time in Paris and we were only staying for 2 nights, we decided we would try and see as much as possible and walk around a lot (which actually turned out to be the best way to see most of the city)
Our first stop was obviously the Eiffel Tower and it was waaay bigger than I thought it would be (We thought about going up to the top, but the lines were insane).
Next up we decided to take a cruise up the river Seine. Since loads of the famous sites (including Notre Dame) and cool bridges are located along the river, it is definitely a good idea to do it.
After finding a nice Parisian cafe for lunch, we headed to the Champs Elysees. This road is full of awesome stores and we obviously had to make a stop at Laduree for some macaroons and to look at all the pretty treats
*Le sigh*
On arrival we were taken by shuttle to the Hotel Elysees Union and were lucky enough to have a absolutely breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower from our room's balcony (yes, the above photo is the actual view from our room - i was literally jumping up and down on the balcony with excitement)
Since this was my first time in Paris and we were only staying for 2 nights, we decided we would try and see as much as possible and walk around a lot (which actually turned out to be the best way to see most of the city)
Ta Da! Me and the Eiffel Tower
Our first stop was obviously the Eiffel Tower and it was waaay bigger than I thought it would be (We thought about going up to the top, but the lines were insane).
Next up we decided to take a cruise up the river Seine. Since loads of the famous sites (including Notre Dame) and cool bridges are located along the river, it is definitely a good idea to do it.
Cruising the river
After finding a nice Parisian cafe for lunch, we headed to the Champs Elysees. This road is full of awesome stores and we obviously had to make a stop at Laduree for some macaroons and to look at all the pretty treats
Located on the Champs Elysees is the famous Arc De Triomph monument. It usually has tons of traffic racing around it, but when we were there the police had stopped all traffic as there was a bomb threat. While it wasn't that cool to know there may have been a bomb around, it did give me an opportunity to get a great photo of it (see below).
the Arc de Triomph
Most of the rest of our first day was spent walking around central Paris. We went to see the Louvre and walked through a stunning park area that had statues, rows of trees and big pond in it.
Oh so pretty
We also visited the Pont des Arts bridge, where couples attach locks to the side of bridge walkway (with their names on it) and throw the keys in the water below as a sign of their love.
one day I will put a lock here
Our second day was mainly spent walking around Paris most famous shopping mall the Galeries La Fayette and eating a delicious lunch at a Parisian cafe.
Paris street view
All in all I absolutely loved Paris - I loved the old buildings, cheaper wine (its cheaper to drink wine than water at most restaurants), the location of my hotel and the little cafes everywhere. Also, despite hearing how rude Parisians are, all the people I encountered were very friendly. I cannot wait to come back and spend a lot more time getting to know this romantic & beautiful city.
To see more of my photos, you can follow me on Instagram (name: beingbrazen)
