A weekend in Paris

For our seven year anniversary Rens and I decided to escape to Paris for a short weekend. After all this time traveling together we'd never been to the City of Love so this felt like the perfect occasion to do so! I remember all my former trips to Paris being mostly wind and drizzle but this time we got lucky. Looking back now, I'll remember sitting on the steps of the Sacré Coeur eating eclairs on the most beautiful summer day... in February?!

 

On our first day we explored les 3^e et 4^e arrondissements including Centre Pompidou, the Notre-Dame and the Pont Neuf, then continued onto the Pont des Arts and the Louvre. Sadly the Pont des Arts doesn't look the way it used to without its characteristic love locks and is now simply a bridge leading to the Louvre Palace.  

The Notre-Dame was also smaller than I remembered - or maybe it was me who was smaller last time - but it's still a beautiful piece of architecture and a must-see if you're a Disney fan. It was quite striking how many cafes and restaurants in the area were called 'The Hunchback' or 'Esmeralda'. We ended up having dinner at Mersea, a French style fish & chips restaurant nearby our hotel. A lucky find which I definitely recommend!

 

The next day we had a lovely breakfast at Coquelicot (the French word for 'poppy'), a traditional French bakery in Montmartre. I find Montmartre to be one of the most charming neighborhoods in Paris with its many talented artists and stunning hilltop views. Before heading to the Sacré Coeur we stopped by one of the numerous l'Eclair de Génie shops. I'd been wanting to try one of their eclairs for so long and - though a tad expensive - they definitely didn't disappoint!  

Afterwards we went to see the Arc de Triomphe and, a nutella crêpe in hand, walked down the Champs Elysées to the Place de la Concorde. We completed our trip with a view of the city's most famous feature, la tour Eiffel, which was at its most beautiful when it was all lit up at night. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend.

Bisous bisous!