On our first full day in Paris, we woke up and ordered room service. Room service is an indulgence that we love to do on vacation. And to be honest with Adam being such a picky eater, it is a safe way to make sure he gets at least one meal he can eat before we start the day.
This day in Paris was a total free day, we had no planned tours, and nothing we had to do. This ended up being our favorite day.
Our first stop was Notre Dame Cathedral. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of my favorite Disney movies, and I'll be honest that is why I was so excited to tour it! And it was beautiful, especially the rose window in the interior. There was also a mass going on, which was nice to listen to. I only took 1 picture of the interior, as I'm not sure, but it seemed photos weren't allowed? But everyone was taking a crazy amount of pictures, so I wanted to follow rules and be respectful, so this was the only shot I took, as I loved the window.
I've been to a lot of cathedrals in my travels, especially in 2005 when I took a 10 day tour of Italy. But Adam's coworker told us that Sainte Chapelle was a must see. It is round the corner from Notre Dame, and one you have to pay for. The Cathedral is two stories, the first floor is lovely, but not to different from other cathedrals I've seen.
But the 2nd floor was breathtaking, so much so that pictures can not do it justice. Just wall to wall of stained glass. It was so worth the money to be able to soak that in. We highly recommend it for anyone visiting Paris.
After some discussion of what to do next, we decided we would walk along the Seine River down to the Eiffel Tower (about 2 1/2 miles). It was such a beautiful day for walking, and so enjoyable because Paris is just so overwhelming gorgeous.
Our first stop was the Louvre area, it was such a treat to see such an iconic location.
Connected to the Louve is the Tuileries garden, a truly lovely area. We sat down to take a break and enjoy the scenery, and we were pretty much accosted by gypsies asking us to sign a petition and give them money, they were chased off literally by a man selling plastic, Eiffel tower souvenirs. This is kind of a funny memory to look back on.
After a couple of miles, we were getting pretty hungry, so we stopped at a Parisian Street Cafe for some lunch. I had beef tartare, for the first time ever. Although I got mine lightly seared, as I didn't want to go all the way raw. But it really was good, really tasted like a burger. But felt healthier in a way, and not as heavy.
After lunch, it was time for the main event of the day. We had seen the Eiffel Tower just around the city, catching glimpses here and there, but this was the first time seeing it up close and personal, and it was glorious. Simple and elegant. We just loved it, we sat on the greenery near an hour just soaking it all in and planning the rest of the day.
We were done walking for the day, so we hopped on the Metro for two more stops. The Arc de Triomphe and Bastille Square. I had to laugh because Adam thought the Bastille was still there, since he toured it in a video game. The whole point of the storming of the Bastille is that it's not there anymore, Adam. Read a history book. JUST KIDDING.
We went to the hotel, and got dressed up for dinner at a restaurant fairly nearby. We started with a charcuterie plate, I had French Onion Soup, and we finished with a Creme Brulee, all was delicious.
We both agreed this was on of the best days of the trip, just playing it by ear, and decided what to do next moment by moment. It felt very relaxed and just perfect!
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