Paris, Je T’aime: Three Days in the City of Love

I have always loved Paris. I visited for the first time six years ago, and knew from the moment I stepped off the train that I was going to have a lifelong love of that city.

On this trip, Paris was the last stop on our journey. By the time we got there we had been traveling for almost three weeks straight with a toddler, and we were really exhausted. But all the same, that infectious romance of the city revived me!

Jordan, Charlotte and I spent our first afternoon exploring Notre Dame and taking a walk along the Seine. When we were about halfway home on our walk, it started to rain! That was one of the only rain storms we got the entire trip, and it was so fun! Charlotte and I stuck out tongues out to catch drops, and we ran from canopy to canopy to avoid getting completely drenched. That might have been my very favorite memory of Paris this trip haha! Charlotte and I laughing and shrieking as big drops fell on our heads, and soaking up a fun memory with my little family.

The next day we visited the Champs Elysees, popping into various stores along the walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Of course I stopped in Guerlain – if you caught my latest post on makeup, you know my obsession! Jordan and my brother-in-law then took Charlotte, and my sister and I enjoyed a really nice and leisurely lunch at Laduree sans bebe.

We ended the day strolling through the Luxembourg Gardens after watching France win yet another football match!

The next morning we set off for Versailles. I had only been to Versailles before in February, and while I knew there would be more tourists, I was still pretty shocked by the sheer volume. I really love visiting, but if you’re planning a trip I’d recommend going in the off-season. My sister and brother-in-law offered to watch Charlotte while Jordan and I explored the palace, which was amazing! Having Charlotte in that crowded space would have been pretty miserable so I really appreciated that.

My favorite part of the palace is the gardens, which weren’t nearly as packed as the palace itself. Jordan and I got a little turned around trying to find the rest of our group, because the gardens are so enormous! We were talking about how we could totally imagine these gardens being a perfect place for misbehaving nobles haha!

Our last day in Paris we made sure to visit the Eiffel Tower. My feet were killing me (we’d been walking 15-25,000 steps a day for three weeks, carrying a 25 lb toddler haha!), but I was determined to get the best view we could. Worth it!

The entire time in Paris I had been determined to stop into a cute little cafe, and on our last day the stars aligned and we made it happen! Charlotte was so interested in my cappuccino, so I shared some of the milk foam with her which she loved.

Next time, Jordan and I plan to visit France either in the fall or spring, and I can’t even wait! Until then, we’ll always have Paris.