In Love in the City Known for It: Our Valentine's Day Weekend in Paris

I apologize for not writing about my weekends lately. I have developed what I have affectionately nicknamed “the gunk.” I was sick a few weeks ago and Chris caught it.

Chris has been sick since before we left for Munich and still hasn’t gotten better so I ended up catching it from him again. Now we are both sick. Hopefully we will get better soon since Carnaval break starts tomorrow and we will be traveling for a week straight!

Anyway, enough about the gunk. On to more interesting things- like our trip to Paris.

Going to Paris was an absolute dream come true. I have been wanting to go to Paris [and France in general] since I first started learning French as a 12-year-old. Nine years later, there I was, taking in the beautiful architecture in this spectacular city.

La Tour d'Eiffel <3

The trip couldn’t have been more perfect. Paris met all my expectations and then some. What a beautiful, amazing city with so much history. I was in love.

On Thursday night, Chris and I took the Thalys train to Paris. Once we got settled into our wonderful hotel, we went to a great restaurant called Bistro de Breteuil.

Side note: Did you know that “bistro” is actually a Russian word? During a war, Russian soldier would go into French cafes and say “bistro,” which means “be quick!” in Russian. Thus, French cafes started putting up the word “bistro” in front of their cafes so that the Russian soldiers would know it is a place for a quick bite. Interesting how it caught on and is now all over!

The food at Bistro de Bretuil was delicious. We ordered off a “prix fixe” menu, which included an apéritif, bottle of wine for two, entrée, plat and dessert. I even tried escargots! (Those who know me know that I am hesitant to try new food.) Everything tasted great, especially my crème brûlée. As Chris put it, “it was the best crème brûlée ever!”

Afterward, we took a walk around the city at night. It was absolutely spectacular.

The next day, we took a free tour around Paris. Our tour guide told us all about the history of France’s most powerful city. I have learned about French history in my US History and French classes so it was amazing to see all of the historically important buildings. The 3.5-hour tour took us all along the banks of the River Seine from Notre Dame to the Louvre, the Palais Royale, the Grand and Petit Palais, the Tuileries Garden, the New Bridge and ended near Invalides.

Me at the Jardin Tuileries

Afterward, we went on the Champs-Élysées to shop and see the Arc de Triomphe. Then Chris took me on a night river cruise on the Seine River. It was amazing to cruise down the river while the Eiffel Tower was doing its light show and all of the other buildings were brilliantly lit.

Me at the Champs-Élysées

The weather on our first day in Paris was beautiful- we didn't even need jackets! It was about 60 degrees and Parisians told me that it was the first beautiful day they had had in months! 

Amazing Sunset

The next day, we went to see the beautiful churches, Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur. The view of Paris from Sacré Coeur was amazing. The church is located on a hill, and though the steps weren’t too fun, the view was definitely worth it.

Sacred Heart Church

The Notre Dame was beautiful on both the inside and outside. The stained glass windows inside were breathtaking.

Chris at Notre Dame

Stained glass windows at Notre Dame

We also went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, which was a really neat experience. If you can’t tell already, I adored this city. We also walked to the Opera House to see it up close and ate some pastries at a patisserie nearby. I love patisseries- so many delicious desserts in one place!

Us at the top of the Eiffel Tower

We tried to go to the Louvre, but we got there an hour before it closes, and apparently you can’t get tickets that late. It’s okay because we are meeting Chris’s parents in Paris in two weeks so we can see it then!

Me at the Louvre

I was so grateful for the opportunity to speak French all the time. I have been taking French in school for almost 10 years now, but I rarely have the chance to talk to native speakers. It was so exciting to see that French people understood me, and that I was able to keep lengthy conversations going in Paris. 

Egyptian obelisk and Eiffel Tower at Sunset

 Well, I feel like this blog entry has already become too long so I will write a separate entry about Versailles tomorrow. We are taking day trips this weekend. Tomorrow we are going to Bruges (in Belgium). Friday we are planning on going to a city in The Netherlands, possibly Rotterdam or Utrecht, and on Saturday we are planning on visiting Amsterdam!

We are also done with school now for a week because we get a Carnaval break! During Carnaval, we are headed to Prague, Vienna and Switzerland. I will keep y’all informed about our adventures!

Love,

Olga