This year, I found myself in some sort of alternate dream reality where I had the chance to go to Paris for work—with Don! And it was a dream, indeed. From starting each day with a decadent breakfast accessorized by darling jars of jam to catching glimpses of the (glittering!) Eiffel Tower from every scenic view, it was hard not to fall in love with the city of lights.
Paris is famous for its blossoming spring, but winter is absolutely breathtaking. Literally and figuratively. While the cold may have been biting, every stop was delightfully uncrowded, giving us front row tickets to all the famous attractions we've heard about our whole lives. It felt quiet and still, like walking through a beautiful photograph.
Favorite moments:
- Waking up from a jet-lagged nap to hop on the metro, shiver down a block and be greeted by a shimmering Eiffel Tower. Our first look at the Eiffel Tower and it was SPARKLING. Proof that something is very right with the world.
- Monet's Water Lilies at the Musee l'Orangerie.
- Hot chocolate at Angelina's was like drinking a melted dark chocolate bar. SO rich. And if you know me and my chocolate addiction, that's saying something. We wandered the Luxembourg gardens afterward to see bare branches and people playing chess in the cold.
- Don bought us a lock to carve our initials into and add to the "locks of love" on the Pont des Arts bridge.
- I love me a good farmer's market and the Bastille one was filled with fresh fruits, scarves and berets—even some oysters for Don.
- Eating a big rose petal macaron for breakfast because we were wide awake (and hungry!) at 5 AM and the hotel's breakfast wasn't open yet.
- The mango caramels at Pierre Hermes—OMG. They don't stick to your teeth like the yucky ones here! They melt in your mouth like magical little morsels of happiness.
- Walking around the glowing Louvre at night and eventually making it to Little Breizh for a warm seat, delicious crepes and cider.
- Don re-proposing to me in front of the Eiffel Tower with a "travel ring" he bought me when he snuck away to a jewelry shop.
- Finding Don comfortable shoes after his were making him hobble like an old man.
- Taking romantic photos together on the neighborhood steps of Montmartre.
- Don bought an old film camera and loaded it with black and white film to start shooting with (those pics coming soon!).
- A walk to dinner in the rain one night where the street lights were reflecting off the cobblestone streets with a glow I'll never forget. We forgot the camera—and didn't need one.
Here are some of our favorite snapshots to give you a glimpse of our adventures.
