While it seems like a lot of what I've been doing in Paris has all been planned (and don't get me wrong, I love planning) some of my favorite memories from this trip so far have been the spontaneous moments when I just went.
On Tuesday, after we finished up a tour of the Opera Garnier (I'll tell you all about that later) I decided to head out walking around the area.
Well, I ended up walking almost 5 miles that day.
I hopped on a bus headed out to the west of Paris and hopped off as soon as I saw this.
AH! The Arc de Triomphe! I've been here for over 3 weeks and I still hadn't seen it up close until then!
Then I strolled down the Champs-Élysées and I'm glad I did! The streets weren't too crowded and I felt surprisingly happy being surrounded by hundreds of other tourists just as excited to be experiencing the city.
On my way, I saw the original Ladurée shop, opened in Paris in 1862. Apparently they sell 15,000 macarons every day. I'd believe it!
Everyone has told me to skip out on the Champs-Élysées shop, because the line is always crazy long. But there was no line! Other than a few people in the store, there was no line at all! So I decided it was the day! The day to splurge and buy a whole box of macarons, just for me!
And I did!
treat yo'self tuesday just got a whole lot fancier.
from left to right i had:
chocolat
citron
framboise
marie antionette
café
fruits rouges
i don't think i could pick a favorite, but they were all delicious!
citron
framboise
marie antionette
café
fruits rouges
i don't think i could pick a favorite, but they were all delicious!
This day deserved fancy sweets.
But I wasn't finished yet! I kept on down the Champs-Élysées until I reached the Grand & Petit Palais and the most beautiful bridge in all of Paris, Pont Alexandre III.
peep, l'Hotel des Invalides in the background.
Then I continued on to Place de la Concorde!
recognize this fountain from The Devil Wears Prada?
there's La Madeleine peeking out between these two buildings!
the ferris wheel in the tuileries that is on my 40 in 40 list!
and a walk on Pont des Arts!
Somehow I managed to make my way back to my bed in the Latin Quarter where I collapsed with an Orangina in one hand and macarons in the other. I can only explain my ability to make this journey by pure joy from a beautiful day in Paris and the iced coffee I had right before I started.
All in all, a 5 mile trek back from the Arc de Triomphe, but it was worth it to see all of these special places by myself!
And now I'm going to put my jammies on, finish up homework (you forgot it wasn't all fun, didn't you?), and watch one of my fave 90s classics, French Kiss!
Au revoir for now!
Madeleine
all photos property of madeleine bloxam
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Proud of you for venturing out! You're learning so much about yourself.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Momma