For our final stop on our trip through Europe in October, we ended with a few days in an old favorite, the lovely city of Paris. We really try to make it through the French capital at least once a year if we’re going to be near by, as both Nick and I feel so at home there and thoroughly enjoy France, and Paris specifically. We arrived the previous evening on the Thalys train from Brussels, arrived at Gare du Nord and jumped on the metro to the Ile St. Louis where our apartment was located. Though it was our first time staying in an apartment through AirBnB (more reviews on that to come soon), we know that area well since it’s where typically stay.
We arrived in a down pour that previous night, so the next morning we were happy to wake up to a beautiful Fall day. It was warm enough for just a sweater and light scarf, so we had a slow morning, complete with croissants and Orangina from our favorite boulangerie St. Martin, then headed out for a day of exploring. We set out on the Left Bank, headed toward the Pantheon (which I’ve meant to see on a few previous trips and never got there), then wandered over to the Jardin du Luxembourg. I first found the incredible park last year when I visited Paris on my own for work and I was really anxious to show Nick on this trip. The Luxembourg Gardens are gorgeous, but the Fall colors and cool temperatures made them even more enjoyable.
After a few hours just wandering and taking in the park, we headed toward St. Germain, one of my favorite areas of the city, and stopped at Laduree to pick up some salted caramel and chocolate macarons. We at them as we wandered through the Left Bank and back to our apartment for a couple hours of rest. Later in the afternoon, we meandered back up to the Seine and spent the evening while the sun set and Nick took photos of the Pont Neuf bridge as it lit up against the twilight light. We had no real plans for our days in Paris other than to hit a few spots we love, and in my opinion, that’s the best way to see Paris, to just take it in, to wander, to revel in the beauty of it.
Headed to Paris?
Here are all my posts on the city.