Passports and Pastries - Tales From a Travel Addict: On: Passports and Pastries

Our next adventure picks up in "The City of Love" - Paris, France!

Ryan and I LOVED Paris. In contrary to most criticism, the people were some of the friendliest that we met in all of the cities we have visited. Below is how we visited Paris in 36 hours:

We arrived into the city just in time to check into our hotel room, freshen up and hit the city for dinner. We had reservations through a tour company at Chez Clemente right on Champs Elysees Avenue overlooking the Arc de Triomphe. After dinner we carefully maneuvered our way into the median of the Champs Elysees to snag a snapshot in front of the Arc and the Christmas market!

TRAVEL TIP: There were quite a few tourists there; however, the location was incredible looking right out at the Arc de Triomphe. I would order the oysters, as that seems to be what they boast. If you are looking for that location, the restaurant can't be beat. Yet, next time I would opt to visit a restaurant that Parisians recommend.

The next day was our first full day in Paris and we began by viewing the Dome des Invalides, home to some of the country's war heroes as well as housing Napoleon's Tomb.

From there, we continued on to Paris' iconic attraction - The Eiffel Tower!

The Eiffel Tower is amazing. I've loved it both times that I've been there, and it is definitely a must-see when in Paris. I even enjoy going to see it twice: once in the daylight to see the entire city and once at night to see it glow. Every half hour after dark it illuminates in additional twinkle lights - one of my very favorite things!

TRAVEL TIP: There are a variety of gypsies that wait outside of the Eiffel Tower. They will ask you to sign petitions, etc. Just keep walking - they are trying to steal your wallet. The minute you stop to listen, another one will bump into you and take your belongings. We, luckily, did not have this happen to us! Book your tickets ahead of time so you do not have to take your wallet out.

The next stop in our day was The Louvre museum. It is a spectacular collection of original art, sculptures and history. It houses The Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo among others. I enjoyed it the first time I visited (2004), yet this time I felt that I could really appreciate it more.

TRAVEL TIP: It may be impossible to see the entire museum in one day, or really two days for that matter. I would recommend going with a tour guide to see the highlights and then taking 45 minutes to an hour to wander through yourself after. There are quite a few hidden gems here, but if you're pressed on time that would be my advice. The tour guides are very knowledgable and can tell you the history behind each piece. They also know the fastest routes to your must-see pieces.

I would say not one trip to Paris is complete without taking a cruise down the Seine River. We cruised with Bateaux Mouches and it was wonderful! It offers a different perspective of the city and you get to see almost all of the major sites from the river. You even float under the original "lock bridge" where couples fasten a lock on the bridge and throw their key into the Seine River below.

TRAVEL TIP: During peak season I would book this prior to arrival, but it seemed much slower during January to where walk-ups would probably be accepted. It can get chilly on the river, I would recommend bringing a light sweater or a coat depending on the season.

After the river cruise, we rushed over to Notre-Dame Cathedral to see our final must-tour attraction. The architecture on Notre-Dame is breathtaking. Unfortunately when we arrived the tours to the top and to the crypts were finished for the day, but we were able to catch the beginning of mass, walk through the Cathedral, and hear the phenomenal organs play. I consider this a win!

TRAVEL TIP: If seeing the Notre-Dame gargoyles up close is high on your priority list schedule this excursion earlier in the day. Our goal was to see all of Paris in a day, and this was on the back end of our schedule, but if it is a priority be sure to check times. I would definitely stop in either way though to see the architecture and stained-glass windows!

And dinner - Ryan's favorite time of the day! While in Europe I tend to forget lunch being caught up in all that the city has to offer. However, Ryan never let me miss a dinner :) He's a trooper! Dinner this night was fantastic. We sat in a small enclosed patio surrounded with glass windows overlooking the bustling street.

In the first "Passports and Pastries - Tales of a Travel Addict" post I mentioned maximizing our time in each location we visit. Paris was no exception! After dinner I made us continue on to do our own walking tour of Paris at night. We saw every monument, building and attraction from earlier in the day but this time they were all glowing at night - magical! We also added in the Statue of Liberty's Parisian sister to this nighttime excursion.