Exploring Paris

   What a wonderful day. Have I told you I love Paris? Because I do. The past two days here have been go to the max. That meant we decided to have today be a more relaxed day. Just what the doctor ordered! One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to take in the city from a non-tourist view. We first went to Sacre-coeur. Okay, I guess that is touristy. But it was stunning. It is a beautiful cathedral up on the only hill in Paris. You look at the cathedral and you say, “Wow! How beautiful.” Then you turn around and you see the view of the city and you say the same thing! It was blue sky and sunshine and I loved every minute of it. After visiting the Sacre-coeur (the actual inside of the cathedral is beautiful but it is the outside that is the best) we walked around the surrounding neighborhood. It was such a perfect French thing to do. We just strolled along the picturesque streets, we watched street performers and artists. We smelled bakeries, and felt the warm sun. 

   You must know what was next, our standing lunch date with the Eiffel Tower. We went to our favorite bakery and fruit stand, got lunch and sat in the grass. Did I mention the sun? It was so wonderful. I have missed it so much. We had no time limit or specific place to be so we just sat there, so content. We just loved to talk and tell stories, or make up stories about the cute guys we see (aka Demetri). We made our way back to St. Louis Isle (where Notre Dame is) and got world famous ice cream, sat along the river and enjoyed Paris, for what it is. The Arc De Triomphe was on our to-do list (which was not a list at all. Well, besides being outside and doing nothing) so we went there, took a picture and found a place to eat along the streets of Paris.
    We then found ourselves at the Tuileries. We sat by a fountain and talked while the sun set. Our final stop was back to the Eiffel Tower. Can you tell? We love that place. We waited for the sky to get dark and the light show to turn on. It is such a wonderful site to see. It shimmers and sparkles and is everything that is wonderful in the world. A little bit of a dramatic statement? Yes. But it really is amazing. I never want to forget that sight.
    Looking back at my last full day in Paris I realize how much fun we had. The weather was great, we counted how many cute boys we saw, we talked, we watched street performers, we relaxed, we found a free concert, we enjoyed outside. It was perfect. Jessica, Anne, Saundra, Alexis, Meg and I just have such a good time together. We laughed, danced, did some parkour among other crazy shenanigans. No agenda, no timeline. Just us in Paris. Seeing where we ended up next and enjoying every minute of it. 

 Socre-Coeur

 I absolutely loved the painters.

 Exploring the city.

 Another lunch at the Eiffel Tower.

 Free concert outside Hotel De Ville.

 Arc De Triomphe

 These are everywhere at the tube. We had to take a picture with our finger 'staches.

Last night in Paris.