Paris...the City of Love

For the second week of our holiday, there was no other option than Paris! What better place to be for New Years than the city of love? We weren't going to Paris for the French experience - we had been living that for two months. We were going to visit one of the most beautiful and famous cities in the world.

We had scheduled a week in Paris, and decided to pace ourselves a little more than we did in London. With our list of must-see attractions and experiences, off we went...

Now that is a Palace! The Palace of Versailles - home to French royal families (most famously home to Marie-Antoinette) prior to the revolution - was, quite simply, amazing. The gardens went as far as we could see and beyond.

I will remember forever the first moment I saw the Eiffel Tower. It became a familiar sight every day, and was worth the hour-and-a-half wait in line to go half way up; at least I thought so.

The Louvre was on my must-see list, and not only for housing the world's most famous painting (of which I took the world's worst photo); it is an amazing collection of art and artefacts. We both found items of interest, from Roman and Egyptian sculptures, to Napoleon's apartments. 

The Arc de Triomphe was so impressive in size and detail, it seemed a fitting monument to success. The round-about that it centred proved to be just as breathtaking - albeit for different reasons - as we watched the traffic chaos of French drivers! The Arc stands at the top end of the famous Champs-Elysees Avenue.

A stroll through Luxembourg Gardens on a sunny day in Paris is a must. This is where everyone goes to soak up some sunshine or jog while taking in the beautiful surroundings of the Gardens and former Palace.

A day trip outside of Paris took us to the small town of Provins, which has the remains of a medieval fortified city. We were able to walk along the wall and lookout from the towers that once guarded this city. 

Amazing and historic buildings in Paris are all just a stroll through the little streets away. We wondered past the Grecian Pantheon, over the River Seine and saw the famous Notre Dame Cathedral.

It wouldn't be a holiday in a major city without some shopping. Le Bon Marche - Paris' most famous department store - was just down the road from our accommodation in the area of Saint Germain. What a coincidence.

Paris was amazing and beautiful, and we could see why people fall in love with it. We, however, were both happy to be going home to our quiet little town of Limoux after quite an adventure in two of the biggest cities in the world.