Paris
Thank goodness for jetlag that allows me to be awake at 5 AM starting this post! (It’s 11 AM Europe time after all.) We got back last night from 12 amazing days of sightseeing in Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome. It was such a whirlwind of planes, trains, and hotels, and doing this recap for you is really going to help me document and remember my time in each city. It is going to take me a few days to get back into the swing of things baking wise- but I hope to be back to my normal schedule by the middle of next week. In the meantime- I hope you don’t mind me sharing some highlights from the trip! Lets start with the first installment of our time in Paris!
Our first day in Paris was a bit rough, as we arrived at 8 AM Paris time and didn’t sleep much on the plane, we were pretty sleepy and out of it all day. We did however make our way to the beautiful and iconic Notre Dame cathedral. It was truly breathtaking- I couldn’t get over all the detailing on the towers.
(This self photo I took on the first day is the only picture of the two of us from Paris- luckily I felt more comfortable asking passerby to use my camera in Italy!)
The next day was all about the Louvre! We got up early to get into line, and spent all morning wandering and listening to our handy audio guides…of course I braved the throngs of tourists to sneak a small peek at the Mona Lisa.
This guy sure was a good sport about all the pictures I took of him on this trip. He was also sweet to get behind the camera a bit himself! :)
In our four Paris days, I sure did eat a lot of macarons. The first place we tried was Pierre Hermé – they were wonderful! Perfect shells and a thick creamy fillings.
We couldn’t wait long to get a peak at the iconic Eiffel Tower. We went at night when it was all lit up and sparkly.- once from afar and once up close and personal. Maybe the native Parisians find it cheesy- but for us it was so magical!
Below are a few random photos from day three. The view from the huge clock in the Museé d’Orsay was one of my favorites:
Another cold day walking near the Notre Dame.
The doors in Paris were unbelieveable. Every corner we turned was another brightly painted, ornate entryway.
The Arc du’ Triomphe was so iconic and beautiful. (And a great starting point for a stroll down to Laudree!!)
Are you surprised the Salted Caramel macs were my favorite? (It’s one of the recipes I learned in my class so you can bet I’ll be making them soon.)
I have to be honest- we were’t crazy about much of the food in Paris. Maybe I don’t have a sense of adventure with things like beef tartar, fois gras and escargot- or maybe French food just isn’t my favorite. However- I couldn’t get enough of the pastries and bread. The pain au chocolat (above) from Patissiere Viennoise was to die for.
On our last day- we did have one meal we really loved and would go back to Bistro Poulbot in Montemarte in a heartbeat. Andy was adventurous and tried pigeon (he actually really liked it,) we had a baked egg appetizer that was wonderful, and my lamb entree was tender and delicious. Compared to Italy though- we had a very hard time finding food we liked. (Next time- I think we’ll still to casual eats- crepes, pastries, falafel etc.)
After this wonderful lunch, I went to my macaron class which was amazing. I think that whole learning experience deserves it’s own post- so I’m planning to do that once I get all the ingredients and can get a helper to document it all. (Hopefully next week.)
I am so glad that we visited Montmarte on our last day because it was truly amazing. We had a great view of the whole city and had such a peaceful evening, snacking on cheese from a local shop, watching the people below us.
Of all the many old churches we saw on this trip, nothing was quite like Sacre Couer. It’s a hike to get to, but man is it gorgeous.
Is anything more picturesque than peering over Paris to the Eiffel Tower in the distance? I love this picture so much.
Oh my gosh! Audra, these pictures are seriously so gorgeous, they gave me chills. You’re quite beautiful too! I can’t wait to hear about the macaroon class. Sounds so fun. Glad you had a good time!
Thanks Sophie! I’ll share about the class next week :)
these are gorgeous photos! I’m so jealous of your trip. I LOVE that first black and white picture of you. It’s so artistic and it sets up such a nice mood.
Aw thanks Julie- Andy isn’t so good with the camera so there were many outtakes with me out of focus. Haha.
Audra, your pictures are gorgeous! Paris looks amazing, but I can see why you had a hard time with the food… French food is always done up and usually a little too rich for me. I bet the street food/pastries were to die for though. I hope you drank some good french wine too ;) That’s so cool you took a mac class!! I can’t wait to see your post about all the new tricks you learned.
Right? I mean I expected to be blown away- but I really didn’t care for it. Italy on the other hand… :)
Great shots! The city is gorgeous and so are you. Can’t wait for the macaroon post.
Amazingly beautiful Audra!
Wow. What a fantastic trip. Thank you for sharing. Now I want to go! And what I wouldn’t give for one of those macarons!
Be still, my heart! I haven’t been to Paris since I was 20 or something, and knew nothing about how to live life! This is making me want to drop it all here and relocate! Lovely!
The pictures are wonderful. I have to save up my pennies to go back. About your class, was it taught in English or French? Do you speak French? Twenty-five years ago, I found that if I at least attempted to speak in French, the people were a lot more kind.
My class was in English- good for me because my French is awful- but I did try! :)
I have to agree, living in Europe I have been several times in France and Paris, and when you speak or try to speak French the people are much kinder and helpful. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos, besides baking you have a talent for photos as well, and I’m looking very much forward to your macaron class post :-D
ps. and I LOVE your umbrella, it is so colourful and spring-like, I want one ;-)
What an amazing trip. I think I’m just like you because french food doesn’t really appeal to me but french pastries would be to die for. Your pictures are totally beautiful and even you look like you could pass for a Parisian! Can’t wait to see Italy!
It looks like you had a magical time in Paris. Mmm, macaroons. Mmm, cheese. I can’t wait to take my trip to the romantic Paris.
Thanks for sharing! You helped me to go down memory lane from my 2 trips to Paris. It has been awhile since I have been on a big trip and this makes me want to go NOW! Of course, that is not all practical. If only I could just win the lottery…
Have a great Easter weekend!
I hear ya- anytime I travel all I want is to go more and more! :)
So glad you had a great time! Your pictures are making me feel nostalgic for when I went to Paris! I absolutely loved Notre Dame and The Louvre, it was really wet when we went to the Arc du’Triomphe though so we grabbed a couple of pictures then ran into the dry! I really wish we’d gone to the Eiffel Tower at night, it looks absolutely stunning, more so than on a cold December day! I wasn’t crazy about the food either… we ended up in Subway and McDonalds hahaha although we had croissants and pain au chocolate as well, baked goods are always good! Can’t wait to hear more about your trip! :)
Oh how fun! I can’t wait to read more about your trip! I love France and Italy and can’t wait until I get to go back! I haven’t been since 2004! My favorite thing I ate in Paris was a baguette with ham and butter. But the baguette was amazing.
Beautiful beautiful pictures! I love the Eiffel Tower pictures!
That picture of you on top is GORGEOUS!! You are so beautiful and photogenic!
Aw thanks Tara :)
I studied aboard in Paris and loved every moment. Seeing your photos brought back so many memories. Thanks for sharing.
beautiful audra. i loved looking at your pix of your trip. i can’t wait to hear about your macaroon class! i don’t know much about them but think they are so so pretty…maybe i’ll give them a try someday? xo
Amazing photos! I can’t even begin to tell you how jealous I am of your trip. Jason and I are planning to go to Paris for our honeymoon but that’s not going to happen for years! I’ll just have to live vicariously through these photos.
You will love it when you go :)
You guys are such a cute couple.
Love those pics.
And the lighting of the Eiffel Tower is my fav memory from our trip years ago. My hubby proposed shortly before
the Tower lit up like a beautiful candle!
Then we went out for a big dinner of steaks & frittes.
Hope you like Montmartre.
Aw- such a sweet way to get engaged Colette :) I loved Montmarte!
Looks like it was an unforgettable trip, Audra! Your pictures from it are so lovely. They make me ache to go back! Thanks for sharing.
Your pictures look beautiful and it looks like you had a wonderful trip :) And I LOVED Ladurees macaroons! I has this strawberry sugar one when I went to Pairs and it was the most wonderful thing ever :)
Beautiful pics. Where did you take your macaron class?
It was at a school called “Cookin’ with Class” :)
Gorgeous photos, Audra! Looks like you had a ton of fun! :)
Can’t wait for the macaron recipe!!!
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL pictures – I love that they were all so natural (not all bright and sunny – which is nice, but often not the case). These pictures showed the real beauty of what you were shooting. Thanks for sharing. I’m also looking forward to hearing about your class!
Well, no I pretty much want to be transplanted to Paris! Can’t wait to hear more about your macaron class! I loved the food, but maybe because I’d eat an entire bread basket (!!) with every meal:-)
Oh I loved the bread too!
I’ve always wanted to go to Paris, but your photos make me even more eager! My husband isn’t completely sold so I need to keep working on him. It looks like an amazing time, love the colorful macarons too :)
Looks like a magical trip in a magical city! We traveled to Paris in March one year and though it was cold, there was something special around every corner and the warming espresso or chocolat tasted that much better!
I pretty much died swooning over this post! Love every-single-thing about it. Now… to book my ticket to Paris!
Such a great post, Audra! Your photos are stunning and it sounds like you had an amazing time in Paris! Such a beautiful city….this makes me want to go back.
I love getting a peek into my favorite food bloggers’ “behind the scenes” / day-to-day life, so thank you for sharing all these gorgeous photos and stories with us, your readers :)
Hi there – beautiful pics of Paris! We went there last year this time – it was so beautiful, I barely noticed the rain we had for a couple of the days. : ) First thing I did after landing was dash to a macaron class (at Le Cordon Bleu) where we made violet macarons so this brings back lovely memories. I still daydream about those patisseries and the hot chocolate at Angelina. : )