Rewind to Paris...

I guess you could say that I am a little behind when it comes to the blog...by about 2 and a half months. Things have been a little busy, but after a full day if organizing photos through the last few months, I am ready to play catch up and finish this blog and publish it.

In mid-March my parents came over to Germany and we all took a vacation to Paris and onto Normandy, France. It was a great trip albeit a tiny bit freezing, especially in Paris. The first thing TJ and I usually do is take a city tour to aquaint us with the city so we feel better navigating it ourselves, and that is exactly what we did with a cruise down the Seine River. But to get to the boat we had to hoof it a little to Pont Neuf (Point Nine) to grab our boat. TJ got this great first picture of the Schaefer Family (minus 1) in Paris.



To get to the boat we walked along the Seine and took in some really great views on all sides. It was not the most beautiful day as it was cold and rainy, but the city was still pretty!

The cruise was interesting as many of the sites are right on the river. In fact, on the cruise is where we got our first sight of the Iron Lady. She is a beauty until you make the journey up into the Eiffel, then it becomes less beautiful. She is the most beautiful at night for sure.

The cruise was a bit chilly, but we spent the better part of it taking in the views outside on the front of the boat. I should recommend bringing a blanket if the weather is questionable as they don't provide them for you like the rest of Europe when its cold!

We also wandered about the city coming upon many sites without even trying. TJ and I found ourselves trekking down the popular Champs Elysees more than once searching for cafes, pubs, and shops. Here is a peek at the Champs...

At the end of the Champs is the Arc de Triomphe...it happens to be my favorite site in Paris and I am not sure why. I love the names chistled into it and that it stands for all the soldiers that fought for France. We actually got to see some sort of changing of the guard by chance and it was pretty cool. It is the center of a giant round-a-bout that is extremely busy and a little scary to get to.

From the top of the Arc you can see across to the Eiffel Tower. She is really pretty from a far and even prettier at night. I personally would have skipped going to the top had I known how crazy it was.

Of course you have to wait in line and that is after you move through a sea of people trying to sell you tourist items. Clearly, pick pockets everywhere and you had to keep your eyes open. Actually TJ and I kept our eyes on my white haired American father as he was maybe the easiest target. I was proud of him for being proactive in telling them no and to go away. Maybe the funniest thing was that he kept saying "no" in German, and we kept reminding him that he was in France!
After the long wait and several uncomfortable rides later we arrived at the top with some spectacular views of the city.

We decided to then walk part of the way down to the lower deck where I took the cutest picture of my parents!

There was a point when I felt compelled to hurl some really bratty and extremely disrespectful French teens off the top of the tower, but realized that I might have to then remain in France. I believe (in my own opinion) that making the long journey to the top takes away from the Tower's allure. It is beautiful and romantic from afar, and pure hell on earth inside.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was right by our hotel and only a five minute walk, so we saw it a bunch of times but only went inside once. TJ had not been feeling well, so my parents and I went in on Sunday where they were ushering tourists though while mass was going on (which was a little odd). It was really pretty, but still a typical European Cathedral in the gothic style. My parents really enjoyed it, and that might be what I most enjoyed about the cathedral!

Here is a look at the mass...complete with incense.

And my super cute Dad lighting some candles for family members passed.

We also went to the Louvre, and just outside of it is a mini Brandenburg Gate like you would find in Berlin. There is a long story regarding the Germans, the French, and the Brandenburg Gate that might explain some of the animosity between the two...you should google it.

The Louvre is completely amazing and clearly the warmest site we saw all trip. The entrance is a glass atrium that takes you underneath the former fortress of Phillip II that now houses an uncountable number of works of art.

Inside are some very famous paintings...its most popular might be the Mona Lisa.

And it also houses many ancient artifacts...like ancient Egyptian sculptures of animals. This one sort of looks like Tut Anthony...

It also has preserved apartments, rooms, and furniture of famous rulers...like Napolean's.

Paris at night is beautiful...the sites are lit up and showcased! The Arc is amazing and you can see it all the way from the other end of the Champs.

My favorite evening site is easily the Eiffel Tower! She is a beauty lit with her evening lights and then she even gets prettier!

On the hour she sparkles! It is nearly impossible to get a good photo of the sparkles, but we tried for you!

Paris had great food, sites, and fun to offer. We had the best meal at a place called "The Smoking Dog" when translated. It was super fun and really good, especially if you like seafood! I really enjoyed an English pub one block off the Champs near the Arc, called "Winston's". If I ever decided to go back, I would make sure to go there. We had a great time those five days and had an even better time as we moved on to Normandy. More on that later!

Auf Wiedersehen!