A Week in Paris

Bonjour from Paris Orly airport!  We are sitting here waiting for our delayed departure after a glorious week of eating, walking, and being tourists.  Perhaps the biggest thing to note is that I am currently sipping a cafe au lait in Europe while my daughters are asleep in Canada.  Though I desperately miss my sweet babies, I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to take a vacation with my husband in celebration of 5 years of marriage.  It's been a week since I've changed a diaper, had my meals interrupted, or tried to reason with a 1 year old.  Gosh, I miss them.  

This was neither mine nor Ryan's first trip to Paris, but it was our first time visiting the city of love together, and it was my first time traveling for a vacation as opposed to work.  

The primary focus of our week was to eat, and eat we did.  We ate beautiful macarons at Laduree and Pierre Herme, sipped dozens of lattes in cute cafes, ate crepes beside the Eiffel Tower, strolled the streets with baguettes in hand, devoured our body weight in crossaints, and even had a taste of France's fine dining.  

Each morning began with breakfast... petite dejuener.  The typical French breakfast is fresh squeezed orange juice, bread with jam and butter, a fresh crossiant, and coffee.  It was always good, and my favourite part of the day. We may now need to purchase a juicer for our kitchen counter.   

On the first day of our trip we learnt the art of baking our own croissants. It's unbelievable how much work goes into each batch, and I'm not confident that we'll be able to successfully replicate the recipe at home.  It was fun to learn though, and the fresh from the oven crossaints were amazing.  

A daily trip to the Eiffel Tower was a must. I'll never tire of the gorgeous landmark, particularily at night when the lights twinkle on the hour every hour.  

Our only escape from the city was to act like children at Paris Disneyland. It was my first non-pregnant Disney trip since pre-married life, so I was thrilled to ride the rollercoasters and fast rides.  It was a cold and windy day and I felt guilty for being there sans children, but we had a ton of fun and Ryan was excited to finally have someone to ride the rides with.  

One of the other highlights of our trip was lunch at the Montparnesse Tower. On the 56th floor is the Ciel de Paris restaurant, where we enjoyed incredible views of the city and the Eiffel Tower.  We sat there until they not so sublty started dropping hints that it was time for us to leave.  

The week went by quickly, and before we knew it, it was time to pack our bags and say bon voyage.  We ate 3 more crossaints and bought another box of macarons for good measure.  Though more adventures await, it is always sad to leave Paris. I am thankful for a great week with my love, and the fact that my pants are now much tighter than they were a week ago means that our trip was a success. 

Bon voyage, Paris, until we meet again.