Paris, France

Where to begin. The past week or so has been absolute bliss. Traveling to France and exploring the city of Paris and all it has to offer was an unforgettable experience. We were fortunate to have (mostly) beautiful weather, which made walking (lots and lots and lots of walking) to and from various destinations much more enjoyable. 

Our days were full of sights, museums, walking, metro rides, wine, and fresh bread. Perhaps my favorite part of Paris was just witnessing the day-to-day life of the locals. Parisians dress effortlessly chic on the daily. They strut around the city carrying fresh baguettes and pick up fresh produce and fresh flowers from the street markets. 

The way of life in Paris (in June, anyway) is much more laid back than in the States. No one seems to be rushed, stressed, or flustered. In fact, you can sit down at a cafe and not even have a waiter acknowledge you for a good ten minutes (we experienced this first hand). It's definitely not what we're used to, but sometimes a relaxed attitude can do the body and mind some good. 

Naturally I want to write a book about all of the things we saw and experienced, but instead I'll try to touch on some of my favorite moments:

01. Sacre Coeur / A church located in Montmarte on the highest point of the city. It's sort of trek to get to the top (unless you take the cable car, which we somehow missed), but the view is definitely worth the hundreds of stairs. The area surrounding the Sacre Coeur features a ton of cute shops and adorable cafes.

02. Pantheon / Located in the Latin Quarter, this (massive) structure once served as a church, but currently functions as a mausoleum and contains the remains of many distinguished French citizens which are kept in the crypt underground. The colossal columns and doors are worth seeing on their own. Plus, the Luxemburg Garden and more affordable shops are nearby.

03. Pompidou / This industrial building houses the Museum of Modern Art which was by far my favorite of the museums we visited. We didn't spend a whole lot of time in the area around the museum because it was raining outside, but if you like modern art, this is a great way to kill an hour or two.