And I’m back with part two of our trip to Paris! If you missed it, see part one here – where we stayed, where we ate, and where we found a few gems you probably haven’t heard of. Make sure you stick around ’til the end of this post for a Paris video and details of everything I wore.

And this is the part where I tell you not every trip is all perfectly crafted cocktails and sunshine. Whether due to all the wine, all the coffee, or all the meat (or more likely a combination of all three), I struggled with some serious heartburn the duration of our second night and woke with it still present.

Day Three: After a late start (and sadly, an avoidance of coffee to help ease said heartburn), we made our way to Notre Dame. I walked by the cathedral last year, but the mobs of tourists quickly propelled me away. This trip we stood in the (speedy) line and joined the crowd inside; climbing the cathedral is a separate line in which you have to reserve tickets. What amazes me the most about historic architecture is the pure dedication it took to build these structures. I’m talking hundreds of years to build and redesign and perfect – such drastic opposition to today’s construction industry, which usually allows somewhere around a two year (max) building time. Let’s not forget the lack of technology at their disposal. Amazing, really.

After a quick lunch, we stopped by Rue Cremieux (street of colorful homes) on the way to the Jardin des Plantes and the National Museum of Natural History (to see the Gallery of Evolution). We continued our trek past the Pantheon and through the Luxembourg Gardens, which of course were beautiful but filled with people. Needing a warm beverage (it was colder in Paris than I’d assumed it would be), we happily found an Angelina to try their famous hot chocolate (literally pure melted chocolate – delicious). We had subsequent plans for dinner and drinks at Le Chat Ivre and Lone Palm, respectively, but after an exhausting day on foot (and unrelenting heart burn, ugh), we picked up a baguette, cheese, and meat from bread & roses for a picnic back at our airbnb, where we opened our balcony windows, played French radio, and packed our bags.

Day Four: our day of departure. I absolutely knew I wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower in the daytime, as I’d only ever seen it at night, and also, let’s be real – I wanted some good photos. So this was the first day we set an early alarm, grabbed a croissant and coffee at Pain Pain, and headed to the Trocadero. We arrived at about 8 AM, right before the rain and the crowds set in – the perfect opportunity for some photos. Once it did come, the crowds thinned, and we had the place to ourselves to enjoy the magic of the Eiffel Tower in the rain. Seriously, I’m not sure it will ever get old.

We still had time before our flight to climb the Arc de Triomphe, which is so worth it for the view (and we lucked out – admission was free that day), and walk to the Pont Alexandre III bridge to eat our leftover picnic food.

Things we learned so far:

Travel can be hard on your body. Take care of it.

It’s OK if you don’t make your 8 AM call time – you need the sleep.

Parisians don’t take their coffee to go. Maybe we should take note.

Rain isn’t all bad. Carry an umbrella, and it’s beautiful.

The train is easy; the buses are too.

Don’t be afraid to speak English; you’ll only be more awkward if you are (coming from personal experience).

Paris sure knows how to do cheese.

Outfit 1: Zara blouse (similar here, here, here, and here), Everlane pants, Madewell scarf (similar), Target cardigan, Straw hat (similar), Allbirds shoes, Fjallraven backpack

Outfit 2: J. Crew turtleneck, Back Beat Rags jumpsuit, Allbirds shoes

And without further ado – Paris, a video. Oh, my heart, this is probably my favorite video to date. There’s just something film can paint that still images can’t. Enjoy (with sound on please).

Until we meet again, Paris. ❤

P.S. I still have Croatia and Italy to go for our European trip, so stay tuned!

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-wonderland sam

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