Paris- Part I — RachiePie

Bonjour! Alex and I are having a great time in Paris - despite not seeing the sun since we've arrived! It is such a beautiful city and we have enjoyed seeing the sights and eating our weight in baguettes and pastries!

We arrived Monday afternoon and did not get to our hotel until after 4:00pm. We quickly dropped off our luggage and headed out to see the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur (Sacred Hearts Basilica). Located in the Montmartre neighborhood, it was commissioned in 1873 to symbolize the return of self-confidence after the devastating years of the Commune and Franco-Prussian War. We were able to climb the 300 steps to the top to see a view of the city. It was starting to get dark by this point, but we still had beautiful views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower.

Tuesday was our first full day in Paris and we woke early and were one of the first to arrive at the Arc de Triomphe. This 1836 monument is dedicated to Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz. We were able to go to the top of arch on the viewing platform to see the 12 avenues below - talk about a busy roundabout! We ended up purchasing the Paris Museum Pass which after a flat fee allows you entrance to dozens of museums and monuments in Paris. It has worked out perfectly so far and even allows us to skip ahead of the line for certain attractions.

From the Arc de Triomphe, we walked to the Eiffel Tower. French engineer Gustave Eiffel spent two years working on this monument for the World Exhibition of 1889.

One of my favorite spots we visited was to the Musée Rodin. The museum is housed in Rodin's 18th-century mansion and contains over 6,000 of his sculptures and over 8,000 drawings and paintings.

Nearby is the Les Invalides, home to the Musée de l'Armée (military museum) and the burial place of Napoléon Bonaparte.

We finished our sightseeing by crossing over the Pont Alexandre III Bridge, regarded as one of the most ornate and decorative bridges in Paris.

Our last stop of the day was to Ladurée for some colorful and delicious macarons. Alex is a sucker for all things macaron and we got several to share including: gingerbread, salted caramel, and rose-grapefruit. It was a perfect start to our time here!