PARIS, FRANCE
The Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes, every hour on the hour until 1AM! However, at 1AM, you only see the sparkle on the tower, and not the actual tower lit, so the last fully lit sparkle of the evening is at Midnight each night!
France Fun Facts
1. There are up to 1200 varieties of cheese made in France!
2. In 2016, France made it illegal to throw away unsold food that is edible. Markets must donate all unsold food to those who need it most.
3. The Eiffel Tower is named after the tower's engineer, Gustave Eiffel.
4. France has 12 different time zones, more than any other country!
5. France is the number one most visited country in the world!
The Louvre Museum is the world's largest art museum and the most visited museum in the world. Originally built as the Louvre castle in the late 12th century, this magnificent museum has been a place of display for art collections since 1682 but the museum officially opened on the 10th of August in 1793. Upon opening, it carried 537 paintings. Currently, the Louvre contains more than 380,000 objects with 35,000 works of art with an average of 15,000 visitors per day!
The crisp outside had such a delicate and soft shell, breaking ever so slightly once you bit into it. The creamy consistency inside was a cool, refreshing taste that drew me back in for more.
I stopped at a little food and pastry shoppe on the way back. It was cash only and inside I found limitless amounts of delectable treats available.. tarts, macarons, eclairs, creme brûlée, candies, baguettes, breads of all types.. the list could have gone on forever. I decided on a strawberry eclair and a baguette sandwich. The sandwiches here are long, skinny, and warmed.. served on a baguette bread and put under a panini maker. It was then placed in a long sleeve for you to take wherever you roam.
I decided to stop into another pastry shop (pictured) to take a find a few macarons to try, as I had never had one before this trip and I had heard so much about them.
The Eiffel Tower
I had a picnic on the Champ de Mars while staring up at this massive beauty. It is quite mesmerizing being up close as the structures’ architecture is out of this world. Did you know that the Eiffel Tower is the most visited tourist spot? More than 7 million people visit ever year.
How it’s rustic marooned brown finish grasped together to knit this large stance of a tower is absolutely marvelous.
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Paris, France
The buildings were of a white pastel color, with romantic whirled and twirly patio fences that held flower pots underneath. I felt like Audrey Hepburn starring in Sabrina.. learning how to crack an egg in one hand.. dreaming of moon rivers while waltzing through this breathtaking city.
I noticed the beautiful fashion here. Long trench coats with hair in buns and many Parisians in glasses. I noticed the different scarves, pea coats of grey and black, and how put together everyone was all around the metropolitan area. I watched many carry baguettes with them as they walked, and even more smoked which I quickly realized was more popular here in Europe than in the US.
I began my walk towards the Eiffel Tower once I arrived, as it was the main attraction I wanted to view. This photograph was captured as the first moment I saw it in person, across the bridge. It was another one of those “awe” moments that stops you in your tracks the first time you see it. ... Of course, growing up we heard about this iconic structure but the initial first glance was something that brought tears to my eyes.
As I approached closer, I noticed the abundance of tourist shops with sparkling shirts of the Eiffel Tower and sweatshirts that had “PARIS” written across the front. My goal was, as always, to find the shop with the Christmas Ornaments.
While browsing the streets, I stopped at a crepe stand and bought a delicious Nutella crepe for 1.60 euro. It was the first item I had purchased here and it was fantastic. I remember the chilly October day well. Bundled in coats, sipping on an espresso with a crepe in hand. And I was having the time of my life.
