Postcards from Paris: Day Three









For our last full day in Paris, we headed to the Eiffel Tower first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, the weather was supposed to be overcast all day and get worse as the day progressed. So, we decided to bite the bullet and get up early in the hopes we might get lucky with the weather. We did not. But that’s ok, we ended up getting some great shots with our bright pink umbrella.

After taking a ridiculous amount of pictures, I mean ridiculous—selfies, individual portraits, artsy umbrella shots, and scenery, we decided to stroll down boulevard Saint-Germain-des-Prés. We stopped at a great little café called Malabar along the way that made the most delicious (and giant) cappuccinos. Once caffeinated, we strolled to St. Sulpice before continuing all the way down Saint-Germain until we reached the Latin Quarter (so called because it was, and still is, the central area for higher education and Latin was once the lingua franca of higher ed.) Today, the area is stull full of students, but it is also known for its lively atmosphere and quaint bistros.

For our final stop, we headed to the lock bridge. We put aside our single, cat-lady bitterness to visit the bridge dedicated to love (insert eye roll). Love lucks have become an international phenomenon in most major cities (there is also a spot in Florence), but they seem to have gotten their start, or at least earned their fame, in Paris. Basically, a couple writes their names on a padlock and locks it onto the bridge. They then throw the key into the river, in this case the Seine, as a symbol of their undying love (holding back the eye rolls). Several bridges in Paris have locks, and many have been removed, since they have become so numerous they pose a threat to the bridge's structure. Today, the majority of love locks seem to be congregated on the Ponte de l’Archevêchè, so that was where we headed. Instead of celebrating a significant other, we cracked open another box of Ladurèe macarons and toasted to our love of French pastries!

After a long (and chilly) day of walking we rested in our hotel a bit before heading up to Montmartre for dinner. Montmartre is a great area for dinner and drinks and I highly recommend the funky fondue restaurant Le Refuge des Fondus (make sure you book ahead).

The next morning we headed by train to London...

Labels: , , , , , ,