Straight Parisian Night - Oct 2022

As an early anniversary outing, we decided to spend a long weekend in beautiful Paris. We got there late on a Thursday, managing to catch the final train from the airport. After checking into our hotel, we unwound whilst drinking some French wine and watching Night Delivery (thank you, Scotland, for your weirdly relaxing late night television).

The next morning we set out on foot to explore the city. We started out hugging the Seine and enjoying the views of grand architecture by the river. We stopped in by the Louvre to check out the iconic, if slightly misfit, pyramid before walking over to the Tuileries Garden. We were there early enough to beat the crowd and grab a seat by one of the lovely fountains.

Next stop was the 3,000 year old Luxor Obelisk - what great city is complete without one of these Egyptian treasures? Plus, there were more beautiful fountains nearby to take a gander at prior to walking down the Champs-Elysees. It is a lovely avenue, capped off by the very impressive Arc de Triomphe.

At this point, we had worked up quite an appetite, so we stopped by a cute cafe for a glass of wine and a Croque Monsieur. The people watching was very fun, and we even got to see them load up a dumbwaiter!

After another pleasant stroll through the city, it was time for our Opera House tour. The building is breathtaking, and our tour guide did an excellent job providing insight into its history, as well as what it was like to attend shows at a place where the social agenda is more important than the show itself.

What better way to waste a couple hours than a glass of wine back in the Tuileries Garden? It was such fun to see everyone gather to begin their weekend on a gorgeous Friday afternoon. Soon, it was time for dinner at a chic, creative restaurant. The ginger and beetroot shot to start the meal was a pleasant surprise, and set the tone for the excellent food to come.

The next day, we visited a local bakery and were blown away by the deliciousness of the pastries. Then we set out in a new direction to see the great structure known as Notre Dame. Though still under construction, it's still possible to enjoy its magnificence from the outside. We spent a pleasant afternoon hopping from cafe to cafe (with variable temperatures), checking out sights like the Moulin Rouge, and strolling adorable side streets.

We had a fancy lunch inside the Bourse de Commerce, including a surprisingly tasty mushroom soup, an onion cake, tasty fish, and a fruity dessert. The ambience was lovely, with a great view and soothing classical music accompanying the meal.

With a quick nap on the books, it was time for our nighttime river cruise, starting at none other than the Eiffel Tower. With Betty Davis Eyes on repeat, our boat pushed out onto the river as the Eiffel Tower started its hourly twinkling light show. All of the buildings and bridges reflected off the water beautifully. It was a very romantic boat ride despite the questionable playlist.

We strolled back along the Seine and tracked down some evening grub at a pub close to the hotel. The owner was hilarious and even taught us how to properly eat escargo.

For our last day, we visited our fave bakery one last time, stumbled upon a street market, then found our favorite street in all of Paris. We posted up at a cafe so we could take in the surroundings - mostly the fashion choices of the passersby (also, the Nike tattoo on the woman's ankle next to us, still curious about the story there).

Finally, we found a spot for lunch and a few parting glasses of champagne. A fitting way to end a great weekend in the City of Lights. Au revoir, Paris! Or, as Jacob would say, Au Reservoir, Paris!