Paris is stunning, unique, and entrenched in a remarkable history of art and fashion. Considering my love of clothing, painting, and the French language, we are completely suited for one another. After flying nine hours across the seemingly endless Atlantic Ocean, we arrived in beautiful Paris, disheveled and immensely fatigued. Personally, sleeping on a plane for more than an hour is an almost impossible task, especially with the excitement of a marvelous destination filling me with anticipation. My family, friend, and I arrived on an early July morning at the Baltimore Hotel, an elegant hotel in the 16th arrondissement dressed in bright, red flowers.
After replenishing our energy with some breakfast viennoiseries, omelettes, and fruit, we climbed onto a double decker bus (Big Bus Tours) to see the plethora of Parisian monuments as efficiently as possible on our quick trip. Even with exhaustion looming and blurring my focus a bit, I was able to consume the beauty of Paris and its impressive architecture – and take a lot of pictures!
Le Palais du Louvre
La Pyramide du Louvre
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
Le Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris
L'Église de la Madeleine (Roman Catholic Church)
L'Avenue des Champs-Élysées et l'Arc de Triomphe
Following a desperately needed night of deep sleep (although briefly interrupted by the hollers of enthusiastic fans outside during the Euro 2016 semi-final) and incredible room service, we spent our last, fleeting half-day in Paris at Les Galeries Lafayette. This building is a wonderland of clothing, accessories, and makeup, embodying a whimsical and enchanted shopping fairytale. Glistening, golden balconies and a stunning, ornate ceiling compliment an array of glamorous apparel. Furthermore, the roof of this building exhibits extraordinary views of Paris.
And our brief visit of Paris sadly came to an end as we turned off the chaotic roundabout of the Arc de Triomphe and drove toward the freeway. Yet another adventure awaited as we went on to explore more of the vast beauty and exquisite sceneries of France. Allons-y!
July 2016
