A few weeks ago my friend Staci came from New Hampshire to visit Maastricht. In honor of Ned and I's six year anniversary (April 17th), Staci and I headed to one of the most romantic places in the world...Paris. Without Ned. He watched the kids while Staci and I took the high speed train from the Liege, Belgium train station (just 25 minutes from our house) straight into Paris Nord station. Thanks Ned! Only a 2.5 hour train ride.
This was the first time in 15 months that I had been away from Katie and Andrew. (the last time was a one night girls getaway last January) I missed the kids, but have to say it felt so good to just go where the wind blew us. We didn't have a set plan. We knew we wanted to go to Notre Dame, Louvre, Arc d'Triumph and the Eiffel Tour. Other than that, we just walked and walked and walked.
We hit the streets of Paris around noon on Saturday and went to Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame first. Then lunch and then some souvenier shopping. We walked up the Champs Elysses, had a fancy coffee and then climbed the stairs on the Arc d'Triumph. The view was magnificent. We got to the Eiffel Tour a little before 9pm just in time to see the flickering lights on the tower. We went to the first observation tower (I do not like heights or elevators) and again, the sites were magnificent. Sunday we woke up...when we wanted to wake up...no alarms and no children...and again, hit the streets of Paris. Our main objective was the Louvre...after, of course, a Paris breakfast. Croissant and coffee. After the Louvre we took a cab up to Sacre Coeur. Lots and lots of stairs to the top of Sacre Coeur, but well worth it.
All in all it was a GREAT 30 hour mini break! Thanks Staci for being such and awesome travel buddy. And friend!
This was the first time in 15 months that I had been away from Katie and Andrew. (the last time was a one night girls getaway last January) I missed the kids, but have to say it felt so good to just go where the wind blew us. We didn't have a set plan. We knew we wanted to go to Notre Dame, Louvre, Arc d'Triumph and the Eiffel Tour. Other than that, we just walked and walked and walked.
We hit the streets of Paris around noon on Saturday and went to Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame first. Then lunch and then some souvenier shopping. We walked up the Champs Elysses, had a fancy coffee and then climbed the stairs on the Arc d'Triumph. The view was magnificent. We got to the Eiffel Tour a little before 9pm just in time to see the flickering lights on the tower. We went to the first observation tower (I do not like heights or elevators) and again, the sites were magnificent. Sunday we woke up...when we wanted to wake up...no alarms and no children...and again, hit the streets of Paris. Our main objective was the Louvre...after, of course, a Paris breakfast. Croissant and coffee. After the Louvre we took a cab up to Sacre Coeur. Lots and lots of stairs to the top of Sacre Coeur, but well worth it.
All in all it was a GREAT 30 hour mini break! Thanks Staci for being such and awesome travel buddy. And friend!
Stain class at St. Chapelle
The Louvre
Venus de Milo and meWe did the headset tour. We saw the top three masterpieces - Venus De Milo, Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa. And then some. We spent about 2.5 hours there. You could spend days, but this was just enough in the amount of time we had.
Arc d'Triumph
The stairs up to the top of the Arc.
The weather was GORGEOUS. Mid 70s I would guess and everyone was outside enjoying the weather. Staci and I got baguettes and ate on the lawn and people-watched.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Eiffel TourStreet performer in Montmartre
