Josh and I got up a little early to finish packing and then went to Monoprix in Place Kleber to buy some drinks. We stopped in at the same pastry shop as the day before for pain au chocolate before returning to the hotel to check out. The hotel desk called a taxi for us, … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 9 – Strasbourg to Paris, Quick Trip to Versailles, New Year’s Eve
We wanted to see the astronomical clock presentation at mid-day, which requires being in line before 11:30am. We didn't want to leave the hotel too early, as nothing really opens very early anywhere in France. Once we were all dressed and ready, we walked around near the hotel looking for a bakery for breakfast. There … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Part 8 – Strasbourg
Words don't do justice to Strasbourg, so this post is going to be very image heavy! We got up and finished packing our bags and checked out of the hotel pretty early that morning. We had to navigate the metro (lots of up and down stairs) with all our luggage to Gare de l'est in … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 7 – Paris to Strasbourg
I took a break, but I'm back to writing about our trip! Day 6 was a Sunday and our all-day trip to Bruges, Belgium. We went to bed early the night before, and my alarm went off sometime around 5am that morning. We had to be downstairs before 6:30am for our tour guide to pick … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 6 – Bruges, Belgium
Day five was supposed to be our second day for museums, but after a lot of walking the day before and 4 pairs of sore, tired feet, we opted to try a hop-on-hop-off bus tour instead of hoofing it around town. We used the hotel's computer to purchase our one day pass for Foxity's buses. … Continue reading Day 5 – Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus and Musee des Arts et Metiers
We originally set aside two full days for museums in Paris--the Friday and Saturday after Christmas. Most Paris museums close on either Monday or Tuesday, so make sure you check the museum websites before you set your itinerary. Friday and Saturday are probably more crowded days all year long, but it's what worked in our … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 4 – Monet, Rodin, Napoleon, and The Louvre
Our second full day in Paris was Christmas Day. I was a little apprehensive about this when we booked our trip. We went back and forth about renting an apartment or a hotel with a kitchen so we could cook and hang out at "home" on Christmas Day, but we decided to test our luck … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 3 – Christmas Day
We started our first full day in Paris early by local standards, waking up well before the sun. I had no idea that the sun doesn't rise in Paris until after 9am in the winter! Since mom and I take longer to get ready, we sent Josh and my dad to look for breakfast. They … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 2 – Christmas Eve, Montmartre, and the Eiffel Tower
If you're just finding my blog, make sure you start at the beginning of this trip with Day 1 - Getting to Paris! Hotel Henri IV Rive Gauche, located on Rue Saint-Jacques, is just a block away from Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame. It's in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, and borders … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 1 – The Hotel and First Night in Paris
When we were researching visiting Paris in the winter, I found lots of one line or one paragraph generalizations about how it's cold and rainy but generally less crowded. I want to go in the opposite direction and saturate you with as much information as I can possibly recall. Everything from planning to packing to … Continue reading First Trip to Europe, Day 1 – Getting to Paris
I'd Rather Be Sailing 