After the late mornings and even later nights of Barcelona, we were ready to head back to Paris for our final leg of the journey. Going back to meet up with my family once again before we left, we checked back into the Hotel Mayet for our short stay.
Paris was noteably warmer than we had left it, and we were able to walk around in light sweaters instead of heavy layers of jackets. The fog and rain had also moved on, replaced by perfect skies, very tall with streaked clouds.
Since the Louvre was closed on our first try of the trip, we decided to give it another go. The line wasn’t bad at all, and we spend a few hours wandering through the huge halls of the Louvre, nearly every vertical suface adorned with priceless artwork.
We had duck confit our last night in Paris, which consisted of an extremely quarter of duck roasted in its own fat with garlic mashed potatoes. A very fitting, and French, way to end the trip. After that, it was nothing but an early RER train ride to Charles de Gaulle, where we made it just in time for our flight to be delayed! Luckily, it wasn’t delayed for long, and we were soon back on our way to the states.
It’s trips like these that make you realize how invaluable travel really is. The experience of living out of your price range, comfort zone and normal life is something that everyone should experience at least once (and preferrably many times). Since stepping off the plane, I’ve had the urge to go right back over, and hopefully soon it will be possible!
Clockwise from left:
1. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, dated back to the 2nd century B.C. at the Louvre. 2 & 3. In contrast, the Orgullo Mexicano, Lowrider Car of the Year inside the entrance lobby of the Louvre.
Clockwise from left:
1. La Grande Roue ferris wheel against a bright blue sky in the Jardin des Tuileries. 2. One of the many ornately designed and painted ceilings on the tour of the Louvre. 3. Aphrodite of Milos, or Venus de Milo, believed to have been carved by Alexandros of Antioch between 100 and 130 B.C.
Clockwise from left:
1. La Grande Roue ferris wheel in the Jardin des Tuileries against a perfect sky. 2. The Obelisk of Luxor in the Place de la Concorde, with the Eiffel tower rising in the background.
Clockwise from top:
1. A wide view of the Jardin des Tuileries with the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel to the left and the Pavillon de Flore to the right. 2. The Pavillon de Flore, left, and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Jardin des Tuileries with the Eiffel Tower behind. 3. The Hôtel de Ville under a bright sky.
The Cour Napoléon, featuring the Louvre Pyramid, designed by I.M. Pei and completed in 1989 with the Pavillon Denon behind.
The Pont Notre Dame, spanning the sapphire water of the Seine, with the Tribunal de Commerce to the left.
And last but not least, a video inside Notre Dame right after dark the night before we left.
