#paris

Ah Paris. Just writing the name gets me giddy. I want to start off this post by saying that the phrase, "Paris is always a good idea" now has new meaning to me because I was able to actually put that into practice on our trip. We didn't really have plans to hit up Paris on our trip since the journey has been so packed with train trips and city stops, BUT, the day before our flight my mom and I had this moment of smiling and looking to one another and saying, "Should we fit in Paris too?" And oh, am I SO glad we did. The first time I went to Paris I left feeling like this was one of my favorite cities in the world. I loved being able to go back a second time and seeing if this remained true. Did it? Big, fat yes!  Paris is magic. Paris is romantic. It's mysterious, illuminating, and simply draws you in. Every time we got off the metro and walked up the steps we were surrounded with an entirely different landscape. All of course included busy streets, colorful buildings, and most of all - people chillaxing. I know I mentioned this in my last post but it continues to ring true the more of Europe I see and explore. People value their time and well being so much. They close up shop when they feel like it, they sit down for an hour- long coffee break if they're in the mood. Anything goes. The sense of consumerism we have in America is completely blown to pieces in Europe, and it is so refreshing to be a part of. 

What I loved most? The eating of course, come on! Every morning my mom and I were on the hunt for better pastries from the day before. Because it just kept getting better and better. Huge shout out to my friend and fellow food blogger, Shikhalamode for all the amazing suggestions -- we tried almost everything! [i do have to note though that I thought Angelina was way over priced and not amazing food.. That being said, go for the experience! Oh and Strasbourg had better drinking chocolate ;)]. End rant. The food was all amazing. I'm iust glad we did so much walking every day so I'm not going home a fattie. 

The other part of the trip I loved was taking a boat ride tour across the Seine one of the afternoons. The sun finally came out while we were on the water and it was so relaxing after 5 hours of walking to simply bask in the sunlight and admire all the beautiful landmarks across the river.

I cannot wait to come back to Paris. Especially in better weather. That being said, the city was so good to us and I'm left smiling from ear to ear when I think about our time there. 

                        

#strasbourg

And we're back. Next stop on the EuroTour was Strasbourg. I can't even begin to describe how much I love this town. Strasbourg is in Alcace, a region of France that has a lot of German influence so you get a totally different feel here -- worlds apart from Paris. I feel so lucky to have seen such different parts of France, from Paris to Strasbourg to Nice and Cannes... this country never ceases to amaze me with its vibrant character and the "joie de vivre" that is so evident in the inhabitants. When my mom and I arrived in the train station, she turned to me and said, "I feel like I'm at home." This resonated so much with me because I felt the exact same way. We both fell in love with France on our last Europe trip and to feel the same way our second time here was so comforting. Even though it was still freezing, we both got this second wind and had a little night on the town and went exploring after dark. It was so magical. There were swans swimming in the river, moonlight reflecting off the cobble stones, and every café was booming. Truly out of a storybook. I told a friend the first comparison that came to mind to describe Strasbourg was: "Man in the Iron Mask" meets Disneyland. Haha! But truly no better way to explain it. The town is so tiny too that you can get around by foot almost anywhere. One of those places where you want to get lost and just soak in each quarter. I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life! We spent 2.5 days here and just left to take the train off to Paris. Can't wait to come back here. Thank you Strasbourg, you have a piece of my heart.