My Three-Week long European adventure began this week in Paris and I am still on a high from the sights, food and people! Here are some highlights from our three days in the city of lights.

Sleep

We stayed at the beautiful Le Dokhan which is located in the Trocadero neighborhood of Paris. My family first stayed at this hotel when I was 5 years old when we were living in Normandy, France. Ever since, this hotel has held a special place in our hearts and I was so exited to be able to stay here again for my graduation trip with my mom!

What I love most about the hotel is not only its 5-minute walk to la Tour Eiffel, but also its classic black and white decor in all of the bedrooms. We woke up each morning to a fresh basket of warm croissants in our beautiful room and it was the perfect way to start our day. 

Eat

Contrary to the story that my snapchat told the past few days (rchenry8), our entire trip did not revolve around food... although it definitely played a big part!

We ended up having two separate afternoon tea experiences and surprisingly, they were equally delicious even though they were so different! The first was at the Ritz Paris where we were treated to champagne, tea and copious amounts of biscuits, breads and pastries and the second was at the Ladurée Paris restaurant on the Champs Elysees. Honestly, this was my favorite of the two. We sat down for a lunch of salad and sliders on the street and capped off the experience with 4 of their famous macaroons and the Marie Antoinette tea (a fusion of black tea, honey and rose petals)... yum! 

My favorite dinner was at Cafe Marly which is located right next to the Louvre. One thing that I didn't realize until this trip, was that during the summer months, the sun does not set until 10pm! So we made a reservation at 9pm for my mom and myself plus my good friend Ryan who was in Paris that night as well. Not only was the food delicious, but our 3 hour dinner was made even more special by the view of the sun shining off of the Louvre and then as the sun went down and the iconic pyramid was lit from within. This is a must-do if you are in Paris during the warmer months. 

Out of all the incredibly rich and decadent foods we ate in Paris, I have to say that the most delicious was the classic baguette that I bought in a little Boulangerie in Saint Germain. Don't let anybody kid you, the French really do know what they are talking about when it comes to their fresh bread!

Play

Let's be honest, Paris is always a good idea! By my mom's count, I have been to Paris over 10 times, but sadly, this is only the second trip that I can remember. So, it was really important to me that we do as much exploring as we possibly could in 3 days! We were able to make it to La Tour Eiffel, Le Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe. But of course most of our time was spent just wandering the streets of the Trocadero and Saint Germain neighborhoods. 

I loved the moments when we could sit down in a random cafe and people watch/ listen to the beautiful French language being spoken all around us. I studied the french language in middle and high school so I tried to use it as much as I possibly could. I was a little annoyed though because whenever I tried to speak french and communicate with the locals, they would respond in english... I guess that I will just have to try again when we return to the South of France next week!

As I write this, I am on a train from Paris to London for part 2 of my adventure. Stay tuned...

XOXO,

Rachael Claire