Finally, the Eiffel Tower! A short visit to Paris was not nearly enough time to see the city.
In what was likely the fastest tour in the history of ever, we managed to get a glimpse of Paris in just three hours, not nearly enough time to take in all the sites, so we’re already planning a return trip next year.
But we packed in a lot of fun in those three hours.
A bus picked us up in the port of La Havre and it took us nearly three hours to reach the city.
We did a drive-by of the Arc de Triomphe, Versailles Palace and Champs-Elysees, walked to the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral (but didn’t have time to tour the inside of either) and spent a few glorious minutes at the Eiffel Tower.
They say spring in Paris is beautiful, but so is fall.
With sunny skies and temps in the 60s, people were everywhere, shopping in places like Gucci and Louis Vuitton and enjoying lunch in chic cafes or on patches of grass near a fountain.
The streets of Paris are lined with greenery; the chestnut trees are in full bloom this time of year and they are spectacular.
And since Paris is also known as the city of lights, Christmas displays are already quietly going up.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to take in the food scene either, but we managed to grab a sandwich at a quaint downtown café and ate lunch while we walked along the Seine River.
The highlight of the day, of course, was seeing the Eiffel Tower.
Again, there was no time to go to the top, but there was definitely a lot to see at the bottom.
Music by a saxophonist filled the carnival-like atmosphere as vendors peddled souvenirs and old French men played a rousing game of Bocce Ball.
I’m thrilled that we were able to get a taste of Paris, but the short time there left us wanting much more.
Next stop? Ireland.
