First time in Paris!

 Bonjour mes amis! It's the last Sunday of our first August in Belgium. 

This month has seen us visiting Italy, Amsterdam, and Paris. We also received our household goods and got everything in place. It's been an exciting but BUSY month, and we are tired but appreciative of these opportunities and experiences. I give thanks to Him daily and don't take any of this for granted. 

Saturday morning, we were up by 5 and on the bus for Paris by 7:00 am. We were able to get some sleep during the 3-hour drive, which was nice. Once we arrived in Paris, the bus parked next to the Seine cruise boats and the Eiffel Tower, which made it very convenient. We took a cruise first to see the sights and get a feel for the city. It was a cool and partly cloudy morning, which was perfect for the day ahead.

 

Before and after photos of the cruise for weather reference. 😉

After the cruise, we went and had a delicious lunch at a French restaurant. I had the most delicious bœuf bourguignon with baby potatoes and rice, while Arturo had veal Francese with pasta. Liam had, of course, the hamburger au fromage et frites, AKA, cheeseburger with French fries.

After that delicious meal, we were off to explore the city. We had no real plan, but just walked and took everything in. Everywhere you look in Paris, there is something beautiful. 

We walked down parts of Champs-Elysees , the most famous shopping street in Paris, and bought Liam a pair of shoes, which was about the only thing we could afford. Ha!

After walking the streets and shopping, we decided to get some dessert. The plan was to go to Angelina's as suggested by many friends, but after standing in a looooooong line for a while that didn't seem to move, we found a really cute Japanese bakery. It was fun exploring the different parts of Paris and unlike Amsterdam, it was very clean.

I always wanted to ride in a tuk tuk, and since we were on the other end of Paris, we decided to take a tuk tuk ride back to the Eiffel Tower. It was starting to get dark now, and it was drizzling, so we chose a cute little Italian restaurant to sit under the awning and enjoy a relaxing dinner.

I absolutely LOVE that meals are expected to take a while, and you are never rushed to order, eat, or pay, like in the U.S. It's meant to be savored! After we relaxed and enjoyed our meal, we walked back down the Seine and were excited to see the Eiffel Tower light up!

We have so much left to see and do in Paris, but it was a nice first visit, and we look forward to returning soon!