Paris has always been somewhere I have dreamed of visiting, ever since I was old enough to know of it. To me the city represents romance, beauty, elegance and of course, love. I have heard mixed reviews from people I know who have visited Paris, with some saying it is dirty and overcrowded, and others adoring it. I can confirm, I definitely adore this gorgeous city.
We started our time in Paris by visiting the Saint Chappele Church, which has the most stunning stain glass windows I’ve ever seen. Next we went to see Notre Dame Cathedral, which looked beautiful with the surrounding autumn scenery, before visiting an iconic filming location from the TV show The Summer I Turned Pretty – iykyk.
I then visited the Dior Gallery, which did not disappoint as I was overwhelmed by the number of beautiful gowns and enjoyed learning about the history of Christian Dior’s craft.
After this, we went to the Arc De Triomph, and climbed the 284 steps to the top – not the easiest task! The view of Paris was gorgeous though, I love the circular layout of the city. Next was the Petite Palace, where we wandered through the halls of art.
For our first evening in Paris, we went on a river cruise down the Seine, which was gorgeous, and we got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle which was stunning.
Our next morning started with a trip to the Louvre, which was incredible. I especially loved the royal apartments, and the incredible decorative ceilings and sculptures. We then made our way up the Eiffel Tower, which was very cool but very cold in the autumn wind, before heading to the Galeries Lafayette, which has one of the most beautiful ceilings I’ve ever seen.
Our night ended with a trip down to the Eiffel Tower, where we got our portrait done by a local street artist. We did spot a few rats in the street though so it’s definitely not the cleanest city!
The following day, we headed to Versailles, which was my highlight of the trip. I adored exploring the palace, the decorative halls, the extensive grounds, and smaller manor houses and gardens. It is such an incredible place and I could have easily spent multiple days exploring it all. Marie Antoinette’s little village was beautiful, it reminded me of Mr MacGregor’s garden from Peter Rabbit. We even got to see red squirrels!
For our last day, we took a day trip to Rouen, a nearby city full of rich history and culture. We started our morning visiting the site where Joan of Arc was killed, which was very moving – it is in the middle of a large garden of flowers and greenery next to the Église Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc de Rouen. The church also has gorgeous stain glassed windows, and the surrounding square has some beautiful historic buildings.
We walked through the Le Gros Horloge, an astronomical 14th century clock set on a renaissance arch with intricate carvings. It was beautiful admiring the number of hidden details within the sculpture work.
We visited a Friends themed cafe on accident, which was such a fun surprise – they had constant episodes playing, friends themed menu and decor. We had delicious New York style bagels.
Next, we visited the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, which has the most incredible facade. It is so massive we could barely take a photo with the top of it in the shot!
I absolutely adored our time in Paris, it completely charmed me and I can’t wait to return one day.
