Sending Love to Paris

On Friday night, watching with horror as the events unfolded in Paris, I felt lots of things. I think the whole world did. There was of course the disbelief of how people think that they can act in such a way, terrorizing others. But for me, there was also a little bit of reminiscing. Having been to Paris twice now, two summers in a row, I feel a little attachment to the city.  Today, I would like to share a few of my favorite snapshots of Paris, and I send love to all the citizens of Paris and the rest of France. My prayers are with you. 

 

Avec Amour,

--Caroline

From Paris, With Love

Last summer when my family and I were in Europe, we spent only a couple few days in Paris. It was so nice to be able to spend a longer time there this summer, and it meant we could relax a little and not have to run around Paris trying to see everything like chickens with our heads cut off! 

We returned to one of my favorite places, the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, and saw all the main sights: the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame. We also took a day and went into Giverney to see Monet's Gardens and relax in the Norman countryside. It was so cool to see where Monet's inspiration came from--I would be inspired to paint like that if I lived in such a beautiful area!

I loved my time back in Paris, but it was still good to finally make my way home after 8 weeks of traveling in Europe. I truly enjoyed my trip, and the memories and things I learned will stay with me for forever. As you read this, my family and I are heading to Yellowstone for the week for a little family vacation… My traveling just doesn't seem to end!

Happy Monday!

--Caroline

A City of Love & Lights

Thus far, I've talked about how impressed I was by Prague, how I grew to love all the German villages, and now it's time for me to share the last part of my family vacation: Paris. I loved Paris, don't get me wrong, but my expectations were high (how can they not be, with the amount of screen time Paris gets in movies & tv, and nicknames like The City of Love and The City Of Lights?). Needless to say, I was not as into Paris as I was some of the other places we went. I contribute this not only to the epic hype surrounding the most popular vacation destination, but also the fact that at this point my family and I were kind of ready to be home. I certainly want to go back to Paris, because being there for only 2 days we really didn't have time to check out the art museums, and we missed out on a lot of exploring. Some day I'll return, and it won't be at the end of my trip!

A Beautiful outdoor modern art installation at Versailles.

I loved this interior light installation--it looks like an elegant strand of pearls.

The Hall Of Mirrors! I had been dreaming of the day I'd get to see this in person!

The Arc de Triumph with the French flag, still up from Bastille Day.

My family and I in front of the Eiffel Tower.

The Luxembourg Palace & beautiful gardens.

The Eiffel Tower sparkling during the nighttime light show.

And that concludes our trip! It was such a fun and memorable trip, and I'm so glad I got to experience it with my family. I can't wait to go to Florence next summer for my study abroad, and I can't wait to travel back another time. I need to see some of the sights I missed throughout Prague, Germany, and Paris, as well as visit more of the Czech Republic and France. 

I hope y'all have enjoyed my posts about the trip! Have a wonderful Tuesday!

--Caroline