Paris - Days 1 & 2 (Sunday May 25th & Monday May 26)
- ledzeppelin6896
- May 18
- 3 min read
Updated: May 26
We are off again on one of our European adventures! This time we are taking a two-week swing through northern Europe which includes Paris, Belgium and Amsterdam.
On Saturday afternoon we took off from Seattle towards Reykjavik Iceland, and after a short layover, we were off once again to Paris. We spent a week in Paris a few years ago, and were excited to visit once again.
We arrived in Paris early Sunday afternoon. After Ubering from the airport, we unpacked and settled down at the hotel Beaugency in the Rue Cler neighborhood in Paris, which is about a 10 minute walk southeast of the Eiffel Tower. After a quick two hour nap (ok, not so quick) to help us deal with the ever-so-real jet lag, we decided that we needed to return to our favorite restaurant in Paris for dinner, the "sans-gluten" Italian restaurant, Tasca. Once there, we were able to partake in having a gluten-free Peroni beer, and a couple of tasty gluten-free pizzas! G.F. Peroni has yet to be discovered in the US by us, so if you happen to know of a place that carries it, please let us know!
We concluded the day by strolling by the Eifel Tower for a photo op and to people watch a bit. We also realized that in Paris, people love their dogs as many people were out walking their dogs and letting them run around a bit in the picnic areas just southeast of the tower. We've seen many different breeds so far, but concluded that the most popular dogs we've encountered include Corgis and Pomeranians. We've also seen a couple of Border Terriers, so that made Katie especially happy!
Monday morning arrived after a long, and much needed, night's sleep. We awoke refreshed and feeling human again and we set out for the day. We began by having a cappuccino and a ham & cheese omelette at the Cafe du Marche, which is a cute cafe in the heart of Rue Cler.
After filling up, we took off on a 50-minute walk to see the beautiful Sainte Chapelle cathedral located on an island in the middle of the river Seine. Thankfully, we planned ahead and purchased tickets ahead of time for all of the attractions we will be visiting on our trip this year. Consequently, it saved us HOURS by not having to wait in lines to purchase tickets and to (maybe) gain entry. Experience does pay off after all! The Gothic style royal chapel was built in the 1200s and was home to the kings of France until the 1300s. The chapel includes over 1100 colorful, stunning, stained-glass windows. It certainly was a sight to behold and we were excited to finally be able to visit it.
Afterwards, we walked just a few minutes southeast to the other side of the river island to visit the famous Notre Dame cathedral. Originally we were going to visit it on Tuesday (as that was the only time Mike could secure entry tickets), but while in line for Sainte Chapelle, we met some nice people from California who had two extra tickets for the same day, and gave them to us. We were excited to not have to walk all the way back the following day, which now opens up our schedule for tomorrow!
Once we were able to get into the cathedral, we were amazed by the detailed architecture, the beautiful stained-glass windows, and the numerous statues of French saints and other important figures. Last time we were in Paris, Notre Dame was closed due to the devastating fire and we were disappointed that we couldn't visit it. That being said, it was worth the wait!
On our way walking back to the hotel, we did a bit of shopping from some locals and purchased a few keepsakes we'll be bringing back with us to the states. We also stumbled upon a gluten-free bakery called Noglu, and purchased a delicious variety of pastries. This might very well be Katie's new favorite place to get delicious treats and I'm sure we'll be visiting it again before we depart for Belgium in a few days. After returning to the hotel and taking a quick power nap, we went once again to Tasca restaurant to fill up on gluten-free pasta and gnocchi. Delicious! Before heading back to the hotel, we walked by the Eifel Tower again and stopped at Cafe du Marche for a wine nightcap!
Tomorrow we are thinking of heading to Montmartre and possibly the Military Museum/Napoleon's tomb. We shall see what the day holds.
Until next time, au revoir!!
By the way, Mike has changed a few things on the site. Feel free to drop a "like" or a comment if you feel so inclined!
I'm waiting to start enjoying descriptions of the chocolate -- Belgian chocolate is hands down the country's best export!
This is great! I love it, great to be able to follow you on your trip, enjoy your stay in Europe
Hey, you two! Thanks so much for letting us travel with you, without having to get on a plane, go through Customs, or even pack a bag. Your website is great, the pictures are awesome, and we're so pleased the two of you have this opportunity to travel again. Paris was one of our favorite places, but Notre Dame was closed when we were there. Sounds like we need to go back to see it! Here's to a great time ahead.
I'm so glad y'all are having a great time. I don't know if I'm more jealous of the sites you're seeing or the food you're eating! Great job with the website, by the way. Love you guys!