20 Hours in Paris

We extended our layover in Paris so we could enjoy the city before heading back home. Clem told Colin all about her trip last fall so he was excited to see why she liked it so much. This is the view from our hotel room. C'est parfait!

After checking out les grands magasins in the 1e, we had a very nice meal at Vivant. Colin's favourite dish was the scallops on the right.

We walked all around town, including the Latin Quarter, which we didn't do the last time. Colin watched the Eiffel Tower light show from the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge (which used to be covered with "love locks").

The next morning, we stuffed our faces with Parisian pastries at several bakeries and had a delicious brunch at Buvette. We shared both dishes, but Colin liked the dish on the left more.

Colin had a great trip but was happy to return to his pals in the 6ix. He was a bit jet lagged for a few days, but he's now back to his usual self.

Last Day in Paris

One of the highlights of our trip was the Musee d'Orsay. It was an impressionist art paradise in an old railway station.

This painting was one of Clem's favourites in the museum. There were so many famous pieces in one place...we couldn't believe it!

Clem loved this sandwich at Abri. It's a tiny Japanese restaurant that only serves the sandwich on Mondays and Saturdays.

We ate a ridiculous amount of bread, pastries, and other baked goods within a three-day period. This lemon tart was divine, and apparently the best in the city.

It's hard to see Clem but she's in the bottom lefthand corner of this photo. We watched the light show at the Eiffel Tower. It exceeded our expectations. We felt like we were in a movie!

We can't wait to return to Paris! It was simply magical!

Paris, Je T'Aime

The Sacre-Coeur was a 20-minute walk from our hotel in the 9e arrondissement. There were several great bakeries en route to the church. We had some of the best croissants we ever had.

Our second day in Paris was more sunny so we bought sandwiches and ate them outside of the Palais-Royal. B napped while Clem and I people watched.

We visited Notre-Dame. Liked many of the buildings in Paris, we were very impressed by how old and ornate this church was.

Shopping in Paris was a dream! We wished we had more time to check out Paris' department stores. Clem loved this purse by Karl Lagerfeld. She asked that we keep an eye out for it when we return home to Toronto.

We had another terrific meal...this time at Les Arlots. Their wine selection was superb and reasonably priced. We would definitely recommend this place to our foodie friends.

City of Lights

After B's conference, we hopped on a quick flight to Paris to check out the City of Lights. We walked everywhere. The Arc du Triomphe was impressive but probably even more impressive was watching the cars merge several lanes without slowing down.

Even though our first day in Paris was overcasted, we spent a decent amount of time walking through the city's beautiful parks. The Tuileries Gardens had lots of history (from the mid-1500s) and fun public art.

Here's Clem outside of the Louve. We didn't go in, but will check it out on a future trip.

We had an excellent dinner at Verjus. The tasting menu was worth every penny.