That one time? In Paris?

I'm thinking we're going to have to break this into a few posts, and i'm thinking that since the Eiffel Tower is so iconic, it gets to be post number 1. And since it's what we did on day number 1, well, that makes even more sense.

After a 7.5 hour flight we arrived in Vincennes, the smaller town we stayed in that was 10 minute train ride outside of city.  Street markets, family friendly, real sense of local life...and after a week it became "our" bakery, and "our" flower stall.  At night, after being in the city all day, it was us and the locals taking the metro back "home."

Day 1 in Paris looked like this: Find Eiffel Tower.  Stare at long line.  Marvel at structure.  Walk to Rue Cler toting Rick Steve's guide, eat beautiful and colorful quiche at Cafe la Marche, because Rick Steve's recommended it, walk Champs Elysees, hope boyfriend will buy you Louis Vuitton purse (he won't, which you knew yet still hoped ) but he will buy you Laduree macarons (which are heaven and well worth the line) discover your new love of all things pistachio. Walk pedestrian tunnel to Arch de Triomphe.  Eat a macaron before you think about taking pictures (dumb), walk back to Eiffel Tower.  Sit on bench in garden below.  Sit there.  Sit there.  Wait for darkness.  Sit there.  Wait for more darkness so that it will sparkle.  Wonder (stress) what times the metro goes until, run to metro. Write in little travel diary all about your day (boyfriend will ask what you plan to do with this, yet he will insist you do that every night before you forget). Marvel. You're in Paris, my friend.

I loved that we discovered the Eiffel tower the way we did, not hovering above any other structure or seeing it from across the way, but sudden, and in full view.  I had read that the best views of the tower can be seen from the Trocadero, so we took the train to that exit and turned to find ourselves face to face with it. First the selfies, then the sillies.



 Seriously this thing is massive.

thecapeonthecorner.blogspot.com

thecapeonthecorner.blogspot.com

This traffic was crazy, and a pedestrian path is totally necessary.

thecapeonthecorner.blogspot.com

We didn't go to the top of the tower because what i really wanted was to have the tower actually in my pictures.  Sitting below the tower, watching it light up, was one of the top three things for me on this trip.  It was just that moment that makes it real, that you are on vacation, to somewhere new and exciting, crossing another spot off your bucket list. Know what i mean?

Share with me some of your "this is real" vacation moments, would ya?

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