Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Paris Girl's Trip

The week after Christmas, I went to Paris with a group of girls.  We flew (cheaper than the train) and crammed a lot of sightseeing into a few days.  I think we were out and walking for 12-14 hours a day.  Since I was 5 months pregnant at the time, my feet were definitely hurting by the end of the day!
The Louvre

 I saw signs everywhere warning us about pickpockets.  Due to my handy travel vest with many interior pockets, I was not worried.

Lauren and the Sphinx

 Amazing artwork on the ceiling

 The biggest Ferris wheel I have ever seen.  Up close, and then from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Me on the bridge overlooking the Seine.

The best part about Paris was the food!  French people know how to make some yummy things.  Croissants, hot chocolate, cheese, and of course Nutella!

 fabulous tower!  We went at night, which I have never done before.  It was all lit up and the lights flashed every half hour or so, like twinkling Christmas tree lights.  The elevator lines were so long by the end of the night that we walked down the stairs instead.  That's over 1000 steps!  


Lauren with chocolate!

 
 This picture illustrates one of my other favorite things, FREE public toilets!  Europe is not known for free restrooms, so I was very pleased to see these quite frequently.

 Busy subway at the end of the day (so glad I went without kids!).

 Thinking Man in the garden.

 Notre Dame

gargoyle

This car was literally plugged in.  It was in a parking space along the street and plugged into a plug to charge overnight.  It reminded me of winters in North Dakota, where people would plug in their block heaters to prevent the engine freezing.  
Paris had some crazy parking all along the street.  Cars were bumper to bumper (sometimes touching) and squeezed into the tiniest spots.  I love my big American vehicle and big American parking spaces!