France: Day 8 - Paris

Our final day was in Paris, and it was truly a dream. We had brunch at Immersion, splitting one savory and one sweet French toast. 

We then walked to Arc de Triomphe in the rain since we hadn't laid eyes on it earlier in the week. 

Next, we headed the north side of Paris to the Flea Market (Saint-Ouen). Getting there is a little... interesting. I was certain we had typed in the wrong address. But thankfully, Max as my guide, we persevered, and we stumbled into the maze of vendors and stalls. J'ai adoré. I am so glad we took this trek outside of tourist-Paris to see this eclectic market. 

 I had one 'oopsie' scheduling error during this entire trip, and thankfully, it was just the two of us. I had booked both the Eiffel Tower and our dinner at 9:15p. Neither could be moved. We sat and discussed what to do over a drink (of course) and proceeded to take our chances of going to the Eiffel Tower early. At first, we were turned away, but as we turned, the attendants changed their minds and waved us in! No words to describe how magnificent this site and sight are. Truly an iconic thing everyone should do at least once! Max stayed away from the perimeter as I gazed out, taking in my last bird's eye view of this amazing city.

Our hotel was within walking distance to Montmartre which was our dinner spot, Refuge des Fondus. I had reserved this iconic fondue restaurant weeks prior, as they only open reservations for two dinner services, three weeks in advance. Thus why it couldn't be moved. It's energetic, loud and whimsical! Climbing over the table, sitting among strangers at one long table, drinking bottomless wine from a literal baby bottle 😅 Singing, drinking, fondue-ing, and chatting with other diners was a wonderful way to end our trip. 

It quite literally was only a few hours until we had to be at the airport. 

In reflection, this was one of the best trips I've ever had the pleasure to plan and experience. I'm not sure if it was our friends and family, the magic of Paris, or all the wine we were consuming... but I reminisce on these memories with a full. I am so glad we turned my dream into reality.

Au revoir xx Paris, j'ai adore.

France: Day 7 - Épernay

Today was for bubbles and bubbles only. Max planned all of our endeavors in the champagne region and our first stop was Moët & Chandon. Épernay is considered the capital of the Champagne region of France and is known for its famous Avenue de Champagne, which is home to many famous champagne houses like Möet & Chandon, Mercier, de Castellane, and Perrier-Jouët. 

I loved tasting the samples of their imperial brut and rosé champagnes. 

We needed some food to soak up the champagne after that...

Next, Mercier. This champagne house also has a fascinating history! We rode a little electric train through the chalk tunnels as they told a story of the man who wanted to make champagne for the people, something affordable! We then indulged in their classic brut in addition to a Vintage Champagne. 

We all went our separate ways; Max and I meandered through the Christmas Market on our way back to turn in early for the first time on this trip. Tomorrow was our solo day in Paris today and our final day in France xx

France: Day 6 - Reims

Dad said that the tour of Fossier Biscuits reminded him of a homeschool tour 😆 I hope he meant the fun kind. We spent an hour sampling sweets, listening to the history of Fossier, and then seeing the biscuits in production. It was a unique and memorable experience!

We then went to our first champagne house: Veuve Clicquot. Madam Clicquot was certainly a notable figure in the world of champagne. She was the first to make champagne dry and also invited the disgorging process (removing the yeast from the wine). 

Loved having the samples in the depths of the chalk caves.

We took a stroll to the Cathedral Notre-Dame of Reims. NOT to be confused with Notre-Dame in Paris, which is still closed for restoration post-fire in 2019. This cathedral is larger and older than the Paris Notre-Dame and also served as the traditional location for the coronation of kings of France.

One thing I wanted to do was host a dinner at our Airbnb. Max and I grocery-shopped, and everyone brought a bottle of wine (a birthday tradition for me, of sorts). We grazed and ate and drank! 

Dad also put together a very special birthday slideshow that he shared 💓 It was our final night all together before we started parting ways, so it was fun to go around and talk about our favorite moments from the trip thus far. So many memories! It was the first time in France for myself, Max, Theresa, Tina, Madeline, Linda (and also Kasey, John, Kylene, Matthew and Abby!), so that made it even more special to share those memories!

France: Day 5 - Reims

 So, we DID get our cafe au lait and croissants this morning. Maybe at the expense of Max nearly having a heart-attack rushing to the train station with only 4 minutes to spare before departure to Reims. 

Since it was our travel day, we didn't have any set plans for today. We dropped our bags at our Airbnb and went to lunch with Theresa and Jessica at a spot Max had looked up on the train ride. Champagne a lunch again, and I'm not complaining because today is my birthday :)

We parted ways with Jessica and Theresa and met up with Brett at the Musée Automobile Reims-Champagne. A unique way to kill a little time. 

We then met up with Madeline and Tina at the Reims Christmas Market, which is the 3rd largest in France!

I had also done some research of where I wanted to go for dinner on the train. I found that Reims had a Michelin-starred restaurant, La Grande Georgette. Dad and Linda treated me and Max on my 30th to a spectacular meal.

 I couldn't be more content with how my birthday day was spent :)

France: Day 4 - Versailles & Paris

Thank goodness we had Max. He is the expert navigator, and fortunately for me, I get to have him on EVERY trip. Everyone benefitted from his quick interpretations of maps and signs, as we nearly missed our train to Versailles. 

Something that I am proud of is that I spent a lot of time anticipating this trip, which led to me reading about a lot of the sights and culture of France. I was excited to see and understand more about Versailles and how it transformed from a small, hunting lodge to a summer house for royals, politicians, and celebrities alike.

I think everyone, quite literally, got lost in this palace, at least once. 

Is it just me, or is it complusitory to go to a McDonalds in every country you visit? We had quite the giggle in this quiet, clean Mikey D's with our teeny, tiny espressos.

Had to check off steak frites from my mental checklist of French foods. We dined with Matthew and Kylene, who shared the trick of ordering a carafe of house wine. The more you know!

Bellies full of wine (an every night occurrence at the rate we are going), we crash. I promise Max we will wake up early enough to get a coffee and croissant before we start the day. We had yet to do this. Bonne nuit...

France: Day 3 - Paris

This next morning it rained. THIS was the Paris I was anticipating. We stood in line for our early morning tickets (there is always this undercurrent theme to my trips where I buy the first entry of the day haha) and were practically drenched by the time we gained entry to Sainte-Chapelle. 

Max and I's goal for the trip was to get quality time with each person who had traveled to France with us. It's no surprise that we met up with Kasey and John at Dior. I think I went into Dior with no expectations, so it completely blew me away when I walked into this gorgeous spot for lunch. It was by far, the most detail-oriented, thoughtful, and fancy lunch I have ever had. Champagne at noon isn't a bad way to spend a Monday. 

We had also bought tickets to the Dior Museum, which equally impressed me. If you have some free time, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this gallery of Christian Dior's life's work. 

Another theme of many of the trips I plan: rushing. So -- we rushed to the Louvre. We arrived just late enough to not be in the same group tour as "The family and.. .Jessi-ca." 😆

Loved seeing these famous pieces of art and history, and of course had to take our selfie with the Mona Lisa.

Tonight was family dinner with the Hopkins. More wine, more French food, and lots of laughter and sharing about our days. 

Another late night, tumbling into bed, but only for a few hours before we have yet another first-ticket-of-the-day at Versailles. Au revoir xx

France: Day 2 - Paris

If I could plan my perfect itinerary, it would include a walking food tour on the first full-day in wherever I'm staying. So, of course, since I planned this trip, I did! Max and I hustled to Montmartre, not even having time for a croissant or coffee. Unintentionally, our party sold out the tour. Our guide, Imrane, laughed when he realized we needed no intros to each other :) He told stories while we made many stops within the artsy neighborhood of Montmartre. Crepes, chocolates, cheeses, and picking up baguettes and accouterments for later. 

We descended into a wine cellar out of the cold and gathered around the table all while Irmane told us 'reason' that we 'cheers' and the proper etiquette behind clinking glasses (lack of eye contact = bad luck!). He described all the amazing foods that we passed around: first baguettes directly on the table and ripped with your hands, then cheeses like I'd never had before, cured meats, Pâté, eclairs, and lots of wine. Max, Theresa, Jessica and I had done the 'upgrade' drink service, which came with three extra drinks total. They were comprised of a brandy, an apreritivo, and sparkling wine. Needless to say, when Irmane asked if we wanted to share the rest of our sparkling wine with the group (since it would fall flat if we didn't finish the bottle), we said YES. 

Warm with laughter and spirits, we walked together to Sacré-Cœur, and once again saw a beautiful, sprawling Paris.

We headed to the Catacombs. I really can't recommend enough to do this. I was humbled and bewildered at the display. Not something I'd want to do every time I visit, but certainly something that is unique to Paris.

Max grabbed a bottle of wine to share in our apartment with Kylene, Matthew, and Madeline before heading to the restaurant. I had worked with Pratolina to curate a prix fixe dinner in which everyone got to choose their entree and drinks. Sundays are slow for restaurants, so we ended up getting the entire upstairs to ourselves with our own dedicated staff. Mark and Pam had planned to overlap their trip and they joined in for what I considered to be my "birthday dinner." We laughed and ate delicious Italian food and told stories. 

There is nothing I love more than bringing people together 💓

France: Day 1 - Paris

For years I had dreamed of Paris for my 30th birthday. Eighteen months out, I started to formulate a plan. Ten months ahead, I sent a mass email. It's spectacular when a dream becomes reality. Paris in December.

With many hours of research on metro lines, long-distance calls for reservations, setting calendar reminders limited ticketing windows, and of course all the planes, trains, metros, and hotels. It is finally here!

Max and I arrived in Paris on a chilly Saturday. We quickly dumped our bags at our adorable boulangerie-turned-Airbnb. We stopped at Aldi for a quick snack (if you know me, then you know☺). Abby and Nate had come over from London via Chunnel, they had been expats for about 3 months! We rendezvous with Roz, our neighbor who happened to also be in London for work, and jumped across the pond to join the celebration! 

We didn't have much time before we were doing a champagne riverboat cruise down the Seine River. I had heard that La Galeries Lafayette Haumann had the most amazing display for Christmas, so we decided to trek there. The shopping center was incredible but the view from the top when the sun was setting was astonishing. We incidentally were there at sunset -- Max and I laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower and the entire city of Paris at the most magical hour. 

We rushed over to meet everyone for the sunset champagne cruise. It's more like dusk at this point and the temperature is dropping. We board the boat and find my dad, Linda, Tina, Brett, Madeline, Matthew, Kylene, Theresa, Jessica, Kasey, and John! My heart almost burst when the boat rounded the corner at the top of the hour and saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle. That moment that we all shared is really indescribable. 

You might think the jetlag would have caught up by now, but Max and I apparently don't sleep. I had booked a dinner spot called STROBI and it was fantastic! 

Just a few blocks from Moulin Rouge where Nate, Abby and Roz all accompanied me and Max for dinner and the show. Funny story: I thought we were going to see Moulin Rouge the musical, not the topless dancing show. To say I was surprised by the performance would be an understatement. 

We walk home, sore feet, jetlag, and all. The lack of sleep might just be a theme of this trip.