paris, je t'ame { europe 2012 }

day  2  //  p   a   r   i   s

This day was beautiful! The weather was sunny { one of the few cloudless days during our stay } and we got to spend the whole day with our cousins as they took us around the center of Paris. The city is grouped up in different districts, or arrondissements, and in the very center of Paris is arrondissements 1 and 2. Notable landmarks include Notre Dame and the Louvre.

Here is a map of Paris that shows the arrondissements and landmarks in each one. When I planned for this trip, I planned each day by these arrondissements so that we wouldn't have to be traveling long distances between sites to see, but instead we took the metro to each specific arrondissement and then walked the whole day as we explored that specific corner of Paris.

Ok, back to the story: We walked all around the center of Paris on foot, which was great because there was so much to see and take photos of! We started off between arrondissement 6 at the Jardin du Luxembourg after going to church with my cousins in this area. This park is the second larges in Paris and is actually the garden of the State Senate { in the Luxembourg Palace }.

We the walked around the rue de la Huchette, one of the highest concentrations of restuarnts in Paris. As we walked down the little streets in this tourist trap, waiters would try to welcome us into their restaurants to the point that I would try to avoid eye contact because they were really convincing in their French accents! We decided on the Maison de Gyro (seen behind us in the photo below) for amazing gyros. Il était très bon!

Once we walked around this area and checked out many of the stands selling souvenirs, we soon came smack-dab in front of this beauty, Notre Dame de Paris! It was so surreal to standing in front of it! Notre Dame de Paris is situated on  Île de la Cité, a remaining natural island in the center of Paris, and the site of the founding of Paris. It is surrounded by the Seine River, which cuts through central Paris.

Thus began my jumping photos in Paris. Stay tuned for more jumping in famous Paris landmarks :)

{ The front and rear views of Notre Dame }

Right across from Notre Dame was the public square, Place Saint Michel, which became the hub for most of our travels in the next week since it was so central to everything.

We then walked along the Seine River and would name different movies that were filmed along this famous paysage (Bourne Identity, Ratatouille, and of coarse, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame).

Pont Neuf, translated as New Bridge, is actually Paris' oldest bridge

Another one of the famous bridges of Paris is Pont des Arts, affectionately knows as the Love-Lock Bridge. People "lock" their love on this bridge for eternity --- or at least for the three months it takes to get too crowded  (a city landscaper has to cut off the locks to make room for more. What an utterly unromantic job)

We finished our fun day by driving over to the Trocadero near Le Tour Eiffel to see it at sunset. Quite possibly my favorite day in Paris!

 As I am tying this and reminiscing all the beautiful moments in Paris I am listening to the playlist I created for the trip, filled with French music as well as fun songs from the roaring '20s that just ooze with Parisian chic. Here are some of my favorite picks to get me in the Paris mood:

• La Vie En Rose [ Edith Piaf ]
• Smile [ Madeleine Peyroux ]
• Opening Scene from Midnight in Paris 
• Le Festin [ Ratatouille soundtrack ]
• Darling Je Vois Aime Beaucoup [ Nat King Cole ]
• La Mer [ Chantal Chamberland ]
• Non Je Ne Regrette Rien [ Edit Piaf ]
• La Soledad [ Pink Martini ]
• I'm Beginning To See The Light [ Ella Fitzgerald ]
• Ain't She Sweet [ Ben Bernie ]
• In the Mood [ Glenn Miller ]
• Dream A Little Dream of Me [ Ella Fitzgerald + Louis Armstrong ]
• Under the Bridges of Paris [ Eartha Kitt ]

more to come soon { walking tour around Paris }