Here is my photo diary from one of the trips I was most excited for.. Paris! Cliché, but Paris was truly special. From the airport, we went directly to the Eiffel Tower. Since we couldn't check into our Airbnb right away, we ate some sandwiches we brought with this view right in front of us. I still can't put into words how we felt staring up at something so iconic, now in person with our own eyes. It was one of the coolest feelings and definitely left us in awe as we sat there.

Admirer of any colorful and decorated floor..

Grenelle, our neighborhood for the weekend (15th arrondissement)

We checked into our Airbnb, settled in for a bit, and then headed to the Arc de Triomphe first. During our walk to our Airbnb, we noticed we were pretty close to the metro and decided to utilize that as much as possible. I would recommend using the metro, as it is one of the faster and cheaper ways to get around the city. The metro system in Paris is similar to the 'L' in Chicago with various lines, but can be a bit more confusing since the lines overlap a lot more. We were triumphant in the end, as we managed to only mess up one time.

When we stepped off of the metro, there were a ton of people around trying to get their own picture with the famous Arc. Some even took the risk to run through the crazy flow of traffic to stand in the middle of the street for a picture with the Arc, perfectly centered in the background. We certainly did not do that.. ;) If you walk through the underground passage nearby, you will find a (hopefully short) line where you can buy tickets that give you access to the top of the Arc. If you are studying in Europe and have your student I.D. on you, you will get two euros off of the admission fee, leaving it to be seven euros instead of nine. I would also recommend doing this as the views were unreal! See for yourself in the next couple of photos below.

As you can see, the views from the top are crazy! You can walk around up top, getting a full 360 view of the city. It was so neat to look down and watch the hustle and bustle of the city below. The views are also definitely worth the numerous stairs you have to walk up. I may or may not have been a bit out of breath by the time we made it to the top.. (Too many french pastries for me!) I even made sure to wear my matching Eiffel Tower earrings for the picture.. It is safe to say I fully embraced the tourist life for this trip.

My travel buddy and best friend, Jess! I wouldn't not have survived this trip without her and her amazing direction skills.

Shoutout to the. best. crepe. ever. Freshly made with bananas and Nutella.

The cutest bookstore - Shakespeare and Company

If you are by Notre Dame and have extra time, definitely make a stop to the well-known bookstore Shakespeare and Company. It is a quaint, one-of-a-kind shop filled with new and used books, including poetry, fiction, all of the classics and more. Walking through the narrow halls, you can feel the history and just how old the store is itself. If you walk upstairs, you will find a cosy nook by the poetry section, filled with small written notes hung up from previous visitors and travelers to leave their own mark. The store is also accompanied with a cute cafe right next door, but sadly we did not go in. (Next time!)

Dinner and dessert at Bar Fuxia Cantina.

At the end of day one, we were exhausted. We accomplished a lot more than we thought we would. Honestly, we would not have been able to do it without the metro. It saved us a lot of walking, as Paris is a very large and spread out city. As we made our way back to the neighborhood of our Airbnb via the metro, the rain started to pick up. Fortunately, there a was a man selling umbrellas. It was easily the best five euros I spent that trip. We were also in a rush as the next hour was approaching. As some may already know, at the beginning of each hour during the night, the Eiffel Tower sparkles like crazy for five minutes. Dodging huge rain puddles, we headed there to get a good view. The photo above is only a glimpse the beautiful, sparkling show.

The first time we walked past this patisserie, I knew we had to go in and get something. We ended up going there for a quick breakfast on our second day. Since it was a more local shop, it was the first time we had to muster up some confidence and attempt to speak French. I walked out with a Pain au Chocolate.. A success to say the least!

One of the things I was most excited for was the plethora of museums in Paris. We went to a more popular one named the Musée d'Orsay, which is located on the left bank of the Seine. A piece of history about this museum was that it was previously a train station. When you enter the museum, you are greeted by a huge, open room filled with sculptures, busts, and large paintings placed throughout. The majority of art then branches out on both sides of the room on each floor. The d'Orsay is also known to house the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art in the world. Some of my favorite artists included Degas (all time favorite), Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

The streets decorated for Paris Fashion Week.

After our time in the d'Orsay, we walked through the Tuileries Garden, which is absolutely beautiful during fall. We found ourselves in a more affluent part of Paris, filled with high-fashion designer stores everywhere we looked. I freaked out a bit (in a good way), since we were in the midst of Paris Fashion Week. It was so cool to see Paris during such an exciting time fashion-wise and the various street styles of each person we passed by. Another thing that continued to blow me away was the architecture. There is an exquisite mix of gothic style, which originated in Paris, and the classic white buildings. The trees changing for Fall and the decorations of flowers added to the charm of each building as well.

At the end of day two, we found ourselves in the same spot as day one, except this time with more friends! Since our friends from school we in Paris the same time as us, we decided to meet up with them for dinner. We went to a cosy restaurant called Les Antiquaries, one recommended when in Paris. It was so nice to sit and enjoy the company of good friends with some good food. After, we went to a nearby patisserie to grab a treat to eat in front of the Eiffel Tower. Seeing it light up again was just as magical as the first time we saw it!

Day 3 - but first, an amazing Parisian breakfast.

On our last day in Paris, we woke up earlier to head straight to the Louvre. Not pictured: our disappointed faces when we got to the Louvre and saw how many people were in line (it was the first free day of the month). Also, the moment we realized we did not have enough time to wait in the line due to not wanting to miss our flight. In the end, it all worked out as we ate a delicious breakfast at a cafe called Le Clou de Paris near Notre Dame. We each got our choice of coffee, an omelet, bread, croissant, and orange juice only for 11 euros per person. It was an amazing deal and just what we needed that morning. I will be heading back there next time for sure. It was a bit chilly and rainy in Paris, especially in comparison to Sevilla, so we left early for the warmth of the airport. Overall, Paris was an absolute dream and I can't wait to be back again soon!

xo Kara

PARIS