Hi everyone, I’m back from Paris with an overdue picture post! Simply put, my time there was amazing. This trip was quite a big deal for me because it was my first time out of the country ever and was my first big vacation with friends, not family. Without further adieu, here is my vacation recap, including some photos I haven’t shared on my Instagram. 🙂

This is a view of San Francisco you don’t see every day!

Taken on my first night in Paris at 10pm, as we walked along the Seine. I still can’t believe how bright it was at that time of night!

Sundays are a true day of rest in France, so it was very quiet as we explored the area around our hotel on our first morning there. All stores were closed, so shopping was out of the question, and some restaurants were also closed, too. Keep that in mind if you are planning a visit.

We didn’t go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but we did climb to the top of both Notre Dame and the Arc de Triumphe, as they both were included in our Paris Museum Pass. I highly recommend any first-time visitors get this pass, as it allows you to visit many of the top attractions in and around Paris (including Versailles) and skip many of the long entrance lines!

This photo was taken at Les Jardins de Tuilleries, but I loved every garden I walked through. Each were so beautiful and peaceful, and very conducive to relaxing and people-watching. My friend and I went to a garden every afternoon and enjoyed a cup of coffee while we rested our tired feet.

The Palais Garnier, otherwise known as the Paris Opéra, had stunning halls!

My favorite meal has to be from Comptoir de la Gastronomie, where I had this delicious, mouthwatering foie gras ravioli dish with a truffle cream sauce.

Everyone must go to Angelina and try their hot chocolate. I had heard from several of my friends that no place does it better, and they were right 🙂

I don’t think it’s possible to take a bad photograph in Paris, not when you have such picturesque facades such as this!

Fresh flowers were everywhere!

Ending the picture portion of this post on a highnote — Ladurée! But… I forgot to take a photo of my macarons before I ate them all. Oops!

Btw, it rains often in Paris, so if you’re planning a trip, definitely invest in a travel-friendly umbrella. I recommend the Knirps X1 because it is super tiny and lightweight, and comes with a case. The case is essential, because after your umbrella is drenched, you can stuff it into the holder, then toss it in your pocket or purse and not worry about getting anything wet. C’est parfait!

For all my food-loving readers, here are my favorite places I ate at:
Comme Chai Toi (the escargot was prepared differently than the traditional way, and it was delicious)
Comptoir de la Gastronomie (4 foie gras dishes to choose from)
Gambino (if you need a break from traditional French food, have some good Italian)
Angelina (great hot chocolate)
Ladurée (macarons, duh!)

If there is anything about Paris you’d like to know more about, just leave me a comment! 😀