To Paris With Love

---

Our morning in Brussels we debated whether or not to sacrifice time in Paris on our last day in Paris or to see more of Brussels, which we were really enjoying. We decided against it to avoid any travel mishaps getting back and ate breakfast at the hotel after heading out on the 10:40 train arriving in Paris in a couple of hours. It was our last train in Europe which made us sad though we tried enjoying our time in spite of a screaming baby. Once in Paris, we had difficult time buying tickets and navigating the rail system, clearly fatigued from all that comes with traveling especially in a big city. Our new hotel was near our old one so once we were off the metro stop it was easy to find our way. Our room wasn't ready so we headed out for lunch at one of the spots we enjoyed at the beginning of the trip on Rue Clear. We ordered the lentil salad and goat cheese bruschetta again which were delicious but not as good as the first time, as things often aren't. The plan for our time in Paris was to go to a few places we missed the first time. So after checking in and booking our 4:30 am shuttle to the airport the next day, we took a city bus to the Latin Quarter. We spent some time walking around before going to the Luxembourg Gardens which were magnificent. We didn't bother with palace portion of it as the real attraction was the gardens where thousands of locals and tourists gather to enjoy the scenery and meet up with friends and family. We took lots of pictures of the beautiful, well manicured lawns and the colorful flowers and relaxed for an hour or so as the weather was just right. Once we had our fill and realized time was running out, we left the gardens to explore more of the Latin Quarter. Closer to the Seine River was where the streets lined with hundreds of restaurants of all cuisines was situated. Now 19:00, we walked through it not quite ready for dinner because of our late lunch. We walked in the direction of Notre Dame and through more streets and neighborhoods where tourists hadn't wandered to. After an hour, we headed back to the Latin Quarter for our last meal in Europe. We were both in the mood for crepes as they were very French yet not too heavy. In area like that, all the restaurants seem the same so we settled on the one with the one vegetarian options. We sat outside choosing our table which was a freedom we had come to love and shared a savory and a sweet crepe in the packed restaurant on a bustling street. It was almost 22:30 and though we were exhausted we had to go back to the Eiffel tower to see it at night one last time. We waited for a city bus to take us to the Eiffel and arrived there not too much before midnight. There were still tourists and street vendors all over and tours of the Eiffel still in service. Behind the Eiffel there was a stage set up with neon lights in motion in preparation for France's independence day, Bastille Day, just a few short days away. We walked around the grounds and at half past midnight we decided it was time to end our last night and get at least a few hours of sleep as we still had to finish up our packing. We were exhausted and hesitant to end our magical honeymoon but we knew it had to come to an end. It was interesting how a city changes or how your perception of a city changes when you visit a second time. Paris was still beautiful and exciting the 2nd time but not as magical as it was when we first landed. The heat of summer had set in on our last day, our last meal did not live up to expectations of a meal in France, and we were feeling the fatigue of traveling that comes from reading maps, deciphering transportation systems, and navigating a different language. So, part of us was ready to leave and let the magic of Europe remain in the memories and pictures. It was almost as if the experience was letting us go, making it easier for us to say Au Revoir, Arrivederci, Adioh, Auf Wiedersehen, Antio Sas, Dag, Salukes Europe-it was magical!

---