These pictures are long overdue, but I love them so much I had to share. In April, we spent a few days in Holland and then went to France. It was so nice to go with Cory, my parents and brother--we soaked up every drop we could of the Parisian culture.
Our view from our apartment in Montmartre. The Sacre Coeur is peeking out in the back. Loved this apartment--what a find! In Paris almost all of the hotels are teeny tiny, but we found this gem with two separate bedrooms and a kitchen for an amazing rate, just because we booked it for three days. It wasn't anything fancy, but because it was clean and we had more than enough space, we felt like kings and queens!
My favorite view of Paris (from the Sacre Coeur).
Our favorite restaurant in Paris, Babalou! Trip Advisor rates it #31 out of 10,000 restaurants in Paris and it was outstanding. The food, ambience, and service was excellent. Not to mention we loved it so much we went there twice!
Pear and gorgonzola pizza (divine).
It doesn't get better than this: the best moelleux chocolat I've ever had.
Ghost man escaping from the cemetary in Montmartre.
View from atop the Eiffel Tower...
You can't go to Paris without eating a crepe...
Creepy statues around the Louvre...
View from atop the Arc de Triomphe...
One of the bedchambers in Versailles. Can you say diva? Every piece of the wall covered in gold or fabric. Ri-dic-u-lous.
One of my favorite places we visited was the darling town of Chartres. We stopped here on our way to Normandy and it took our breath away! Driving through the countryside of France is beautiful, but we were so amazed to see this spectacular cathedral in a small little town. I mean look how huge it is! Stunning.
The church was built in the 12th century and the interior is currently being restored. Many historical churches are decayed and darkened so it was amazing to see what it looked like when it was first built.
Kitesurfers in Le Havre
The Normandy beaches.
The American cemetery.
Pointe du Hoc.
The memorial and trenches. There were also many bomb craters spread throughout the grounds along the coastline. You definitely get a huge feeling of respect and admiration for our veterans when you come here. A few weeks ago, my dad recommended the movie, Honor Flight. After WWII, many of our veterans came home and never received a proper welcome. The WWII veterans are very old, some are terminally ill and until recently, many of them had never visited their memorials. This documentary shows an organization's goal of helping every single veteran in America visit their memorial. Definitely worth watching.
There you have it, our trip in a nutshell!
Looks like so much fun! Jealous!!
ReplyDeleteFabulous pictures Chelsea!! I love, love, love France. The Normandy beaches and the cemetery are so sobering. When we were there a few years ago it was the day before D-Day celebrations and there were lots of old veterans and the French people were still thanking them for their service to them. We also thanked them and it was awesome! Did you get out to the Loire Valley? Probably one of my favorite places, but there is SO much I love. Not to miss- street waffles with nutella and whipped cream; in Tuileries Gardens and near Eiffel Tower at Trocadero are the BEST!Last there in April also and ready to go back again!! Colleen Avey
ReplyDeleteJust saw this post, made me miss it so much! If you guys ever go again, going to Giverny is a must, it was so lovely!
ReplyDelete