Paris | Savannah

Paris day 1-2

When I first arrived in Paris, it was mid morning in France. I was exhausted but so excited! The streets, filled with color and noise and smells from restaurants, florists, and pedestrians, were different and yet exactly how I imagined them. To find my hotel, though, I first had to navigate a train + subway system from the Charles de Gaulle Airport (northern Paris) to the southern, central part of the city. That took a while and I got a couple of smirks from people as I dragged my luggage across the city in a very not-chic fashion. However, I did meet a nice Italian family who gave me a hand down the stairs :) Friendly faces were nice to see, even on the first day!

view from my hotel room at Hôtel Apollinaire in Paris

I finally made it to Hôtel Apollinaire. It was a dream come true (mostly for my feet!) I looked a mess, but the afternoon alone in the hotel room was a really nice time to unpack, shower, and text my family photos of the view. After a quick trip to the corner grocery store (I got croissants, cheese, and radishes), it was time for our Rick Steve's tour to meet in the hotel dining room. This is typical of a MyWay tour, and was a relaxing way to catch your breath and get oriented. We met in the breakfast room, tried a little cheese and wine provided by our brilliant tour guide Julie, and introduced ourselves to what would soon be tour friends :) Then--at long last--I turned in at 6pm for sleep (enfin!)

I thought I had finished moving my 50lb suitcase up and down stairs, throughout Paris, until I came to this. I got a great workout that day!

The PLAN for Day 2
Every✅ shows a bucket list completed!

Musee D'Orsay got there too early! Have to find something else to do for a while	Tuileries Gardens a 5 min walk from D'Orsay across the Seine River bridge.	D'Orsay Museum (for real) saw my first Van Gogh! ✅	Walked to the Eiffel Tower amazing!
Lunch in Tuileries Garden got from a Monoprix grocery store. Water was essential!	Notre Dame I was there just a little bit before it was reopened	Found The Little Prince boutique! another bucket list item complete! ✅ absolutely beautiful	Luxembourg Gardens lots of people reading and painting here :)