Harmony’s First Visit to Paris in July 2016

It was so amazing to be in Paris. I have studied French for two years so going to Paris and getting to speak it there was such a great experience. We were in Paris for two days and it was more like an overview just to get a feel for the city and its major landmarks before we return for a week later in our trip.

We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Le Littré. Our rooms had views of the Eiffel Tower from their balconies and the ambiance of the hotel was very nice. We immediately went to get a baguette and cheese for a dinner at the hotel. We then got delicious gelato flowers from Amorino. Our favorite flavor was definitely framboise (raspberry).

While in Paris we went on a sightseeing tour of Paris’s major landmarks including the Seine River, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Pantheon, Opera Garner, Les Invalides, and Sacre Coeur.

Our guide also showed us other less famous landmarks such as an old Roman Arena dating back to the time when Paris was under Roman rule in the 3rd century. My sisters had a lot of fun recreating their own Gladiator battle here.

Gladiator battles in the Roman arena in Paris

On this tour we learned the history of each place and it was a really great way to quickly learn about Paris and see different parts of the city. I loved how much they involved the kids in this tour as well.

Picnic by Picnics in Paris

In the evening we had a beautiful picnic dinner on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower done by the company Picnics in Paris. My parents had done one of their parents a year prior for their 20th wedding anniversary and couldn’t wait to have one of their picnics with us. Every single dish they provided was absolutely delicious. Even my often picky sisters loved the food! It was so amazing to sit by the Eiffel Tower and have a super fun picnic with my family.

After our picnic we went on a tour of the Eiffel Tower with Fat Tire Tours. Our guide was so knowledgable about the Tower’s history and he made learning about it fun for all of us. We went to each floor of the tower including the very top. I was a little worried about how high up we would be but it ended up being totally fine. The view of Paris from the top is absolutely breathtaking and the whole tour was super fun.

I loved our time in Paris and can’t wait to come back later on in our trip!