More Paris and travel to Toulouse

Paris, though undeniably one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen, was not my favorite. It's more expensive and crowded (particularly in June and July)

If the first day was veritable sleepwalk through Paris, the second day was a reality TV show in which the contestants must SEE. ALL. THE. THINGS.

Paris (EXTREME TOURIST EDITION)

Notre Dame Cathedral

"SANCTUARY!" ...It's unfortunate that The Hunchback of Notre Dame was not a better Disney movie.

Incredible detail

The Notre Dame Cathedral is definitely a "don't miss." The intricacy of the stained glass windows, chiseled stone facade, carved wooden accents and altars throughout the cathedral could absorb a full day of attention to detail. The exhibit which tracks the building and development of the cathedral beginning when the first structure was built on the "Île de la Cité" in the 12th Century was also a favorite.

I was perfectly happy exploring the main level of the cathedral on my own sans tour (hello, free) and skipping the hour-plus line to go into the towers.

Eiffel Tower

It's pretty cool to stand at the base and let the sloping iron lines draw your gaze up to the sky. It's iconic.
It's also teeming with tourists (hi) and tourist traps.
I did not get pickpocketed (great success!)
I resisted the sellers of Eiffel Tower keychains ("5 for 1 euro!") and selfie sticks ("Selfie, selfie, selfie!")
Everybody's gotta make a living.

Arc de Triomph

Fierce

"There it is!"
"Wait, there are like 6 busy lanes of traffic around it..."
"Le Frogger?"
Don't worry, there's an underground passageway.

Louvre

This thing is huge.

Pont des Artes

The love locks are all gone now, but it was pretty special to see them just two days before their official expulsion. Even so, there were still couples placing their locks. It's amazing they found somewhere to hook them onto; there are locks locked to locks so much that there is hardly any space left. It's a really lovely thought, but I can see how this would be an issue for centuries-old bridges.

Proceeded to pick up cheese, baguette and wine; and called it a night.

Place de la Bastille, July Column

The handy Metro map had a Bastille stop, so we figured we'd hop off and take some pictures before hopping back on and making our way to catch the train to Toulouse.

Toulouse

For the full Eurotrip experience we nabbed tickets for a sleeper car, with the idea that we'd just nap all the way south to Toulouse. 

Apparently that is not the way it is done. The bottom 2 bunks on either side of the cabin were folded down into benches for six adults and one talkative toddler.

The tickets were an incredible deal, so I regret nothing.

Capitole de Toulouse

Well-deserved gelato

Hotel check-in, followed by dinner on the capitol square, made for a perfect relaxing first night in Toulouse.

Pro Tips and Rookie Mistakes

1. Rookie Mistake: The July Column is a spectacular and beautiful landmark, especially against a cloudy backdrop, but we walked around the Bastille plaza for a good 10 minutes trying to figure out where to see the actual Bastille... Guys, the Bastille is no longer standing. When did that happen, and why was I not informed? Oh, during the French Revolution? In the 18th Century? Never mind.
2. Pro Tip: A good international data plan is essential for, among other things, Wikipedia-ing your destination to ensure it hasn't been destroyed for 300 years. Aside from my shameful gaps in history knowledge, I pitied my traveling companions who were tied to WiFi. Every crappy signal I've endured on T-Mobile in the States is worth it for having data rolled right into my plan, for no extra work or money.

Europe Day 1 (Paris)

I had grand plans to blog my epic adventure (GRAND plans). As you can see, that did not happen. Now fully re-assimilated back into the real world (yawn), I think a retrospective is in order. It's also therapeutic in accepting that I work an office job and my life is not one long Eurotrip (yet...)

Day 1 was, more accurately, 2 days. My travel buddy and I took off around 11am Thursday in Phoenix, landed around 10am Friday in Paris, and, aside from a few cat naps on the plane (so many movies to watch! so much excitement!) didn't sleep. Rather than sneaking in a few hours of sleep once we checked into the hotel, we freshened up and went right out into the city.

Musee Rodin was the plan, but by the time we got there, it was Friday afternoon and it appeared to be many others' plan. Plan B: skip it and wander. 

Across the street from the Rodin Museum was a green space with armed guards at the entrance. Naturally, that seemed like a good idea.

Esplanade des Invalides and Napoleon's Tomb

Many panorama shots were taken.

Napoleon's Tomb

I wish I knew more about this sculpture. I was fascinated. 

The map (touristing so hard) showed another huge green space nearby. I want to go to there.

Le Jardin du Luxembourg

Palais de Luxembourg

20 statues of noble and notable French women surround the main plaza. Dig it.

Much love for Eugene Delacroix.

Amazing roses

Absolutely gorgeous. I could have spent a whole day wandering around these lush grounds, people-watching, or just reading a book and sipping wine.

Pro Tips and Rookie Mistakes

1. Pro tip: power through. Despite ending the day tired and hangry, skipping the nap was a good choice. Other than being a little tired the next day, I escaped jet lag.
2. Rookie mistake: plan ahead... some. I'm glad we wandered. It put much less pressure on that first day, and it allowed us to discover some off-the-beaten-path gems. A wise plan would have been finding some possible places to eat and take breaks. By evening I was so hangry I could have eaten my travel buddy, and that is not nice.