As soon as we arrived to the bottom of the tower, the light show that goes on every hour begun, and it was just absolutely enchanting. We were so excited to go up and see the Parisian lights! However, the long line + the cold, made us kind of hesitant…but we did it anyways. We took the elevator straight up to the second floor, where it was obvious why Paris was named the city of lights. In the midst of the dark night, you could make out every monumental part of Paris. It was magical. Here’s the catch: We weren’t quite satisfied with the view, because we wanted to go all the way up. Luckily, there was an announcement that ticket sales for the elevator that went to the very top floor, would open in 30 minutes. 30 minutes seemed like no big deal, right? Our facies and bodies said otherwise. To say that we were PETRIFIED from the cold is a complete understatement. I mean, literally…we were trembling from the cold. My poor Dad — (for those of you who know him, already know what I’m about to say)…his [semi]-bald head, didn't have anything on it, so bless his heart, he was freezing. My Mom was wearing her scarf like an Arab Hijab, and as for me? No worries, I was warm. How? Well you see….the warmest part of the human body, is the part underneath your arm…AKA your armpit. I stood between my parents, like a baby penguin (so their body heat would radiate onto me), while my hands were carefully placed underneath each of their arms. They just about died of laughter when I proposed the idea, but, I was then the one to have the last laugh, because I was so warm. #win
The ticket sales finally opened, and we were the 3rd people in line, so the wait wasn't long at all before we boarded the elevator. So here’s a fun fact about myself: I have a phobia of large things AND of heights (when I look down….obviously). So….here I was…going up the largest tower in France. But, I will admit, it was really, really cool. As soon as we reached the top, WOW WOW WOW. What can I say? The view from the second floor was so mediocre compared to what we saw from the very top. Obviously I can’t find the words to explain it…so I’ll just show you some pictures instead.
Thursday morning, we bundled up (there was no way we were going to be cold again), and headed out for our morning coffee (courtesy of Prête a Manger) where the three of us knew we were going to need more than one cup of caffeine to make it through the day, but nonetheless, we were ready to see what was in store. First stop? My favorite place, Opera Garnier. You see, I started playing piano at the age of 6 and for fun, I used to collect cd’s from my favorite composers and memorize their biographies. Some of my faves include Beethoven, Tchaikobsky, Chopin, but let’s not forget Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi. The first time I was in Paris, I remember gawking over the opera house because it housed so many concerts from the greats. Sadly, that time, we were on a tight schedule and I didn't get to see the inside, so of course we made it a point to go in. Walking through the golden detailed hallways and up the red-carpet stairs at the grand entrance, made me feel like I was in the Phantom of the Opera musical (yes, I’m a fan). We took our time and looked at all the wardrobe changes/costumes from past operas, and enjoyed the vastness of what seemed like a timeless place. I also took the liberty of walking out to the balcony (that was strictly forbidden), and I felt the marble walls while looking out into the Parisian streets by morning. Needless to say, our first stop was a complete success.
We then continued on our walk and headed towards the Louvre where (as you probably saw on my social media), we took the typical touristy photo. Which by the way, it’s a LOT harder than it looks. Luckily for us, it only took like 10 minutes to snap the perfect shot. Mom and I had already been inside the Louvre, but, seeing as the Romero family LOVES Impressionism, going to my all-time favorite museum (Museé D’Orsay) was a total no-brainer. Our walks were really placid. It was nice to be with my parents in a place that I loved, while we all soaked in the beauty of everything that was going on. A few blocks away from Orsay, we stopped for a small lunch break, where we had quiche, (more) coffee, and baguettes. It was a great sized snack, delicious, and enough to get us through our next few stops before stopping to eat real food. We were all excited to get to the Museé D’Orsay and what made it even better, was that I got in for freeeeeeee because I had my French student ID. Dontcha just love the system? I know we do.
After Zara and Louis Vuitton, it was time to eat. But, life is too short to not eat your dessert first, right? So, I took my parents to my F A V O R I T E place ever (seriously, there is nothing like it) — the one and only, Ladurée. We took a table upstairs where we enjoyed some coffee, delicious hot-chocolate, pastries, and the scrumptious yet typical, French macaron. I mean, would you ever want to leave such a heavenly place? We sure didn’t, but, we did have to get some actual food in us. With not so hungry stomachs, we stopped at a family run Italian restaurant, where the guy and my Dad instantly bonded (go figure). The guy spoke in Italian to my Dad and my Dad responded in Spanish — I don't think languages have ever been a barrier for this family haha. We ate (and could barely finish our food, since we filled up on dessert), and decided to call it a night. Our feet were aching and it was once again, colder than cold gets, but, we walked and window-shopped through Rue St. Honorée all the way back to our hotel where we all slept like babies, because our next day, was going to be one for the books.