The Eiffel Tower, sparkling.

In the evening, the lights on the Eiffel Tower blink and twinkle, so the tower appears to sparkle. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. 

Sorry for the quality. The iPhone video is better than nothing, though. :)

Day 5, Paris: Dessert at Laduree.

We didn't quite make it to either of the first 2 places we wanted to go for dessert, the first being the little tea joint, the second being Angelina's for a second time. However, Laduree was just fine with us. I had some of their drinking chocolate. It wasn't as good as Angelina's, but it was dang sure better than nothing. :) And, I had a little salted caramel macaron to bid Paris farewell. It's a good thing we don't live closer. Macarons might just be the death of me (and my weight-loss. :)) 

Day 5, Paris: Twinkling Tower.

As we crossed over the Seine, headed toward our dessert destination, we had to go under the bridge a bit, in a walking tunnel, and what we were greeted with after coming out, was and is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking things I have ever seen. The Eiffel Tower was sparkling! On the hour, the lights on the tower twinkle. The photos do not do this justice, at all. I still think they are pretty, though. :)

Day 5, Paris: The Seine and Locks, Part 2.

J & I wanted a last hoorah dessert after dinner, so we were going to try to get to this funky, fun little tea joint I read about. Along, the way, we saw some of the most beautiful views of the Seine. Ahh. Paris is beautiful no matter, but it's breathtaking at dusk. Wow. And, we got to see our little lock, again.

Day 4, Paris: George V & Laduree.

//one: Beef Bourgignon at George V. //two: J's Moules, which of course also included frites. //three: George V. //four: Laduree, Avenue des Champs-Élysées. //five: Interior shots of Laduree. //six: Fun little macaron trees. //seven: Pretty packaging and goodies. //eight & nine: Pastel macarons. //ten: My favorite, salted caramel macaron. //eleven: Rose macaron with marshmallow creme filling. //twelve: A little something we picked up at Galleries Lafayette. 

After the Arc, J & I were starving, so we were on the look-out for a place to have dinner. We decided on George V, a small little cafe that served French dishes, which coincidentally enough, we were having trouble finding. I got to watch some of New York Fashion Week's highlights on the televisions in the restaurants, so that was awesome!

For dinner, I ordered beef bourgignon and J had moules frites. Both were delicious! When asked if we wanted dessert after our meal, we had to respectfully decline. We already knew exactly where we were having dessert, Laduree. We crossed the street to get in line to order some of their pastel colored cookies. We got a little mini macaron sampler & took it back to our hotel room to enjoy.

My favorite by far was the salted caramel, but the rose filled with marshmallow creme was a close second. I may or may not have eaten four, count them, four mini macarons in one sitting. When in Paris, right?

Earlier in the day we were able to visit Galleries Lafayette, a must for anyone who loves fashion, food, or a place to find fun Paris souvenirs that are less cheesy than what you generally find elsewhere in the city. I left with a souvenir of my own. A sterling necklace with a rose gold star charm made by a Paris company, Delphes. I love stars. I love rose gold. I love sterling. And, I love short necklaces that I can wear with shirts with collars that come up a bit higher. Perfect little something to bring home, especially because it was actually made in Paris. 

Day 4, Paris: Arc de Triomphe.

//one: the Arc //two: Avenue des Champs-Élysées from the top //three: at the top //four: gorgeous view //five, six, seven & eight: the Eiffel tower //nine: myself, at the top //ten: the Eiffel, all lit up //eleven: Eternal Flame of Remembrance //twelve: under the Arc. 


After we visited the Musée d'Orsay, we utilized part of our Paris Pass, the hop on-hop off bus. We got gorgeous views of the city from the top of the bus. We were able to travel all the way down Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and stop at the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc is a monument under which is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. The Eternal Flame of Remembrance memorializes the dead, never identified.