Paris Photo Diary // Shopping + Museums + Montmartre

These are the last of my Paris photos. Well, not really - I have hundreds that I DIDN'T share, but no worries, you'll be seeing them pop up at random times on Instagram ;) The following pics were taken during my last three days in France. My parents and I did LOTS of sightseeing, obviously lots of walking, and saw lots of gorgeous art. 

Day 4: Cafes / Musée d'Orsay / Galeries Lafayette

After brunch (actually not BRUNCH brunch; apparently "brunch" is mainly just an NYC thing,) and of course some macaroons from Laduree, my mom, dad, and I headed to Musée d'Orsay - aka an art museum located on the left bank of the Seine. In the photo below, the museum is in the background. Fun fact: It's housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, which was a train station built between 1898 & 1900.

While we experienced summertime weather every other day we were in Paris, on this particular day, it was rainy and a bit chilly. So this was the day we decided to visit one of Paris' most famous (and most beautiful) malls - Galeries Lafayette. We went to the flagship store, which was actually not far from our hotel, and we made sure to hit every single level. At the top, the view of the streets below was just amazing! 

This photo was taken in Le Sofa, another cafe we had the pleasure of dining in. In the U.S., we think of "cafes" as little sandwich shops or coffee places. In France though, cafes are any restaurant - even some of the fanciest establishments have "cafe" tacked on to the end of their name. 

Day 5: Musée de l'Orangerie / Le Grand Musée du Parfum / Jardin des Tuileries

L'Orangerie is, you guessed it, another incredible art museum. This particular one is known for its breathtaking Monet rooms. The museum showcases Claude Monet's water lily paintings in these white circular rooms that have loads of natural lighting. It makes for a truly unique and special viewing experience. 

Before coming to Paris, I had read about a new museum all about scents called Le Grand Musée du Parfum, aka the Grand Museum of Perfume. While all other museums we visited had been about the eyes, this one centered on the nose. Not only was the museum itself gorgeous and bright, but it was fun to learn about how perfume is made, take a blind scent test, and obvi try on wayyy too much perfume! 

Back at the park next to our hotel, Jardin des Tuileries, my parents and I relaxed a bit, people watched, and reflected on the day's adventures so far. 

It's kind of embarrassing how many times I went to Laduree. But come on, when in Paris...

Day 6: final full day / Montmartre / The Louvre

Montmartre is a hill in northern Paris that, once you climb to the top, leads into an adorable and quaint town. Also at the top of Montmartre is Sacré-Cœur, which is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris - aka a gorgeous church. 

My parents and I loved walking around the Montmartre town. It was super picturesque with its narrow cobblestone streets, short white buildings, and colorful storefronts. We passed by this crepe shop that smelled AMAZING, and we almost stayed...but we had to get The Louvre. 

Ahh, the iconic glass pyramid/entrance to The Louvre. It's a must-see landmark for ALL Paris visitors, and it felt unreal to actually be there. Even better, we ended up eating dinner after hours at the super nice restaurant, Le Café Marly, located inside The Louvre. We dined out on the terrace and got to watch the pyramid light up once the sun set. *Sigh*

But while the outside of The Louvre is definitely a sight to see, the inside is JUST as jaw-dropping...if not more. Directly below, I'm gazing up at the Venus de Milo, and below that, I'm admiring one of Michelangelo's sculptures. We also got to see the Mona Lisa, which quite honestly had me giddy with excitement! 

To say the least, my trip to Paris was everything I had dreamed of and more. It was perfection. My family and I are hoping to go back as soon as 2018, but we'll see what the next year has in store for us. Until then, au revoir Paris, je t'aime!