Reminiscing in Paris | Slow Travel

Hello lovely! And happy New Year. I can’t believe we’re already in March. Each year as I get older time seems to pass quicker and quicker. 2020 has been a busy one for me so far. I’m currently writing this blog post on a 9 1/2 hour plane ride back to the states. I’ve been overseas for almost two months now and it’s always bittersweet to return. Bitter to leave Matt as we are still in the process of getting his visa, and sweet because I get to see my family and love on my pup, Charlotte.

The past few weeks have been especially busy. When I needed to leave the UK this time around, Matt and I wanted to do a trip of some sort. We thought of so many options but weren’t completely sold on anything. We ended up deciding, instead of traveling somewhere just the two of us, why don’t we surprise our niece and nephew with a trip to Disneyland Paris! So we talked with Matt’s parents, booked the flights, and off we went. Telling them at the airport was the sweetest experience, and overall the entire weekend was just magical and one that wasn’t filled with too many pictures and video but that I know will be engrained in all our hearts for forever. I’ll never forget the sweet look on my nephew’s face when he met Mickey Mouse for the first time, or my niece as she got Cinderella to sign her autograph. It really was such a special trip.

After our family headed back to the UK, Matt and I decided to stay in Disneyland a bit longer so we could celebrate Valentine’s Day together before I left. This also happens to be close to the 2-year anniversary of us getting engaged under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. So, one day we had to do a day trip into the city to reminisce. We decided on a fair-weather Wednesday and got up bright and early to grab the train at Marne-la-Vallée and head into the city of love.

Every time I visit Paris it brings this joy and exciting energy. I love the vibe of the city, the stunning architecture, all the side streets, and beautiful views.

To me, it never gets old.

We decided that for this day we would have no agenda. Zero. We just wanted to enjoy the city and see what we might stumble upon. And it was perfect. We started by walking around the Pompidou, then making our way to a sustainable shop I’d been wanting to visit called Asap. It stands for As Sustainable As Possible and was such a darling shop with the sweetest lady working the front. We chatted for a while about sustainability in fashion and I ended up buying a gorgeous silk scarf.

After our stop, we continued on until we stumbled upon a gluten-free restaurant called Noglu thanks to Matt’s eagle eyes. Food is the only downside to spending time in France for me. Since I’m allergic to dairy, I find it incredibly difficult to eat much other than fries while I’m there. It’s a small price to pay, but I was floored this trip by all the new health-conscious + vegan places to eat in the city. It’s definitely changed over the years. Once out of the cold, we quickly grabbed a spot by the window and ordered tea, soup, and toast. It was delicious and such a great spot for anyone with dietary restrictions. We even enjoyed dessert!

Our one goal while being in Paris for the day was to visit the Eiffel Tower since it holds such a special place in our hearts, so after lunch and some Pokémon Go stops (marriage is about compromise, okay?) we made our way towards the monument of the city.

Every time I see the Eiffel Tower I lose my breath over how grand it is. I love the intricacy of it and the romance surrounding the statue. It’s simply breathtaking. After spending some time sitting on a bench thinking back to our engagement, we wandered along one of the side streets to get an even better view.

My new favorite spot to grab a photo of the Eiffel Tower is along Rue Saint-Dominique. When we visited, it wasn’t crowded at all other than the commuters and cars driving by.

I love getting the very Parisian cafés in the pictures as well.

By the time we had seen the Eiffel Tower and meandered through the city, we had done almost 30,000 steps and over 6 miles of walking.

I feel like we had the quintessential slow travel day throughout Paris and I loved every minute of it.

Our tired feet hopped back on the train to Disneyland, and we talked about how special of a day it truly was.

P.S., I’ve also just put up a vlog from this day if you’d like to check it out.