Paris, France 2011- One Year Ago Today

Exactly one year ago today, on March 14th, my husband and I flew to Paris, France.  We stayed for a week and fell in love with the City of Light. 

On our first night in Paris, we ate dinner at a cafe near the Eiffel Tower.  I planned our exit from the cafe so the tower would be lit up right as dusk fell, and sure enough, this was what awaited us.  The moon just happened to be shining above us too.  You can see why Paris is called the City of Light. 

One of the things we loved about Paris is the old world architecture that basically makes up the city. It seems like there is a unique building everywhere you look just begging to be photographed.

The main reason I wanted to visit Paris was for the food.  While I was researching places to discover, I found Angelina.  Located on 226, rue de Rivoli, this tearoom was founded in 1903 and is known for its Chocolat Chaud.  Chocolat Chaud is very thick and dark drinking chocolate.  The smoothest and richest drink I've ever had.  Was it worth the trip to Angelina to try it?  Oh yes. Not only do they have Chocolat Chaud, but a full menu, so off course we had some lunch too.   But best of all, when you first walk in, there are french pastries as far as the eye can see.  I bought a Mont Blanc and took it back to my Hotel.  The dessert was so rich it took three days to eat.  That says alot, considering I can usually down sweets pretty quickly and not feel sick. 

Mont Blancs from Angelina in Paris, France. 

Some of my other food faves were the fresh croissants you could find anywhere.  Our hotel had complimentary croissants and brioches for us in the lobby.  This one pictured here was the first croissant I ate in Paris, and yes, you can taste the difference.  So flaky and moist.  The Pain au Chocolat though- that is one of my fav things ever.  A pain au chocolat is a croissant- but you guessed it, with chocolate! I probably had four of them that week in Paris. 

You can't visit Paris without having a Crepe.  On our first full day, that's what we had for lunch.  We sat outside at a Cafe not far from the Louvre and had Crepes.  I went crazy and had Nutella on mine. 

When one thinks of window shopping they usually think of clothes.  I think of food. Well, when in Paris, right?  I couldn't help staring and salivating at all the french pastries we would spot in the windows. 

We ate dinner at a place near our Hotel called the Comptoir.  My husband had Lasagne and I had a Calzone.  We drank red wine and then split some sorbet for dessert. 

Our Raspberry and Lime Sorbet, served Parisian style with a wafer.

Some other yummy food I consumed during me week in Paris.  You would think I would have blown up like a balloon but surprising not.  A lot of the monuments we visited involved climbing hundreds of steps to reach.  We also walked and walked and walked all over the city.  I got blisters on my feet and limped my way around, but it was worth it.  Pictured above is a Chocolate Eclair which I bought in a grocery store around the corner from our hotel.  Yes, the grocery stores there are more exciting from the ones we have in the states.  Why?  Because of the rows of French Chocolate you can only find there.  Unless you want to go to a European import store and buy them for huge markups, be my guest.  I only brought home a couple candy bars, but should have brought more home to share with friends and family.  They were cheap at this store and they don't take up to much room in a suitcase. Oh well, there's always next time. 

The very first thing we ate on our trip was in the airport.  We were starved and had a tough time figuring out how to purchase train tickets to our hotel and changing our American dollars in Euros took a while too.  I had a lemon tart and my hubby ate this very yummy Chicken sandwich.  You can find these all over Paris from the street vendors.  Just ask for a Panini and eat it while you walk on the cobblestone streets and take in the sights.  I also enjoyed the Croque Monsier Sandwich, it has melted cheese on top with more cheese and ham inside. 

On our last night in Paris, we planned our dinner around the time the Eiffel Tower would be lighting up and sparkling.  And oh, did it ever! Ooh La La! 

If you would like to see more photos from my trip to Paris, visit flickr and my photography website.