Hello, blogging world! I've missed you. I'm coming in just under the one year mark, so hopefully you'll forgive my long overdue return. Geesh. Where has the time gone?! When Cole and I left for Paris last May, we were ready for a big adventure. What we should have been ready for was a big life change...we left for Paris on May 17, 2013; on May 20th we found out we had been chosen by an amazing birth mother to parent her son; on May 30th we were back in the States; on June 3rd we were back in Minnesota; and on June 10th our son was born in Texas! To describe this time in our lives as a whirlwind is an understatement! Sometimes it's hard for me to keep it all straight, let alone process things like our trip to Paris, which at this point (even with photographic proof) feels like a dream. Today you're going to get an iPhone photo overload of our time in Paris, which I can quickly sum up as cold, rainy and magical. Next week, you'll get a post on our few days in Nice, and then hopefully after that, I can somehow sum up the adoption of our son! Whew.
This was my first time in Paris and my second time in Europe. Most days, I explored the city on my own. Thank goodness for my iPhone and maps app. I was able to map my way to any location and know which metro lines and streets to take. The only hitch was when I had no cell signal, which meant I was pretty much lost. After just a few days, I walked so much that I had major shin splints and the sniffles from the constant cold drizzles. As you'll notice, my most favorite place to visit and photograph was the Eiffel Tower. Our hotel was fairly close and it's really not hard to get a photo with the tower in the background. My second favorite thing to do, was to eat at all the outdoor cafes. I don't think I had a single bad meal and as long as I made a small effort to speak french, all the waiters were polite and accommodating.
On my third day in Paris, I made sure to visit the Shakespeare and Company bookstore and Notre Dame cathedral. I happened to visit Notre Dame, only an hour or two before that guy walked up to the altar and shot himself. I had no idea till I returned to my hotel and was watching the BBC. Thank goodness I didn't witness that or have to deal with the crowds or police.
Our last night in Paris was freezing cold, we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and froze our butts off. However, the next day was warm and gorgeous. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sun was shinning and I turned 32. That afternoon, we hopped on a train to the cote d'azur to spend a few days in Nice.
iPhone photos by me and Cole
Next week, Nice!
xxMaria
