Let's Go To Belgium - Day 5 in Paris!

Hi and thanks for popping in to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  This is a time when I share something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm continuing to recap our trip to Belgium.  I'm up to Day 5 and you are never going to guess where we spent it - PARIS!  If you've missed the first part of our trip, you can catch up here ~

Day 1     |     Day 2     |     Day 3     |     Day 4

We hadn’t completely decided where we wanted to spend Day 5 of our trip before we left. We tossed around several ideas, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Luxembourg. But once I discovered that Paris was only about an hour and a half away by train, the choice became easy. Paris, here we come!

Since we only had one day to see as much of Paris as possible, I decided to splurge on both the Paris Museum Pass and a Big Bus pass. The Museum Pass allowed us to skip the long lines at several attractions, helping us make the most of our limited time.

When Eric and I visited Paris several years ago, we absolutely loved the Big Bus hop on hop off experience. We've tried similar buses in other cities since then, but none have compared to Paris. I knew it would be the perfect way to see the city's highlights while giving us a break from navigating the subway system or spending the entire day on foot.

As soon as we got off the train from Brussels, we headed straight to the du Louvre.  If you've ever visited this museum, you know you could spend days there!  We had a plan and moved fast!  

Located near the Louvre is the D'Orsay.  We hit that next!

There was a Big Bus stop right outside the Musée d'Orsay, so we climbed aboard and set off to explore the city. As we rode through the streets of Paris, we soaked in the sights and sounds all around us, trying to take in every detail and capture as many memories as possible.  Our hopping off spot was the Eiffel Tower!

After walking around the tower a bit, back on the bus we went to go the Notre Dame.  Before entering the cathedral, we stopped for lunch across the street at Cafe Panis and got so incredibly lucky to have an amazing view from our window seat.   

Eric and I had visited Notre Dame before the fire, so I was anxious to see it since it reopened.  I swear I could still smell the smoke!  It is so beautiful and seems brighter than before.

After Notre Dame, we loaded up on the bus for another spin around the city.  Paris has so many beautiful things to see!

To close out our day in Paris, we boarded a sunset cruise on the Seine River. It was the perfect way to sit back, relax, and soak in the beauty of the city one last time. As we drifted past some of Paris's most iconic landmarks, we reflected on all we had seen and experienced during our whirlwind visit. 

As the boat docked, the twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower put on their show!

We had just enough time to stop at Breizh Cafe for a crepe on the way to the train station.  It was as delicious as the reviews said it was!

I had visited Paris once before, but it was Ian's first time experiencing the City of Light. To be honest, Paris wasn't very high on his list of places to visit, and I was hoping our day there might change his mind. Mission accomplished!

He fell in love with the city and, shortly after we returned home, booked a trip to come back with his wife, Kayla. While one day is certainly not enough time to do Paris justice, it was enough to leave a lasting impression. I'll gladly take any amount of time I can get in this incredible city!

Now it's your turn.  What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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