We’ve been home from our European adventure for more than a week now and while I can truly say, there is no place like home, it’s been such fun going back through our photos and deciding what bits to share with you of the firehose we drank from during two weeks of traveling through France, England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland with all of Ken’s siblings and their spouses.
I thought I could do this trip justice in one post, but quickly realized it’s going to take more than that, so I’ll start with the first place we landed and the place that remained our favorite until almost the end of the trip—and that is Paris. To translate the title of this post: Paris is the most beautiful city in the world! I confess that Paris had never really been on my bucket list at all. It was part of the package our family put together and honestly, I was simply viewing it as a bit of a stopover before the real trip began. But Paris stole my heart!
We had a charming little hotel reached only via two alleyways. It had tiny rooms and tiny baths and an elevator that held one person and one bag per trip. It was the kind of hotel where you leave your keys at the desk and ask for them when you return. They served the best breakfast each morning, and we were in walking distance from almost anything we wanted to see. By the end of our three days there, it felt like home! Here, in photos are the highlights of our time in Paris.
The City of Lights was such a charming surprise and a return trip is definitely on my bucket list now! We saw many of the touristy must-sees—the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame (still under repair after the fire), Versailles, the Louvre, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Montmartre, and a dinner cruise on the River Seine—but our favorite moments were the little cafés and shops off the beaten path and simply watching people on the street. We loved the slow pace of Paris and how it seemed to be the goal of every bistro to get us to linger and enjoy! That’s what I would do if I ever get to return to Paris!
Thank you for letting me share the joy of our very first trip overseas. Next time, I’ll share our travels throughout the United Kingdom, and the city that may just have overtaken Paris as our very favorite! I’ll try to wrap things up in just one post, but I make no promises. 😏 Have a wonderful week! I’ll leave you with this sweet reel our daughter Tavia created of our trip highlights. (Be sure the sound is on.)
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What a wonderful trip! I’ve never been to Paris, and like you, it never really called to me. But seeing your photos, I’m starting to see the appeal. 🙂 That architecture is gorgeous! One of my favorite things about Europe is seeing the staggering beauty of the cathedrals. Art inspired by our Savior never fails to give me goose bumps.
SO true, Karen. The art and architecture was a big part of the beauty there and God is in everything even if the locals do not understand that at all. 🙁 The stained glass in Sainte Chapelle Cathedral tells the whole story of God and is breathtakingly beautiful.
Oh, Deb, I’m so thrilled for you! Stay safe in your travels, and bring home lots of plots for your future books. 🙂
Thank you for being thrilled for us. You know this has been a dream I wasn’t sure would ever be realized. We are SO grateful God made a way for us to go and especially to go with family. We are safely home now but still in awe at all we saw and experienced!
Love the pictures. Take as many posts as you want. Thank you so much for sharing.
Awww, thank you, Betty. People like you make it SO much fun to share here!
I was thinking the same thing, Betty. I love seeing the pictures and hearing about the experiences.
Thank you, Amy! You guys are just the best. ♥️
Thank you for sharing pictures of your holiday. Those places are on my bucket list.
I love the way you call it a “holiday,” Kerri. You must have some European roots! ♥️
What a gorgeous post! I am already anticipating your next post(s).
So happy you have had this experience!
Thank you, Jen! It was fun to write. Brought back all the wonderful memories again!
I was in Paris in 2019 for my “Europalooza” trip of a lifetime. Me and my friends only spent one night and day there because I wasn’t all that interested since my main focus was getting to Rome. But like you, once I got there I wished we had more time and would like to go back and s-l-o-w down enough to truly enjoy it.
That’s funny because Rome and all of Italy are on my future bucket list. 🙂
I love every single picture and word of your trip. Paris is my favorite!!! But, you feel free to make as MANY posts as you want from your trip. I will read every one!!
Awww, I’m so glad! Maybe we need to take a girlfriend trip to Paris someday…in our dotage. 🙂
Thanks for sharing some of your wonderful trip with us, Deb. My husband and I got to visit Paris back in 2008 when our best friends were temporarily living there after having to evacuate Chad, Africa because of a war breaking out. Our church sent us there to minister to them and help them through the trauma. Part of ministering to them included touring the city and having some fun, so your pictures brought back some wonderful memories. We visited many of the same places and enjoyed similar experiences. Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
What a wonderful ministry opportunity, Deena. I always tease my friend who is a missionary in France that it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. 🙂 (It actually IS a big mission field.) What a beautiful city though. Glad I could take you on that walk down memory lane.
Seeing these photos brings back many memories of my own experiences as a college student and on vacation! I’m glad you got to go.
In July 2004, I took French language classes at the famed Sorbonne in Paris through the American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS). It was an incredible experience–I enjoyed exploring Paris outside classes as well as day and weekend excursions in the French countryside.
My 2nd and last visit to Paris was in 2012. I joined a small group tour of France with other 20 and 30 somethings for 2 weeks.
Whether in Paris or on the road, I attended weekend Mass at a nearby church or simply pray when there was no Mass scheduled at that time in the church or cathedral. Although I didn’t understand everything I heard at Mass, I’d listen and repeat the responses and prayers of what I heard back in French. Sure, I was away from my home parish stateside, but I was still at “home” despite the language difference.
That sounds like a fabulous experience, Elisa! We wished we could have seen more of the French countryside. We were almost exclusively in Paris, but did enjoy the train ride and seeing more of the countryside along the way and the Eurostar was a posh ride!