Trois

Some of the people-watching we did as we sat in the Carrousel Gardens.

Thought the dude with his helmet and the giant McDonald's bag was super cool. And I loved the striped bow and green shoes.

Paul's

Paul, the French bakery (since 1889) came highly recommended by our friend A, so when we discovered a kiosk outside the Louvre, we stood right in line!

I must say, eating a chocolate chip baguette and tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich under the shade of a tree in the Carrousel Gardens was one of the best experiences of the whole trip.

M-Lizzle

You knew it was coming!  Of course, a trip to the Louvre is mandatory!  We were excited to see the Mona Lisa, and surprised to find NO line-up at the Carousel Du Louvre entrance (at the inverted pyramid). I knew how small the painting really is so I wasn't shocked when I first saw it. In fact, I was more interested in the crowd around the M.Lis rather than the painting itself. And I was even more happy to discover other paintings at the Louvre I didn't expect to see.

Croissants!

Our first taste of Paris was a butter croissant from the Boulangerie Patisserie Coudrier Geffroy on 77 Kleber Avenue on our way to check in at the hotel.  MMM!!

In addition to this, our hotel provided a croissant filled breakfast everyday! Plain butter and chocolate croissants, baquettes,  nutella, jams, coffee, tea, orange juice and fresh fruit; so we were always off to a good start.

Not to mention all the OTHER croissants had along the way :)

Night

Night time in Paris is simply gorgeous. The sky seemed to remain a lovely blue and the Eiffel Tower all lit-up was breath-taking.

Sacré-Coeur Basilica

After seeing the Arc and walking around, our feet were sooooooooooooo sore (don't forget climbing up 117 steps each time to our room at the hotel) plus, we were both coming down with colds!

Good thing our Metro passes included the funicular up to Sacré-Coeur so that we didn't have to climb up! With such a gorgeous view, it was obviously worth it. And then we had dinner down below at the quaint Florenza Pizzeria.

Arc et al

After seeing the Eiffel Tower we had a nutella crepe at Crêpes King then walked back to our hotel (having to climb six flights because the elevator was broken and remaining so the entire time we stayed there - haha!) and unpacked while enjoying the view. After that we set off to see the beautiful Arc de Triomphe.

Paris!

Okay, we made it to Paris!

Here's our first look of the Eiffel Tower as we emerged from the Museum of Architecture on the Place du Trocadéro.

Toe

On High Street lies the famous sculpture of Scottish philosopher David Hume, whose toe (which the sculptor left poking out on purpose so that it would be more noticeable)  is now considered a lucky charm by philosophy students (and probably tourists).  The toe is so shiny from being rubbed for good luck that Hume may lose his toe altogether from erosion.  So before that happens, here's a look.  The last one reminds me to get my lens cleaned :(

Puppies, Violins and Taxis

We'd just come back from the touring The Real Mary King's Close, which are the hidden closes (alley-ways with tenement houses on either side, leading up to seven stories high) beneath the Royal Mile, where people used to live and work.  The hidden closes are now open to the public as a major tourist attraction and it was quite fun to see.  Photography was not permitted under there, unfortunately, so these  were taken afterwards.

Fish

I love shop windows.

Here's the Fish Monger and the First Class Butcher on Clerk Street in Edinburgh.

Oh yeah, I tried haggis and have to admit, I'm not a fan. While it tasted fine...every "crunch" brought new and horrifying thoughts to mind :)

More Red

Here are some more RED sights around Edinburgh.  The first is the Stevenson House (what used to be the home of the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson).  Love the red door!

Red White and Blue?

More visuals around Edinburgh.

Train Station

Here are a couple of black and whites from Stirling Train Station. Next stop...Edinburgh! (And then Paris!)

Stirling University and Wallace Monument

After lunch it was off to see Stirling University, such a beautiful campus at the foot of Abbey Craig and then the Wallace Monument which is at the top of Abbey Craig.

But first, loving the chimneys!