Mona Lisa , Smile! - Parisian Getaway ~ Day Two

Hey Surfers,

Editing this post has been a nightmare as I've managed to injure the wrist on my right hand! I've had to do everything left handed which has been a struggle...but its all done :)

Today I'm featuring pictures from the second day of my trip to Paris; it was the only full day we had out there so I made sure to pack a lot in.

 After a quick breakfast, which we shared with this arty giraffe, we went on another Metro adventure to The Louvre Museum, I think, from the title, you can guess what we saw there ;)

Below are pictures of the famous glass pyramid and surrounding buildings. I was completely blown away by the intricacy of the architecture and took more pictures than I can count.

After queuing up and getting our tickets we went to see what the Louvre website calls their "three famous ladies" : The Winged Victory of Samothrace, The Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. I have to admit I am a big fan of museums, it amazes me that all of these things survive for so long, and that the people who made them probably had no idea of how significant they would be.

Part of me still can't believe I saw the Mona Lisa in person. There were many people surrounding the painting but black ropes and security guards kept anyone from getting too close. Thank goodness for zoom lenses! I was stood slightly at an angle but right at the front so managed to get some really good pictures.

 The Winged Victory of Samothrace

I don't know much (if anything) about this statue but thought it was really striking. I find myself wondering what happened to her head.

Another famous piece, the Venus di Milo.

Some of the gold ceilings

  After a good few hours in the museum we decided to move on to our next destination:
                                                                           The Eiffel Tower!

When I went to Paris as a child I didn't venture up this imposing landmark, but this time around I was determined to go right to the top!  After a surprisingly short wait we explored the first floor and made our way up to the peak.

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

I had to poke my camera lens, and later my Ipod and phone, through the fencing to get any clear shots. I have to admit I had a few premonitions of all of them being lost over the edge, haha!

half panoramic view, from inside.

The glass floor on the Tower

The weather was getting progressively colder as the sun was beginning to set. But, as the sun set, the lights of the tower were lit. It was mesmerizing.

After stopping every few feet to take a picture the bitter wind, and our skipping lunch, made us decide to look for somewhere to have a truly Parisian dinner. After trying a few places we found a nice cafe not too far away. The staff were lovely and the food was delicious; the pasta there has ruined all other pasta dishes for me...forever. We were able to warm up with a cup of coffee and relax for a little while whilst enjoying where we were. 

.

 For desert we popped into a little bakery down the road and picked up some cake to have back at the hotel. I did toy with the idea of seeing the Arch de Triomph but it was almost painfully cold so we headed home.

The square near the restaurant 

We were exhausted by the time we reached the hotel and it was blissful to relax with a warm cup of coffee, and free wifi.

Hope you enjoyed this post, I'll be back next week with the final day of the trip. I'm heading to the Christmas Sales tomorrow, wish me luck!

Love Lily

X