paris // left my heart in paris
it seems like it has been forever since i ended my semester abroad at sciences po in paris; even though it was just shy of two years ago. we decided to finish our european tour in the city of lights to be our "vacation from our vacation" - no tours, no stress, just enjoying life and drinking wine. although i did spend a semester in this incredible city, there were still a few things that i hadn't seen: those being the palais-royal and a trip to the very top of the eiffel tower (i had been up, just not to the summit). i am happy to announce both were accomplished.
we spent the majority of our time in paris just walking around and having some fun shooting. we stopped at ralph's restaurant on the boulevard saint-germain for lunch, which i've wanted to do since i arrived in paris for sciences po! it definitely met all of my expectations and the weather was perfect for lounging outside. for dessert, we obviously went to ladurée. my number one recommendation for those who want to go to ladurée in paris is to go to the one just off of boulevard saint-germain simply because it's less crowded than the one on the champs-élysées (unless you would rather spend your time in paris waiting in a 30-minute line).
we did minimal shopping on boulevard saint-germain but did walk a ton; thankfully i also brought my favorite sandals (that i have in three colors) along to change into after shooting in my heels.
it was then off to the place that i had wanted to go all day: le palais royal, where they have the coolest black and white columns. and before you ask, no i didn't plan my outfit around them...okay, fine i did. also, do not wear heels there unless you want to fall through the grate and have a heart attack.
because carrie bradshaw is (in my mind) a genius, we decided to stay at the hotel plaza athenee where carrie met up with aleksandr petrovsky when they moved to paris in sex and the city. the hotel was nothing less that perfection; and as an added bonus, they even gave us an upgrade! we didn't have a view of the eiffel tower like carrie but that didn't make it any less special. i will probably never be able to afford that piece of heaven for a very long time but it was the perfect ending to one of my favorite trips to date.
we ended the day with a ride to the top of the eiffel tower (and a quick outfit change) - the views were breathtaking.
paris will forever be my favorite city: where i can speak french and people watch at the cafés.
until next time paris -- au revoir!
top: kate spade (old, similar here)
skirt: j.o.a.
shoes: steve madden
hat: amazon
bracelet: cartier
bag: celine
clutch: kate spade (old but love this one)
sunglasses: karen walker
fin.